Corporal William Mitchell.
243915 1/5th Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.
Killed in Action 22nd April 1917. Aged 29.
( Brother Edward was killed in action 13th Aug 1918.)
William was born about 1890 in Bolton, Lancashire.
In the 1911 census the family lived at 9 Croft St, Burnley. Elizabeth 43 born in Sunderland, Durham, William 20 born in Bolton, Ethel 17, born in Manchester, Edward 15 born in Bolton, Florence 13 born in Padiham and Doris 8 born in Burnley. His mother had one child who died in infancy.
William enlisted/mobilised at the outbreak of the war on the 4th Aug 1914. He had previously seen service with the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the East Lancashire’s, various service Nos, 2029,240366 and finally 243915. He was a fitter working for the Burnley Corporation on enlistment. He had defective eyesight but this did not stop him from being a soldier.
From The Express and Advertiser dated 19 May 1917: A VERY GOOD SOLDIER. BURNLEY PRINTER KILLED.
Corporal William Mitchell 243915, of the Loyal North Lancs regiment who leaves a wife and child resident at 34 Vernon Street Burnley, was killed in action on April 24th. He was 25 years of age and, enlisting the very day after war broke out, he went out to the front 10 months ago. He had been in the East Lancashire Regiment before that, and had once suffered from Shell Shock. Formerly he was a printer for Mr Cooper, and as a boy attended St. Peter's school. His widowed mother has another son in France.
Mrs Mitchell has received a letter from QMS Scott in which he says call on "like a lot more of the East Lancs is who came out with me he is one more who has given his life for his King and Country. He was a very good soldier, always ready to do anything he was told off for, and was well-liked both by officers of the company, NCO's, and men. If it is any consolation to you to know he never suffered any pain, his death being instantaneous. I often used to have a chat with him about Burnley, having spent a good few years there myself, so I shall miss him a good deal." In asking Mrs Mitchell to bear up he adds: "there are not many families in England who haven't suffered through this terrible war, and it will be a blessing when it is all over. You will be disappointed when the time for our brave soldiers to return comes along, but you must be brave, and if you can't see him on earth you will see him in the last resting place. PS, he has been laid to rest in a beautiful little cemetery and a cross erected over his grave. His death was being was due to being struck by pieces of a Shell on the morning of 24th April."
Lived at 34 Vernon Street.
William left his effects to his widow Maud Plant(?)
William was buried in Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery, Belgium: Grave Ref; VI.G.7.
