Australians in the Boer War
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Hint: This site is intended as a search aid - not a definitive source. It is essentially an index to documents that seem to relate to this person plus a very brief precis of relevant elements. Sources often conflict and I also flag things with a ? when I am unsure. So if the information below is important to you, then please check the original sources to see what else they contain (and in case I have inadvertantly introduced transcription and/or precising errors). There can be additional information that was not included in the database for both space and copyright reasons.


 

Surname TOWNLEY
Given Name(s) or Initial(s) Norman Vincent
Regimental Number
RankLieutenant
Unit Name 5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen
StateQld
Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown)

Murray: Lieutenant Supernumerary from 3QMI, Queen's South Africa medal and 5 clasps King's South Africa medal and 2 clasps.
Smith2: 3QMI & Doyle's Scouts.
URL2: 3QMI Doyle's Scouts and on Sir Walter Kitchener's staff, awarded Distinguished Service Order, Queen's & King's South Africa medals with 6 clasps, joined Finance Dept. of Pretoria, married in Pretoria Cathedral in 1911.
URL3: Lieut. Doyle's Scouts, mentioned by Lord Kitchener for Distinguished Service.
URL4: Lieut. NV TOWNLEY in Pretoria c6.1905.
URL5: Lieut. A TOWNLEY remained in S. Africa for further service when 5QIB returned to Aust.
URL6: Mr Norman TOWNLEY who served as a lieutenant in the African War, is [at his father's death c5.1909] residing in S. Africa.
URL7: AUSTRALIANS DISLIKED IN SOUTH AFRICA. SOME HARD NAMES. The following letter from as Australian resident in Pretoria will be read with interest - To the Editor of the 'Evening News,' Sydney. Sir, It is with regret that I trouble you again on the subject of Australia-phobia. I do so, however, in the hope that Australians who read this letter may be induced to deter any of their acquaintances who perchance contemplate a change from coming to South Africa. No opportunity is ever neglected here by people who are not Australians to injure those who are. This applies, for the most part, also to the Press of the country. When the grave of Prince Christian was desecrated, it was at once given out that Australians were responsible for it. The news came by wire through Reuter's Agency, an was bad enough. But when it was supplemented next day by a leading article in the 'Pretoria News' of a style and character distinctly uncomplimentary, Australians here were naturally very indignant. LETTER OF PROTEST. Mr. Advocate WILLIAMSON, a leading member of the bar - and an Australian, assisted in drawing up a letter of protest, signed by well-known citizens of Pretoria, which was sent to the other journals and published as under - To the Editor, 'Transvaal Advertiser.' Sir, — In your cable columns this morning, dealing with the desecration of the grave of the late Prince Christian, the following appears - 'The 'Express' attributes the plot to Australians of the criminal class.' As it appears from the report of the police that at present there is not the slightest clue held as to the perpetrators of the outrage, we must emphatically protest against this insult to Australians. We feel called upon to take notice of this matter, as in the past many accusations have been made as to crimes having been committed by Australians, which have proved to be utterly unfounded. We are, etc., JB WILLIAMSON, Robert P LEWERS, FW FURBER, F RODD, Percy BAWDON, JE TRESIDER, EA REES, N MCGREGOR, HA PARROTT, G SUTHERLAND, EJ MACMILLAN, AW JAMES, Norman TOWNLEY, Alfred E HARRIS, Ernest H STEPHENS, WH MILLER, AE COULLS, M MCDIARMID, F RICHARDS, J COMSTOCK, A NICOLSON, CE BABER, CH TAPP, GC KING, MA MACKEN, PAVP SMITH, Colin AUSTIN, WL BLAKENEY, FC CONDON, P MESSER, EP CARTER, E HERON. Pretoria, September 10 [1904].
Source References
Murray: Official Records of the Australian Contingents etc. page(s) 492 493
Fogg: 5th Contingent Qld. Imperial Bushmen in South Africa 1901-02 page(s) 2
Smith2: Australian KSA Medal Recipients page(s) 24
Queenslander: The Queenslander newspaper date(s) 1.7.1905 & 7.1.1911
Syd. Herald : Sydney Morning Herald newspaper date(s) 31.7.1902
Bne. Courier: Brisbane Courier newspaper date(s) 16.5.1902
Cairns Post: Cairns Post newspaper date(s) 21.5.1909
Evg. News: Evening News (Sydney NSW) date(s) 15.10.1904
External Link URL1www.archives.qld.gov.au/Researchers/CollectionsDownloads/Documents/boer_war_index_id18351.pdf
External Link URL2nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22288982
External Link URL3nla.gov.au/nla.news-article14467463
External Link URL4nla.gov.au/nla.news-article20795143
External Link URL5nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19184287
External Link URL6nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32134388
External Link URL7nla.gov.au/nla.news-article113305015


Please email me if you can contribute any other relevant information about this person (eg any other military service, where in Australia they came from or when/where they died). Also, if you find an external link broken.


Apology: For some time now it has been difficult to keep up with the newly available sources (especially the Trove newspaper site) plus the flow of contributions and queries. So I have been forced to prioritise maintenance and data entry over replying to correspondence. Nevertheless, your contributions are being added to the database and acknowledged on the contributions page and, although my replies are many months behind, I will attempt to get to them more often.
 
Colin Roe
Canberra

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