Muchty Remembers

Born: 30 April 1886, Mournipea, Auchtermuchty. 

Son of John Mitchell, Dunfermline and Margaret Ford, Auchtermuchty, of the Hollies Hotel, Auchtermcuhty. 

Army Number: 21647

Rank: Private

Regiment: 17th Battalion Royal Scots.

Died: Died of an attack of appendicitis whilst a prisoner of war, 19 October 1918.

Buried: Heverlee War Cemetery, Leuven, Belgium, Plot XI, Row A, Grave 1.

War Memorial. On the War Memorial his initials are incorrectly given as H.F. Parish Church Plaque. Church Roll. Photograph.

 

William Mitchell, born 1886, Auchtermuchty, was the son of John Mitchell, born 1856, Dunfermline, baker, and Margaret Ford, born 1850, Auchtermuchty. They were married on 27 December 1881 at Distillery St, Auchtermuchty. They had three sons, John, born 1884, Auchtermuchty; William born 1886, Auchtermuchty, and James, born 1889, St George's Edinburgh. About 1888 John Mitchell had moved to Edinburgh.

In 1891 John Mitchell, living at 40 Lauriston Street, Edinburgh, was a baker. His wife Margaret was a housekeeper. They had three children, John, 4, and William, 4, both born Auchtermuchty, and James, 2, born Edinburgh. James died in 1944.

About 1893 John Mitchell moved to Auchterderran, Fife. About 1898 John Mitchell moved to Cupar, Fife. In 1901 John Mitchell was living at Kirkgate, Cupar and was a baker. His son John was an apprentice iron moulder, and William, aged 14, was an apprentice baker. There were two more sons, Brews [Bruce] born 1894, Auchterderran, Fife, and David, born 1899, Cupar.

In 1911 John Mitchell was living in Upper Greens, Auchtermuchty. His wife, Margaret was living in the High Street, and was nurse to the William Stock, 73, stationer and printer, his daughter, Margaret Rennie, 38, mother of Harry Rennie, 5, born Kimberley, South Africa, and William Rennie, 4, born Auchtermuchty. Andrew Adam, the Burgh Town Officer, was living in the Town House next door.

In 1911 William F Mitchell was a grocer's van man for the Co-operative Society, living at 23 Drumcross Road, Bathgate. He was living with his brother John Mitchell, 27, iron moulder, wife and three children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Mitchell was the son of John Mitchell, born 1834, Ballingry Fife, and Helen Gray, born 1834, Dunfermline, died 26 Jan 1881, Dunfermline. They were married on 23 Aug 1853.

 

William F Mitchell joined his brother John in  the foundry at Bathgate.

William F Mitchell volunteered in January 1915 and enlisted in Bathgate. He joined the Royal Scots.

By 1918 John and Margaret Mitchell were running The Hollies Hotel on the Low Road, Auchtermuchty.

 

In February 1915 Lord Roseberry raised 17th Battalion Royal Scots, as part of the Batam Division. The Battalion was at Selkirk in May 1915 and Masham in June. On 3 July 1915 the Battalion was taken over by the War Office. The Battalion landed at Le Havre on 1 February 1916, as part of 106th Brigade in the 35th Division, originally called the Bantam Division.

William Mitchell joined 17th Battalion Royal Scots.  He was taken prisoner. He died of an attack of appendicitis at Weteren, near Ghent. He died in prisoner of war camp, in Belgium, on 19 October 1918, less than a month before the end of the war.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heverlee War Cemetery, Leuven, Belgium.                                 Memorial plaque, Auchtermuchty Church

 

"CASUALTIES - Though the fighting has ended, the war still takes it toll from Auchtermuchty. Mr and Mrs John Mitchell, 'Distillery Street', have received information from one of his mates that their son, Private W.F.Mitchell, 17th Royal Scots, a prisoner of war, had died of an attack of appendicitis after a few days' illness at Weteren, near Ghent, on the 28th or 29th October. On the day that the armistice was signed Mr and Mrs Mitchell received a letter from William himself giving his address as Stendal Camp, Germany. It appears, now, however, that he had never been transferred to Germany. He enlisted in the early months of the war and had been on active service for three years and nine months. Previous to enlisting he worked in a foundry at Bathgate. To his parents the sincere sympathy of the community is ectended in their bereavement." Fife News. 21 December 1918.