934 Private Albert Edward Mitchell

934 Private Albert Edward Mitchell

Introduction

The following information and chronological table are a summary of the entries from the World War One service record of Albert Edward Mitchell.

Note that some of the service record pages are duplicated - presumably when the unit and Army records were amalgamated on discharge.

This picture dated 3 December 1921

Clive Mitchell-Taylor - 22 October 1996 - grandson of Albert Mitchell

Download Albert Mitchell's Service Record

Enlistment Details

Service Number	934
Name	Albert Edward Mitchell
Born at	Parish of Walkden, Town of Manchester, County of Lancashire, England
Date of Birth	19 years 7 months as at 22 Mar 1915
Trade or Calling	Farm Hand
Marital Status	Single
Next of Kin	Father - Mr Albert Edward Mitchell 16 Knowesley Ave., Eccles, Manchester, England
Previous Military Service	No
Attested at	Liverpool NSW
Date of Enlistment	25 March 1915
Height	5 foot 5 inches
Weight	127 pounds
Chest	29-33 inches
Eyes	Good Grey
Hair	Light Brown
Religious Denomination	Church of England
Units	20^th Battalion, 5^th Brigade

Chronological Events

Rank	Description	Date	Remarks
Private	Enlisted	23 Mar 1915
Private	Embarked from Australia on HMT Berrima	26 Jun 1915
		Jul 1915	2^nd Division Australian Imperial Force (AIF) formed in Egypt, including 20^th Battalion, 5^th Infantry Brigade
Private	Embarked for Gallipoli	Aug 1915
Private	Withdrawn from Gallipoli	Dec 1915
Private	Disembarked Alexandria	9 Jan 1916
Private	Embarked Alexandria HMT Ingoma	18 Mar 1916
Private	Disembarked Marseilles	25 Mar 1916
		27 July	Relieved 1^st Division at Poziers, Pozieres captured during subsequent fighting
Private	Wounded in Action - France remained on duty	4 Aug 1916	2^nd Div to Somme, 9,193 wounded this month
		November	2^nd Div Second tour of duty on Somme
Private	Reported sick to 8^th Field Ambulance	15 Dec 1916
Private	Admitted 1^st New Zealand Stationary Hospital Amiens - Venereal sore	16 Dec 1916
Private	Transferred to 15^th Australian Ambulance Train Amiens	19 Dec 1916
Private	Admitted to 1^st Stationary Hospital Rouen	20 Dec 1916
Private	Admitted to 51^st General Hospital Etaples	24 Dec 1916
Private	Discharged from 1^st Stationary Hospital Total period of ineffective service due to VD, 77 days Transferred to Australian Divisional Base Depot	1 Mar 1917
Private	Marched out to unit, Hindenberg line	24 Mar 1917
Private	Rejoined Battalion in the field from Hospital	27 Mar 1917
		15 Apr 1917	German counter-attack L'agincourt
		3 May 1917	Second battle of Bullecourt
Private	To Australian Corps School	5 Jul 1917
Private	Rejoined Battalion from 4^th Army Signals School (not up to standard)¹	8 Jul 1917
Private	Detached from 20^th Bn AIF for duty with 2^ndDivisional Signals Coy AIF	10 Aug 1917
Private	Permanently attached to 2nd Aust Div Sig Coy	12 Aug 1917
	Menin Road	September
	Broodeseinde	October
Private	Leave to England	25 Nov 1917
Private	Rejoined Bn ex leave - Belgium	13 Dec 1917
Private	Reported sick to Field Ambulance	8 Feb 1918
Private	Cease detachment to 2 Aust Div Sig Coy	8 Feb 1918
Private	Rejoin Bn from Hospital (sick)	17 Feb 1918
		March 1918	German offensive, Somme
Private	To school in Belgium - Universite du Travail, Charleroi, Belgium	13 Mar 1918
Private	From School - Belgium	26 Mar 1918
Private	Appointed Lance Corporal	26 Jun 1918
		July	Battle of Hamel
Lance Corporal	To School	14 Jul 1918
Lance Corporal	From School	24 Jul 1918
		September	Mont St Quentin
Lance Corporal	Reverts to Private at own request	18 Sep 1918
Private	To School	19 Sep 1918
Private	From School	3 Nov 1918
Private	Leave to UK	6 Nov 1918
Private	Rejoined Unit from Leave	23 Nov 1918
Private	To Education Course - France	4 Feb 1919
Private	From Education Course	8 Feb 1919
Private	Proceeded on Leave to Paris	8 Feb 1919
Private	Return from Leave	20 Feb 1919
Private	Return from Education Course - France	29 Mar 1919
Private	March out to Australian General Base Depot for Return to Australia 2^nd Division last to be withdrawn	30 Mar 1919
Private	March out to UK for Return to Australia via Havre	4 Apr 1919
Private	Disembarked Southampton for Codford	5 Apr 1919
Private	Embarked for Australia on Nestor	20 May 1919
Private	Returned to Australia on Nestor	1 Jul 1919
Private	Discharged 2^nd Military District	3 Sep 1919

