Francis Whitchurch Townend (10 July 1885 – 29 March 1915) was an English first-class cricketer and British Army officer. Townend was born at Halifax, Nova Scotia to The Reverend Alfred Townend, a former Army Chaplain, and his wife, Margaret. He was sent to England to be educated, where he was taught on the Isle of Wight at Appuldurcombe, before attending Camberley School. From there he attended Dulwich College. He left Dulwich in 1901 to attend the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich where he played cricket and football for the Academy. Townend graduated into the Royal Engineers as a second lieutenant in February 1904. He spent a further two years at the Royal School of Military Engineering, before being promoted to lieutenant in September 1906. In the same year he was posted to British India