S15423
MITCHELL, Thomas Oswald
| Service Number: | 2866 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Port Pirie, South Australia, 9 May 1897 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Adelaide High School |
| Occupation: | Student |
| Died: | Circumstances of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
West Terrace Cemetery (AIF Section) Section: LO, Road: 2S, Site No: 8 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide High School Great War Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 2 Sep 1915: | Involvement Private, 2866, 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, 2866, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Anchises, Adelaide | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 2866, 10th Infantry Battalion |
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Add my storyBiography contributed
From Adelaide High School Magazine, Christmas 1916, p 11-15
Extract of letter from Private Tom Mitchell :_
"We are in a rather quiet part of the line, but I can tell you it's an acceptable change
after the hot time we had on the Somme. Here there are certain periods of the day when one
could - if he closed his eyes to shut out the 'scenery' - easily imagine that there was no war on
at all; but, there, from my experience, it was one continued 'strafe' all night and day, which
we used to think was bad enough, but I don't know how Fritz liked it, as he got it much worse
than we did. Up there it was a case of three days in, and, if you were lucky enough to come
out intact, you did so feeling like a chewed piece of string, in the enviable state of nerves that
when a gun went off alongside of you, after you'd descended from the three-foot jump into
the air, you felt that the one desire you'd like to fulfil before fleeing for ever from the sound
of all guns was to spend about two minutes with the man that pulled the string that set that
gun off. Just like one seventy-two hours' nightmare. Up here we do six or seven days in, and
unless a man is very unlucky or foolishly reckless he goes out feeling as good as gold, but
hoping that within a day or two a visit to the divisional baths will remove an inch or so of his
outer surface (and a few of his bosom companions). I expect you know that Denny Jacob was
decorated by General Birdwood with a Military Medal for extra special work with his
machine gun. I often run across different chaps, old scholars, in the various units about here.
I met Perce Gooding a while ago. I was very sorry to hear about Dud. Cottle being killed.
From what I can hear he was sniped on an observation post on the day that the battalion was
being relieved, I believe.
"While we were on a route march one day a while back a chap passed up on a horse,
and when I looked up I beheld no other that Lieutenant Joe Blacket, but didn't get a chance to
speak to him.
" I was very glad to hear about the success of the football team. Tell them that an 'old
stager' watches all their doings with great interest."
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