Mitchell, William Hamilton
Lieutenant
No. 801, 8th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment)
Killed in action on Monday 27 November 1916 (aged 30)
Buried:
Villers Station Cemetery, Villers-au-Bois, France (Grave III. B. 19)
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Canadian Virtual War Memorial (CVWM)
Canadian First World War Book of Remembrance
Journey of Remembering Belfast Book of Honour
BIOGRAPHY
William Hamilton Mitchell was born on 28 November 1885 at Williamsburgh, Paisley, Scotland, and he was a son of John and Margaret Mitchell (nee McCallum) who were married on 7 June 1872 in Milngavie, Scotland. John Mitchell worked as a cloth dyer, and he and Margaret had at least four children:
John (born 23 October 1874 at New Kilpatrick, Dunbarton, Scotland)
Duncan (born around 1879 in Scotland)
William Hamilton (born 28 November 1885 at Williamsburgh, Paisley, Scotland)
Margaret (born 10 December 1887 at 110 Riga Street, Belfast; died of measles and congestion of the lungs 5 February 1890 at 6 Emerson Street, Belfast). Margaret was buried in Belfast City Cemetery (Grave D1 387).
Their mother, Margaret Mitchell (nee McCallum), died at 110 Riga Street, Belfast on 13 December 1887 (aged 36). She died of pneumonia two days after giving birth prematurely and was buried in Belfast City Cemetery (Grave D1 387).
In 1901 the widowed John Mitchell was living at 19 Brookmount Street, Belfast with his son Duncan, and his half-sister Esther Hamilton. It was noted that all three were born in Scotland. Esther Hamilton died of heart disease at 38 Brookmount Street, Belfast on 5 July 1903, and was buried in Belfast City Cemetery (Grave D1 387).
John Mitchell from 4 Gotha Street, Belfast died in the Royal Victoria Hospital on 11 October 1906 and was buried in Belfast City Cemetery (Grave D1 387). John died from exhaustion and septic absorption after being accidentally scalded by bleaching lea on 25 September 1906 at his place of work, the Whitehouse Bleaching and Finishing Company. The accident was widely reported in the Press.
William Hamilton Mitchell became a career soldier and served for eight years with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers before moving to Canada in 1905. He served for three years on the Permanent Force in Canada and on 23 September 1914, he volunteered for the first Expeditionary Force and enlisted at Valcartier, Quebec.
In his attestation papers it was noted that he was 5 feet 7½ inches tall with a fair complexion, hazel eyes and fair hair. He cited Miss J. McCaig of Hillview, Manitoba as his next-of-kin. He sailed from Quebec on 7 October 1914 aboard the SS Franconia.
William Hamilton Mitchell attained the rank of Company Sergeant Major and in August 1915 he obtained a commission for service in the field.
Lieutenant Mitchell sustained gunshot wounds to his feet at St Julien in April 1915 and was transferred to hospital in England. He returned to the Front and was wounded again in June 1916 when he sustained a gunshot wound to his left arm. He was hospitalised again in England (Fishmonger’s Hall Hospital, London and Granville Canadian Special Hospital, Ramsgate) before being discharged in September 1916 and returning to the Front.
Lieutenant William Hamilton Mitchell (No. 801) was killed in action on 27 November 1916, the day before his 31st birthday. His next-of-kin in Ireland was his brother, John Mitchell, who lived in Comber (in some records Brownlow Street and in others Castle Street).
John Mitchell and Agnes Douglas were married on 30 March 1895 in Clifton Street Presbyterian Church Belfast. John Mitchell, a plater from 51 Glenwood Street, Belfast was a son of John Mitchell, a dyer. Agnes Douglas (aged 20) from 22 Foreman Street, Belfast was a daughter of Thomas Douglas.
John and Agnes Mitchell (nee Douglas) had at least seven children:
Margaret (born 9 May 1896)
Olive (born 4 May 1897 at 27 Carman Street, Belfast; died of tuberculosis 9 September 1907 at 38 Brookmount Street, Belfast). Olive was buried in Belfast City Cemetery (Grave D1 387).
Thomas (born 12 June 1899)
Esther (born 7 August 1901)
Rubina (Robina, born 13 August 1903 at 47 Glenwood Street, Belfast; died of tuberculosis 30 December 1908 at 38 Brookmount Street, Belfast). Rubina was buried in Belfast City Cemetery (Grave D1 387).
Beatrice (born 17 August 1905)
Olive (born 19 February 1908)
In 1901 John, Agnes, Margaret, Olive, John, and Thomas Mitchell were living at 19 Tobergill Street, Belfast.
In 1911 John, Agnes, Margaret, Thomas, Esther, Beatrice, and Olive Mitchell were living at 43 Brookmount Street, Belfast.
Olive Mitchell, daughter of John Mitchell, Brownlow Street, Comber travelled third class from Belfast to St John’s, New Brunswick, Canada. The voyage took from 10 to 19 April 1926.
Lieutenant William Hamilton Mitchell is commemorated in the Belfast Book of Honour (Page 474) where it is recorded that he was a son of John and Margaret Mitchell. In Army records it is recorded that he was predeceased by his mother.