How to find more information on Wm Mitchell died WW1

[Headley]

I have recently been given some information on my Great Uncle William Mitchell who was born in May 1890 but he was killed in WW1 in 1914.

I have been trying to trace records of William in order to uncover any more information that is available and through a process of elimination I would like to try and find out more about a William Mitchell who was a Private in the Cameron Highlanders (1st Battalion) who died on 25/09/1914. This Private (no 7041) was born in Edinburgh (which is where my great uncle was born).

I have found the above information on Ancestry & Findmypast but there is nothing that absolutely ties this William Mitchell to my family. Presumably there would be enlistment papers that would perhaps give next of kin and I was wondering if anyone knows of any searches I could do online for this information. I know records are kept at the National Archives at Kew, but unfortunately I live in New Zealand so this is not really a short term option for me.

Grateful for any assistance.

[Currie]

Hello Headley,

Most WW1 British Army service records, more than 60%, were destroyed by bombing during the WW2 Blitz. In addition to the survivors of these there are the records of those who survived the war and claimed a disability pension. These two record sets have been digitised by Ancestry. Enlistment papers including information about next of kin etc were part of any records that were destroyed.

You may find some useful information in this Research Guide http://www.1914-1918.net/grandad/grandad.htm

Occasionally there will be a newspaper report of the death of a particular soldier or possibly a Roll of Honour type of notice inserted by his family a year or more after the War that may help to identify him. There would be more chance of finding such an item for someone from a small town that from a big city. Maybe there was something in the Scotsman. http://archive.scotsman.com/

The death of W. Mitchell, 7041, Cameron Highlanders, appeared in the London Times, in a list dated October 16, on Monday, Nov 23, 1914, pg. 12.
http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad28 ... tchell.jpg

You can just barely make it out in the same list, same day, Glasgow Herald, page 10.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=G ... =frontpage

That will at least give you an idea of when the death was made public.

Hope that helps,
Alan

[joette]

You could try the CWGC site http://www.cwgc.org/debt_of_honour.asp?menuid=14 which MAY have details of next of kin.
In my experience it is fifty/fifty- the only reason I know some are mine are that I have seen their medals & have Reg Nos to confirm .

[AndrewP]

Neither the CWGC or the SNWM website has any family information for William Mitchell. The CWGC states that he was born in Edinburgh. He is listed amongst the many in The Scotsman of Monday 23 November 1914, but like the others there, only a name, rank and number.

All the best,

AndrewP

[Currie]

On the 1914-1918 Forum previously mentioned there’s a thread about the Cameron Highlanders and their Regimental Magazine. http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forum ... 759&st=100

"William Moxley appears on a list in the January 1915 magazine. Unfortunately his name is just one in a long list of those killed over a three month period. However, I dont know if you are aware that the majority of the casualties suffered by the battalion that day (25 Sept) was when a shell landed on a cave that was being used as a base. Five officers and about thirty other ranks were killed. The Soldiers Died CD has thirty four Camerons killed on that day. The battalion were in trenches two miles west of the village of Beaulne, having arrived there from Courtonne early the previous day. Hope this helps."

Page 397 of “Military Operations, France and Belgium, 1914”, has it a bit differently.
http://www.archive.org/stream/militaryo ... 6/mode/2up

"Bad luck befell the Cameron Highlanders, for a cave in which their headquarters were installed was wrecked by a high explosive shell, which killed and buried the acting commanding officer, Captain D. N. C. C. Miers, four other officers and twenty-three other ranks."

There are 28 other ranks Cameron Highlanders in the London Times list, including William Moxey. I checked a few at CWGC and they were 25 September deaths.

Alan

[Headley]

Hi all,

Many thanks for your feedback and your help to push this forward. All this information is really useful as no one else in my family was in the military so this is completely new avenue for me.
When he enlisted the William Mitchell I am looking at gave as his residence as Wishaw. It's a long shot but I will check the 1911 cencus when it is released to see if I can find where he was living at that point - he would have been 21 in 1911 so would presunmably have been working at that stage and possibly away from Edinburgh where his parents were still living.

Thanks again.