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 |
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 |
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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
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