Note:

1. Which seems at odds with the immediately subsequent postings. <Return>

Medals awarded:

1914-1915 Star
British War Medal 1914-1920
Victory Medal

Dress Embellishments:

Wound Stripe for 4 Aug 1916,
Four Long Service Stripes
Five Overseas Service Chevrons

Rising Sun Badge used by the 1st and 2nd AIF

Shoulder Patch (2in by 2in) of the
20th Bn of the 5th Australian Infantry Brigade
Promulgated in Second Australian Division Instruction dated 3 August 1915

The brass letter 'A' to represent service related to Gallipoli (ANZAC) was authorised to be worn 'over unit colour patches on both sleeves of the service dress jacket and greatcoat" by Military Order 354 of 18 Aug 17 and AIF Order 937 of 6 Nov 17, as amended in terms of qualification by Military Order 20 of 19 Jan 18 and by AIF Order 1084 of 25 Jan 18. The size of the letter 'A', introduced as one inch in height (AIF Order 994 of 30 Nov 17), was reduced to three-quarters of an inch by AIF Order 1012 of 11 Dec 17. Provision for wearing the brass letter 'A' was also included in General Routine Order 0.815 of 17 Dec 43 and GRO 310 of 7 Dec 45.

Original World War One medal set (approximately actual size)

Download the 1.4Mb Service Record (Adobe PDF format)

The 1914 infantry battalion was a large unit, composed of eight rifle companies each of 3 officers and 116 other ranks armed with Short Magazine Lee-Enfield .303 rifles, a small headquarters with 4 officers and 21 other ranks and a machine gun section with two .303 Maxim machine guns, one officer and 17 other ranks, a total of 32 officers and 991 other ranks. In December 1914, battalions were reorganised into four companies each of four platoons, but strength was unchanged. By mid 1918, the number of officers had increased to 38 but the number of other ranks had declined to 900. At the same time, the firepower of the battalion was greatly augmented with hand and rifle grenades and Lewis Guns, of which there was 34 per battalion.

20th Infantry Battalion (New South Wales) [5th Infantry Brigade]
Formed New South Wales August 1914. Departed Sydney Berrima 26 June 1915. 1st Reinforcements departed Sydney Berrima 26 June 1915, 2nd Reinforcements departed Sydney Kanowna 19 June 1915, 3rd Reinforcements departed Sydney Runic 9 August 1915, 4th Reinforcements departed Sydney Ballarat 6 September 1915, 5th Reinforcements departed Sydney Argyllshire 30 September 1915, 6th Reinforcements departed Sydney Euripides 2 November 1915, 7th Reinforcements departed Sydney Suevic 23 December 1915, 8th Reinforcements departed Sydney Berrima 27 December 1915, 9th Reinforcements departed Sydney Runic 21 January 1916, 10th Reinforcements departed Sydney Orsova 11 March 1916, 11th Reinforcements departed Sydney Nestor 9 April 1916, 12th Reinforcements departed Sydney Ceramic 14th April 1916, 13th Reinforcements departed Sydney Ajana 5 July 1916, 14th Reinforcements departed Sydney Wiltshire 22 August 1916, 15th Reinforcements departed Sydney Euripides 9 September 1916, 16th Reinforcements departed Sydney Ceramic 7 October 1916, 17th Reinforcements departed Sydney Ascanius 25 October 1916, 18th Reinforcements departed Sydney Suevic 11 November 1916, 19th Reinforcements departed Sydney Anchises 24 January 1917 and Wiltshire 7 February 1917, 20th Reinforcements departed Melbourne Suevic 21 June 1917, 21st Reinforcements departed Sydney Port Melbourne 16 July 1917.

