The following email has been received from Konrad Ermert, Secretary, Duntroon Society Victoria:
Dear Members,
As forecast, our first luncheon for 2022 will be held in conjunction with the MCC Military Veterans Group on Wed 23 March in the MCC Dining Room. The guest speaker is WO2 Iain Townley (biography below). Timings : 1200 for 1230 hrs. Cost: $75.00 per head. Bookings and payment:
Bendigo Bank, Windsor Branch
BSB 633-000
Account number: 125492215
Account name: The Duntroon Society Victoria Branch
Confirmation email to dunsocvic@gmail.com by 14 March with full names and contact numbers of all attending
Dress: Jacket and Tie for men (we don’t presume to tell ladies how to dress 😀). There will be a requirement for double vax on entry.
Best regards to all,
Konrad Ermert
Secretary
Duntroon Society Victoria
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Warrant Officer Class 2 Iain Townsley
Warrant Officer Class 2 Iain Townsley was born in Girvan South Ayrshire, a small fishing town on the west coast of Scotland. His Grandfather was an Infantry veteran of both world wars. His father was a Gunner and Infantry veteran of the Burma Campaign who served with the 5th Column of 111 Chindit Brigade. His father re-enlisted so Iain started school on the family’s first overseas posting to Kenya during the Mau Mau uprising. From then on it was schools between Germany and England.
At 15 (1963) Iain enlisted into the British Regularly Army and started his military service at The Junior Leaders Infantry Battalion, an academy of some 300 boys aged between 15 and 17and half, who would join various infantry units of the army. On graduating Iain joined his battalion (The Queen’s Own Highlanders) who were based at Kowloon. During this period he attended a course at the Jungle Warfare School and served on operations in Borneo. On returning to Kowloon he was involved in Internal Security Operations during the Cultural Revolution riots in Kowloon, Hong Kong and the New Territory’s.
After the Far East the Battalion was posted to Northern Ireland. After a year of a relative quiet period of training and retraining the Ulster Civil War known as “The Troubles” started and the Battalion was deployed onto the streets of Belfast in support of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. During this time he was also assigned to an undercover unit known as The Military Reaction Force. Iain would return to Ireland time and time again.
In 1970 after passing a selection program Iain was accepted into 22 Special Air Service. He was assigned to the Air Assault Troop of D Sabre Squadron and soon found adventure in what was at the time a secret war in Oman. From 1970 to 1988 he rotated through a life of constant training, retraining, foreign attachments and operations.
During this time WO2 Iain has served amongst other wings in 22 SAS, including the Selection Training Wing, Counter Terrorist Training Wing, Counter Revolutionary Warfare Training Wing, and the Special Reconnaissance Training wing.
Iain served for 25 years in the British Regularly Army, 7 years with the Queens Own Highlanders Infantry Battalion and 18 years with the Special Air Service. 14 of those 25 years were spent on operations.
He retired to Victoria in 1988 where he then went on to serve with Commando Regiment (Army Reserve). In civilian life he found employment as a Private Military Contractor.
He is the author of the autobiography From Pilgrim to Piper.
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