Ralph Townsend was born on 27 November 1900[REF] in Raynham, North Carolina to "one of Robeson county's oldest and most prominent families."[REF]
His second assignment was to Shanghai, where he officially served as vice-consul between 10 December 1931 and 9 January 1932,[REF][REF] though a two-month temporary detail kept him in the city long enough to witness the Shanghai Incident firsthand [REF].