63566 / S8225
MITCHELL, Ronald Eric
| Service Number: | 2714 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 May 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Port Pirie, South Australia, October 1893 |
| Home Town: | Port Pirie, Port Pirie City and Dists, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 18 May 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2714, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sep 1915: | Involvement Private, 2714, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Anchises embarkation_ship_number: A68 public_note: '' | |
| 2 Sep 1915: | Embarked Private, 2714, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Anchises, Adelaide | |
| 8 Sep 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
| 11 Apr 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
| 4 May 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
| 4 Oct 1917: | Honoured Military Medal, The Outpost Villages - German Withdrawal to Hindenburg Line, 'Valuable services in advising and directing gun crews, through expert knowledge. Also personal courage and devotion to duty.' (Near Louveral, 5 April 1917). Recommendation date: 23 April 1917, 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 169, Date: 4 October 1917 | |
| 1 Jun 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
| 30 Jun 1918: | Wounded AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 10th Infantry Battalion, SW left leg and shoulder | |
| 15 Sep 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Lieutenant, 2714, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
| 2 May 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 10th Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From Australian War Memorial
Ronald Eric Mitchell was born on 18 September 1893 in Port Pirie, South Australia.
While working as a clerk, in May 1915 he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, at the age of 21. Arriving in Egypt in December, Mitchell joined the 10th Battalion. Sailing with his new unit to France in March 1916, he joined the fighting on the Western Front.
During the German attack on Lagnicourt on the morning of 15 April, Sergeant Mitchell carried forward a Lewis gun under heavy fire and placed it where he could help overcome the advancing enemy. For his bravery he was awarded the Military Medal.
Mitchell and his battalion continued to take part in bitter trench warfare until 1918, fighting at Poziéres, Ypres, Polygon Wood and Messines. Mitchell survived the war and returned to Australia in 1919 having been promoted to lieutenant. He suffered several wounds during his service, including a gunshot wound to the right leg and bomb splinters in his left shoulder and right side.
He married Melva Cilento in 1920 and the couple moved to Canberra in the 1930s. Mitchell again enlisted during the Second World War, at the age of 48, serving as a lieutenant, and then captain, with the Australian Army Volunteer Defence Corps.
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