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Lance Corporal James Mitchell

 

James Mitchell was born on 23 July 1896 in Park Street, Larne, County Antrim, the sixth or seventh of ten children of iron turner James Mitchell and his wife Annie (née Scott). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living in Glynn Street, Larne, with his parents and five of his siblings, and employed in a paper-mill.

Mitchell enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 28 or 29 May 1915 (No.1637 – later Corps of Hussars No.71480). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp before embarking for France sometime between 1916 and 1918, possibly with E Squadron on 11 January 1916.

In May 1916 E Squadron came together with A and D Squadrons to form the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to VII, XIX, then V Corps until February-March 1918, when the regiment was dismounted and converted to a cyclist unit. It then served as corps cyclists to V Corps until the end of the war.

Mitchell remained with the regiment throughout the war. On 22 February 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve. Ten days before that, he had married Mary Duff in Larne's First Presbyterian Church.

 

Mitchell's brother Alexander Scott Mitchell also served in the war, in Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians). He was killed in action on 8 August 1918.