William Henry (Bill) Townsend (3B23)
| Date of Birth: | 25 July 1912 |
|---|---|
| Date of Death: | dsp 22 August 1948 |
| Generation: | 10th |
| Residence: | Gorrie, Ontario. Canada |
| Father: | George Wellington Townsend [3B11] |
| Mother: | Thornton, Alice |
| Spouse: |
|
| Issue: | None |
| See Also: | Table IIIB ; Lineage ; Ancestors' Tree ; Descendents' Tree |
Notes for William Henry (Bill) Townsend
Bill was born on the family farm at Howick (Huron County) Gorrie, Ontario.
Married Mary Denise Hutchinson 27 September 1947 in Harriston, Ontario.
Having passed his High School Entrance Exams, Bill lived with his aunt Sydney Alecia [3B12] in London, Ontario, whilst attending a year long course at Technical School to train as a mechanic. It would appear that at some time prior to the Second World War he owned a garage at Tilsonburg, Ontario, for he employed his brother, Norman Townsend [3B24], as an occasional garage mechanic for six months in about 1935/36. On the outbreak of the Second World War Bill joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) (1) on 25 September 1939. Having been hospitalised several times with black-outs Bill was medically discharged from the RCAF on 4 August 1941. Determined to do his share for the war effort, Bill worked at Malton, Ontario, now the site of Toronto airport. Here he packed parachutes and helped to build aeroplanes. It was during these years that Bill's friend, Reid Hutchinson, introduced him to his sister Denise, whom he eventually married.
After the war Bill became a John Deere Farm Equipment dealer in Shelburne and the business was subsequently bought by his brother, Harold Townsend [3B26], in 1948 following Bill's death
Notwithstanding his medical history, Bill learned to fly and parachute jump; he routinely did exhibition flying and parachute jumps and was killed when he lost control of his plane and crashed.
(1) Official AF Number 10659. RCAF Records, National Archives of Canada.
(2) These details have been abstracted from the research work (1992-97) undertaken by Gracie Townsend [3B27] into members of the family descended from Richard Townsend [335].