L/Cpl 52015 Arthur Mitchell

• Age: 23
• From: Horwich
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Wednesday 27th March 1918
• Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
  Panel Ref: P21-23

Arthur was born in Horwich on 25th April, 1894, the son of Thomas Mithchell and his wife Sarah Ann (nee Little)  both of whom were originally from Carlisle, where they married in the December quarter of 1879. Arthur was baptised on 09th May 1894 at Horwich.

He was one of 13 children of which 10 survived. His siblings were; John,  Mary Jane, Sarah Ann, Isabella, David, Emily, Hannah, Alfred and Ruth. Arthur was the 9th of the surviving children. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 232 Entwisle Road, Rochdale. His father is employed as a bricklayer.

By 1911 the family have moved to 4 Manchester Road, Rochdale. Arthur is employed as an apprentice Clog maker.

He enlisted in Rochdale and was serving in the 17th Battalion, The King's Liverpool Regiment with the service number 52015 awhen he was killed in action on the 27th March 1918 aged 23.

The Battalion diary for 27^th March 1918 gives an insight into the events of the day

FOLIES

Orders received that Battalion with the exception of 2 Companies at ROUVROY were to march to HANGEST and take up defensive positions there. H.Q. Company went forward. The remaining Company on arriving at Strong point near wood in K.15 were ordered by Genl Stevens  (90^th Brigade) to man that strong point.In the afternoon, orders were received to occupy position E. of BOUCHOIR -WARVILLERS road with this Company in conjunction with 18^th KLR and 2^nd Bn Yorks Regt. Part of H.Q. Company returned at about 5.30pm the remainder having been ordered to take up defensive position in HANGEST. Hostile shelling continued during the night, increasing in volume the following morning.       

Arthur has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial. 

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.

He had married Sarah Rose Shaw Butterworth in early 1918 in Rochdale. His widow, Rose, was living at 48 Cedardale Road, Liverpool at the time that Arthur was killed. His parents were living at 1 Summercastle, Rochdale.

His wife, parents and friends posted notices in the Rochdale Observer on 27/04/1918. 

“In loving memory of my dear husband, Lance Corporal Arthur Mitchell, King’s Liverpool Regiment, who was killed in action on March 27^th 1918, age 24 on April 25^th 1918. 

Rest on, dear Arthur, your labour’s o’er,

Your willing hands will toil no more;

A loving husband, true and kind,

No one on earth like you I’ll find.

Could I have raised your dying head,

Or heard your last request,

The grief would not have been so hard

For I who loved you best.

Deeply loved and sadly missed by his sorrowing wife, Rose, 48 Cedardale Road, Liverpool.”

MITCHELL - In loving memory of our dear son, Lance Corporal Arthur Mitchell, King’s Liverpool Regiment, who was killed in action on March 27^th 1918, age 24 on April 25^th 1918. 

No mother's care did him attend,

Or o'er him did a father bend;

No sisters by to shed a tear,

No brothers near, his words to hear.

Lay dying in a foreign land,

No father by to take his hand,

No mother near to close his eyes,

Far from his native land he lies.

- Deeply loved and sadly missed by his sorrowing Father and Mother, 1 Summercastle.

Sweet be thy rest, our brother dear,

'Tis sweet to breathe thy name;

In life we loved you very dear,

In death we do the same.

For the unknown grave is the saddest blow,

None but our aching hearts can know.

- From his sorrowing Sisters, Molly, Bella and Ruth.

Oh brother dear, 'tis hard to part,

With one so good and kind in heart;

When others return we will miss you more,

The realisation will make our hearts sore.

- From his sorrowing Sister Sarah and Bob (in Italy) A.S.C.

In the bloom of life death claimed him,

In the pride of his manhood days,

None knew him but to love him,

None mentioned his name but with praise.

A good life is often too short,

But a good name endureth for ever.

- From his sorrowing Brother and Sister Cis and Alfred (in the Grand Fleet).

When love entwines around the heart,

Experience best can tell

How very hard it is to part

With one we loved so well.

- from his sorrowing Sister and Brother, Hannah and Jim.

If those who caused this awful war

Where the only wants to fight,

What a different world this would have been

For aching hearts tonight.

- From his sorrowing Brother and Sister and family, Jack and Bella.

A loving brother, true and kind,

We always have him in our mind.

There is a link death cannot server -

Love and remembrance last for ever.

- From his sorrowing Brother and Sister and Granville, Lily and David.

Worthy of everlasting love

From those he left behind,

A better brother never lived,

Nor one more good and kind.

- From his sorrowing Sister and Brother and family, Emily and Bob.

Gone is the one we loved so dear,

Silent the voice we love to hear;

Far, far away from sight and speech,

But not too far for our thoughts to reach.

- Deeply loved and sadly missed by Dad and Maggie (Liverpool).

Never a day but his name is spoken,

Never an hour but he is in our thoughts;

A link in our family chain is broken,

He has gone from our presence but not from our hearts.

- Deeply loved and sadly missed by Mr and Mrs Wright and family (Liverpool).

There is a link death cannot sever.

Love and remembrance will last for ever.

- Deeply loved and sadly missed by Alice and Tom (Flying Corps).

If we had the power to call you back

To earth so sad, brave hero lad,

Nought would we give that would efface

The joy of such a smiling face.

• From Mr and Mrs Coulthard and Family.
•  

Mr and Mrs Mitchell and family wish to thank all relatives and friends for the kind expressions of sympathy shown to them in their sad bereavement.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to widow Sarah Rose Shaw Mitchell

Long after his widow had posted news of Arthur’s death in action, his mother, perhaps reluctant to accept the finality of his death or hoping for further details, wrote to the International Red Cross, in hopes that they had information on Arthur.  Her enquiry states that Arthur was declared Missing on 26/3/1918.  A reply was sent on 14/11/1918 to the effect that they held no information.

Rose re-married in 1924 to Albert J Waterhouse.

We currently have no further information on Arthur Mitchell. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.