Harold Flinders MITCHELL

https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/92921 

World War 1 Service

By Bob Kearney per his book "Fallen Saints"

Harold Flinders Mitchell of Unley, South Australia was born in August 1885 at Kensington in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide. While at St Peter's  College he was a member of B Company in the cadet unit and after leaving served for a period of three years with the Medical Corps in the Citizens Force; while there attained the rank of corporal.

He was married in 1908 and until joining the AIF had been a Solicitor with S J Mitchell in Queens Chambers, Pirie Street, Adelaide and as a barrister practiced on Kangaroo Island and at Remark where he was an enthusiastic member of the Rifle Club.

Harold enlisted as a general reinforcement for the Medical Corps in August 1916 and sailed from Adelaide aboard HMAT Port Melbourne in October 1916; after reaching France he was transferred to 4th Division AAMC at Étaples and taken on the strength of 12 Field Ambulance on 22 January1917.

In September, he commenced training at No 5 Officer Cadet Battalion, Cambridge, England, and was commissioned in December and proceeded to France as a second lieutenant in January 1918; upon arrival at Le Havre was posted to the 45th Battalion.

On 5 April 1918 during the last great German offensive, while the 45th Battalion were helping to defeat attacks aimed at breaking through the front around Dernancourt, Second Lieutenant Mitchell was killed in action; he was 32 years of age.

Witness statements (from Red Cross files). 

When interviewed on 1 July 1918, Private Thomas Ansell, (awarded MM for his actions during this operation) said that during an advance he was near Second Lieutenant Mitchell and saw him shot in the head and killed instantly. He said he knew he was taken back and buried by members of the 12th Field Ambulance but ‘did not see the grave, and was told of his burial. He was a nice fellow.’

In July 1918 Private John Notley said Mitchell had come out of the Pioneer trench near Dernancourt and was standing next to him when he was shot in the head. Notley recalled how a few minutes before they were due to start the attack Second Lieutenant Mitchell had taken his maps from his pockets and after burning them said to Notley ‘They won’t get much of the maps’ and stamped on the ashes. Notley said he did not know where Harold was buried ‘but he was taken to the back, I saw the cross that was put on the grave.

Private James Turner who was in A Company with Lieutenant Mitchell told the interviewing officer in July 1918 that Mitchell was ‘killed instantly. He said it happened at Dernancourt and that his body together with that of Mr Perry, who was killed shortly after, was carried back after dark to HQ.

Private Turner said ‘I don’t know anything about the burial. I got knocked myself the next day.’ He added that he thought Harold Mitchell ‘was a splendid man and was quite fearless - he was always thoughtful for his men and was thought a tremendous lot of.’

Also interviewed in late July were Lance Corporal Leslie Owen and Private Thomas Barrow.  Lance Corporal Owen said, ‘We were preparing for counter attack. He was standing at time at back of parados when he was shot through the head by bullet, died instantly, never spoke. I was a few yards from him when he was killed and saw him hit. Know nothing of burial, as we went on with attack.’

Barrow said, ‘I saw him fall when he was knocked by a bullet near Albert and between there and Dernancourt, on the Amiens Road, but I cannot say if he was killed outright or not. Though I’m not sure, he probably was killed outright, I should judge by the way he fell. We went on and I was wounded later. I cannot say anything about burial.’ 

When the death of Lieutenant Mitchell was reported in an Adelaide newspaper on 4 May 1918 a deep sense of grief engulfed the Riverland town of Renmark and surrounding areas.

At the opening of the Police Court on Wednesday morning the presiding magistrate (Mr FW Cutlack) said he felt called upon to allude to the untimely end of their old friend, and expressed the regret of the court that so an enthusiastic officer had been lost and the deepest sympathy for his father.

Note: - Harold was survived by his wife Maude and two daughters one of whom was the late Dame Roma Flinders Mitchell, AC, DBE, CVO, QC.

https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/92921

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K.I. Connection

Between 1907 & 1910 he was practising as a barrister, Kangaroo Island. In 1908 he brought his new wife to live in Kingscote, where they had their first child (Maude Mignon Flinders MITCHELL)  in 1909 (she died before she was one year old).

