This man is a candidate for addition to Keighley’s Supplementary Volume under the proposal to add further names in 2024, the centenary of the original roll of honour.
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Supported by the National Lottery’s Heritage Fund, our project intends to submit about 120 names for peer review to add them to the book which is kept at Keighley Library. The unveiling of the book with it’s new names is planned for November 2024, 100 years after the unveiling of the original war memorial.
Second Lieutenant. 11th Battalion, Yorkshire Hussars (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’ Own.)
Second Lieutenant Thomas James Mitchell.
Early life:
Thomas was born on 21st June 1896 and his birth was registered at North Bierley. His parents were Thomas Mitchell and Eliza Mitchell nee Wallis.
He was baptised at St Matthew’s Church, Wilsden, on 26th July that year and they were living on Main street in Wilsden and his father Thomas was a grocer and draper.
In the 1901 census he was aged four and living with his parents Thomas aged 62 and Eliza aged 41 and three sisters, Florence aged 13, Hilda aged nine and Laura aged six, on Main Street, Wilsden.
By the time of the 1911 census he was aged 14 years, still living with his parents and three sisters but the address was now pinpointed to 207, Main Street in Wilsden, which may have also been their shop.
Thomas senior was aged 73 and he was a family grocer (retail.) Eliza was aged 51 and they had been married for 24 years and had four children in that time. The eldest daughter was Florence Rosalind, aged 23 and an elementary school teacher. Hilda was 19 and a burler and mender, Laura Beatrice was 16, Thomas was 14 and they were both students, with Thomas being at Keighley Boy’s Grammar School.
Their father Thomas died in December 1912 as was buried in St. Matthew’s Churchyard on the 14th.
In 1899 the elementary school leaving age was 12, so Thomas would have attended Keighley Boys Grammar School for about four years, as he left Keighley Boy’s Grammar School in 1913, aged about 16. He went on to higher education because at the outbreak of war in August 1914, he was studying for the Civil Service Examination and joined the Officer Training Corps at Leeds University in 1915.
War service:
The London Gazette dated 15th November 1915 states he became a Temporary Second Lieutenant:
Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment). The undermentioned to be temporary Second Lieutenants. Dated 8th November, 1915:-
Frank Pearce Cliffe.
Marin Bran Constant.
Thomas James Mitchell.
Harper Seed.
George Harold Smith.
Henry Norman Goold.
John Norman Mason.
George Henry Victor Saunders.
Thomas was killed in action on 10th July 1916, apparently whilst serving with the 11th Battalion, Yorkshire Hussars (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’ Own.)
Several records quote him serving with the 11th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment. He may have been with them when he was in the UK but as far as we can tell, this regiment never went overseas.
The family grave at St. Matthew’s Churchyard in Wilsden states he was serving with the 9th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment when he was killed and that he was buried at Contalmaison, which implies that they’d had a letter to this effect from his commanding officer.
It’s possible he had served with both battalions and was transferred to the 9th Battalion after arriving in France.
His regiment was part of the 23rd Division and 60th Brigade. They had the 8th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, the 9th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment and the 11th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment under their control at the time of his death, so the confusion may stem from how this was recorded at the time and he could even have been still attached to the 9th from the 11th, but this was not made permanent before he was killed in action.
Either way, he now has no known grave and he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing in the Somme region of France. His grave may be one of those marked ‘unknown’ at Contalmaison Military Cemetery.
War diary entry WO-95/2184/3:
9th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, for 10th July 1916:
TRENCHES.
10th July:
Left bivouacs at 11 am for trenches; arrived in assembly trench about 4 pm. (heavily shelled on way up)
At 4.50 pm the 8th and 9th Yorkshires left their assembly trenches to attack CONTALMAISON, the 8th Yorkshires being on the right, & 9th Yorkshires on the left. He had to advance over the open for 1500 yards and lost heavily from shrapnel, HE, machine gun and rifle fire. Attack completely successful and CONTALMAISON was captured by 6 pm and held. Over 250 prisoners were taken, many Germans killed, 8 machine guns captured, also large quantity of ammunition, but S A and for field guns. Counter attacks by Germans were driven off.
Casualties.
Officers: 3 killed, 11 wounded. Other ranks: 13 killed, 192 wounded, 24 reported missing.
We believe that Second Lieutenant Thomas Mitchell was one of the three officers killed during this attack.
Keighley News report dated 22nd July 1916, page 4:
LIEUTENANT T.J. MITCHELL
An official intimation was received at Shipley on Tuesday that Second-Lieutenant T. James Mitchell, of the Green Howards, only son of the late Mr. Thomas Mitchell, of Wilsden, and of Mrs Mitchell, 14, Wensley Avenue, Shipley, was killed in action on July 10. Second-Lieutenant Mitchell who was only 20 years of age, was educated at the Keighley Grammar School.
After the outbreak of war he joined the Officer’s Training Corps at the Leeds University, and he secured his commission last November.
The Keighlian Magazine obituary – Keighley Boys Grammar School:
THOMAS JAMES MITCHELL.
2nd Lieutenant. 9th Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards).
Lieutenant Mitchell left school in 1913. He was engaged in study for the Civil service Examination when the war broke out. He entered the Officer’s Training Corps at Leeds University in July, 1915, and went out to France in November of the same year. He was killed on July 9th, 1916.
Thomas J. Mitchell was a young man of sterling character who was equally keen in studies and sport. He was a member of the School Football Eleven during his last years at School, and he took a great interest in the School’s successes on the field. He has left a mother and sister to mourn his loss, and to them his old School extends its deepest sympathy.
Thomas was posthumously awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal for his war service. These would have been received by Elizabeth as his next of kin. She also received a payment of his remaining Army pay, this was for £47 10s on 5th May 1917.
His probate record shows she also received a payment from his estate of £93 17s. 6d. on 13th April 1917.
Thomas is remembered on the Thiepval memorial in France.
He is also remembered locally on the Wilsden War Memorial and on the Mitchell family grave in St Matthew’s Church graveyard, Wilsden, which says:
“Also Thomas James 2nd Lieut. – 9th York Reg. Only son of Thomas and Eliza Mitchell. Killed in action July 10th 1916 aged 20 years. Buried at Contalmaison, France.”
The inscription to Thomas on the Mitchell family gravestone.
In Keighley he is remembered in the ‘Keighlian’ Magazine Roll of Honour, which was printed in 1918.
Information sources:
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935
England & Wales, Free BMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1910
1901 England Census
1911 England Census
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1985
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
World War I Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929
1921 Census Of England & Wales
1939 Register
England & Wales Deaths 1837-2007
