MITCHELL, Harold
| Service Number: | 1068 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 15 February 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Gunner |
| Last Unit: | 43rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Woodside, South Australia, 4 February 1895 |
| Home Town: | Woodside, Adelaide Hills, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Oakbank State school, Mount Barker High School, and Muirden College, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Cleaner, SAR |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 21 May 1917, aged 22 years |
| Cemetery: |
Strand Military Cemetery, Ploegsteert, Wallonie, Belgium Plot II, Row A, Grave No. 9 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Mount Barker High School Great War Honour Roll, Oakbank Memorial Garden, Woodside District of Onkaparinga Honour Board, Woodside R.S.S. & A.I.L.A. Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 15 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1068, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
| 9 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1068, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Adelaide | |
| 21 May 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Gunner, 1068, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1068 awm_unit: Y3A Australian Medium Trench Mortar Battery awm_rank: Gunner awm_died_date: 1917-05-21 |
Harold Mitchell
Name: Harold Mitchell
Service Number: 1068
Place of Birth: Woodside
Date of Birth: 4 February 1895
Place of Enlistment: Adelaide
Date of Enlistment: 15 February 1916
Age at Enlistment: 21 years
Next of Kin: Mother, Lucy Mitchell
Occupation: Cleaner
Religion: Methodist
Rank: Private
Harold left from Outer Harbour on the A19 Afric on 9 June 1916 and went to France with the 43rd Battalion on 23 November where he served as a Gunner with Y3A Medium Trench Mortar. He was killed in action at Mermes in France on 21 May 1917. His personal effects were sent to his mother on 26 March 1918. She received her son’s Memorial Scroll, Memorial Plaque and Victory Medal between March 1922 and March 1923.
The Advertiser of Wednesday May 21, 1919 carried the following notice: “Mitchell – In loving memory of my pal Harold, killed in action on May 21, 1917. W. Peacock”. Notices were also inserted by his parents, brother and cousins Lil and Sam.
Submitted 26 October 2023 by christopher collins
Biography contributed by Clare Dorey
The Harold Mitchell Inclusive Education Centre (HMIEC) at Mount Barker High School honours his memory. On 21 May 2026, on the anniversary of his death, a new memorial was added to the school's front gardens. He was remembered in the program and the speech, alongside two WWII servicemen whose bricks were added to the memorial path in front of it.
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