14 Dec 1907 Resident, Kingscote, Kangaroo Island http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191637256

14 Dec 1907 Secretary K.I. Agricultural, Horticultural and Pastoral Society http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191637253

28 Dec 1907 Surgery in Adelaide, returned to Kingscote http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191633751

2 May 1908 Presentation to Kingscote Literary Society http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191639204 Also 6 Jun 1908 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191631130 20 Mar 1909 President http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191629395 9 Apr 1910 Resignation http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191636704

30 May 1908 Officiated at a reception for a Parliamentary party visiting K.I. THE PARLIAMENTARY PARTY. (1908, May 30). The Kangaroo Island Courier (Kingscote, SA : 1907 - 1951), p. 6. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191642236

6 Jun 1908 Secretary Kingscote Tennis Club http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191631125

11 July 1908 Letter to the Editor, extolling the virtues of Kangaroo Island "of which we ought to be proud". AS OTHERS SEE US. (1908, July 11). The Kangaroo Island Courier (Kingscote, SA : 1907 - 1951), p. 5.  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191629811

11 July 1908 Resident legal practitioner. A RESIDENT LEGAL PRACTITIONER. (1908, July 11). The Kangaroo Island Courier (Kingscote, SA : 1907 - 1951), p. 4.  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191629833

18 July 1908 Secretary for function for St Peters Old Scholars at Queenscliffe Hotel. St. Peter's College Foundation Day. (1908, July 18). The Kangaroo Island Courier (Kingscote, SA : 1907 - 1951), p. 6.  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191631928

15 Aug 1908 K.I. Agent for Patriotic Fire Assurance Company. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191629761

29 Aug 1908 Shareholder in Koh-i-Noor Gold Mining Company http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191633038

16 Mar 1909 daughter Maude Mignon Flinders MITCHELL was born in Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, SA. She died in 28 Feb 1910 in Port Adelaide, and the death index states the residence at that time was Kingscote, Kangaroo Island. (See "Family" below).

17 Apr 1909 Trustee Methodist Church providing water for O.B.I. Camp http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191637446

8 May 1909 Central Football Club, appointed Umpire. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191640338

15 Sep 1909 Public library - steering committee http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191633900

20 Nov 1909 Secretary, Farmers and Producers Political Union, Kingscote. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191635960

26 Feb 1910 Presented a paper on Bees and Bee-keeping on K.I.  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article191633936

2 Oct 1913 Birth of second child (Roma Alma Flinders MITCHELL) in North Adelaide.

27 April 1918 K.I. newspaper carries the news of his death -"well known in this district". LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS. (1918, April 27). The Kangaroo Island Courier (Kingscote, SA : 1907 - 1951), p. 2.  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article189508601

 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article189508601

Family

For sources and more details, click here

Descendants of :

Samuel James MITCHELL

Generation 1

1. Samuel James MITCHELL was born 11 May 1852 in Mt Barker, SA and died 03 Oct 1926 in North Adelaide, SA. He married Eliza Ann GARDENER 15 Sep 1875 in Adelaide, SA. She was born ABT 1853 and died 09 Jul 1938 in Adelaide, SA, daughter of John GARDENER.

Other events in the life of Samuel James MITCHELL

Occupation: Chief Justice of the Northern Territory.

Children of Samuel James MITCHELL and Eliza Ann GARDENER:

   i.     Edith Maud MITCHELL was born 04 Nov 1876 in Port Augusta, SA and died 15 Sep 1955 in Goulburn, NSW. She married Donald MacDONALD 04 Apr 1904 in Adelaide, SA. He was born ABT 1864.

   ii.   Garnet Ethelbert MITCHELL was born 13 May 1881 in Port Augusta, SA and died 17 Feb 1947 in Goulburn, NSW. He married EVELYN POOLE 05 Aug 1916 in Burnside, SA. She was born ABT 1893, daughter of Herbert George POOLE.

   iii.   4.   Harold Flinders MITCHELL was born 11 Aug 1885 in Kensington, SA and died 05 Apr 1918 in Dernancourt, France

   iv.     Jean Hildegarde MITCHELL was born 15 Apr 1895 in Glenelg, SA

Generation 2

2. Edith Maud MITCHELL was born 04 Nov 1876 in Port Augusta, SA and died 15 Sep 1955 in Goulburn, NSW. 

4. Harold Flinders MITCHELL was born 11 Aug 1885 in Kensington, SA and died 05 Apr 1918 in Dernancourt, France. He married Maude Imelda Victoria WICKHAM 08 Aug 1908 in Adelaide, SA.

 Other events in the life of Harold Flinders MITCHELL

Military: Lieutenant, 45th Batt

Occupation: BET 1907 & 1910, barrister, Kangaroo Island

Children of Harold Flinders MITCHELL and Maude Imelda Victoria WICKHAM:

   i.     Maude Mignon Flinders MITCHELL was born 16 Mar 1909 in Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, SA and died 28 Feb 1910 in Port Adelaide, SA

   ii.     Dame Roma Alma Flinders MITCHELL, AC, DBE, CVO, QC   was born 02 Oct 1913 in North Adelaide, SA and died 07 Mar 2000

Last updated : 26 May 2021