Harold Alexander MITCHELL

MITCHELL, Harold Alexander

Service Number: 2238
Enlisted: 5 July 1916
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 37th Infantry Battalion
Born: 1896, place not yet discovered
Home Town: Violet Town, Strathbogie, Victoria
Schooling: Violet Town State School
Occupation: Bank Clerk
Died: 1967, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Not yet discovered
Memorials: Euroa Telegraph Park, Violet Town Honour Roll WW1, Violet Town Primary School Honour Roll
Show Relationships

World War 1 Service

5 Jul 1916: Enlisted AIF WW1
25 Sep 1916: Involvement Private, 2238, 37th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Shropshire embarkation_ship_number: A9 public_note: ''
25 Sep 1916: Embarked Private, 2238, 37th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Shropshire, Melbourne

Help us honour Harold Alexander Mitchell's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography

MITCHELL Harold Alexander  2238  PTE
37th Battalion
1896-1967

Harry was the eldest surviving child of eight children born to James Mitchell and his wife Stella (Fenton). He was educated at the Violet Town SS and worshipped at the Presbyterian Church in Violet Town. He became a bank clerk. Harry was working at a bank in Pryamid Hill when he enlisted on 5 July 1916. He was not quite 20.

After two months of training he embarked from Melbourne on HMAT Shropshire to Plymouth, arriving on 11 November 1916. Then there was further training for a month, after which he embarked for France on Princess Victoria to the Base Depot at Etaples. From there he was Taken On Strength (TOS) by the 37th Battalion the following January.

It was a bitterly cold winter with intense frosts.  The troops suffered from frost bite or ‘Trench Foot’ as it was called, the treatment for which was daily massage with whale oil and a change of socks. This was an order and it was considered an offence for anyone to succumb to the condition.

On 6 October while in action south of Ypres, he received a gunshot wound to his left thigh, resulting in a compound fracture. Harry was invalided to Beaufort War Hospital, Bristol until 30 January 1918 when he returned to Australia aboard HMAT Euripides. He was admitted to Caulfield Repatriation Hospital where his leg was amputated.

After discharge in September 1918 he established an accountancy practice in St Kilda Road, Melbourne; he lived with his wife Dorothy in Glenhuntly Road, Caulfield. The couple did not have any children. He was a champion bowler many times and ‘champion of champions’ once.

Harry died in 1967.

Service medals:  British War Medal    Victory Medal

Memorials: MUIOOF
                     Violet Town SS Honour Board
                     St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Violet Town
                     Main Honour Board, Memorial Hall, Violet Town
                     Copper plaque affixed to exterior wall of Memorial Hall
                     Caulfield Hospital Honour Board

Tree no 57 an Acer negundo - Box Elder - was planted in 1917 by D McKenzie.  It is still standing.

 

© 2016 Sheila Burnell

Read more...