Battle Honours: Suvla, Gallipoli 1915, Egypt 1915-16, Somme 1916-18, Pozieres, Bapaume 1917, Bullecourt, Ypres 1917, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodeseinde, Poelcappelle, Passchendaele, Ancre 1918, Hamel, Amiens, Albert 1918, Mont St Quentin, Hindenburg Line, Beaurevoir, France and Flanders 1916-18
Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front

[Information from http://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/~rmallett]

Wound Stripe

Army Order No.204 Headquarters, 1st A.N.Z.A.C., 9th August, 1916.
DISTINCTIONS FOR OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS WHO HAVE BEEN WOUNDED

The following distinction in dress will be worn on the service dress jacket by all officers and soldiers who have been wounded in any of the campaigns since 4th August 1914 :
Stripes of gold Russia braid No.1, two inches in length sewn perpendicularly on the left forearm sleeve of the jacket to mark each occasion on which wounded.

In the case of officers, the lower end of the first strip of gold braid will be immediately above the upper point of the flap on the cuff.
Warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men will wear the gold braid on the left forearm sleeve, the lower edge of the braid to be three inches from the bottom of the sleeve.
Subsequent occasions on which wounded, will be placed on either side of the original one at half inch interval.
Gold braid and sews will be obtained free on indent from the Army Ordnance Department; the sewing on will be carried out regimentally without expense to the public.

Long Service Badges

A.I.F. ORDER No.470, 24 January 1917

The question of the issue of a badge to members of the AIF who have completed a certain period of service has received consideration, and approval has been given for the issue of a badge for long service combined with good conduct, subject to the following conditions.

The badge will consist of an inverted single chevron of service braid to be worn on the left forearm - the point of the chevron to be 3 inches above the edge of the cuff.
Warrant and non-commissioned officers and men, will be eligible for the badge, which will not carry an increased pay or allowance.
One chevron will be worn for each complete year's service in the Australian Imperial Force from the date of embarkation in Australia; but no badge will be issued to any man who, during the 12 months, has incurred a regimental entry (i.e. an entry involving forfeiture of pay) in his sheet.
Time absent from the unit in hospital or elsewhere on account of wounds or sickness, not the result of misconduct, will count as service towards earning the badge.
A man in possession of a badge will forfeit same on being convicted of any offence involving a forfeiture of pay , but will be eligible to regain the badge after 6 months good conduct, from the date of forfeiture.
The illegal wearing of this badge will be a crime under A.A. Section 40.

Overseas Service Chevrons

Australian Imperial Force Order No.1053, 4th January 1918 *(Slightly abridged)

His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of chevrons to denote service overseas since the 4th August 1914.

Chevrons of two colours have been approved. The first chevron if earned on or before 31st December 1914, will be red; if earned on or after 1st January 1915, it will be blue; and all additional chevrons after the first will be blue.

The chevrons will be worsted embroidery, 1/4 inch in width, the arms 1/4 inch long. They will be worn inverted on the right forearm: in the case of officers, the apex of the lowest chevron will be 1 inch above the upper point of the flap on the cuff. In the case of warrant-officers, non-commissioned officers and men, the apex of the lowest chevron will be midway between the seams and four inches above the bottom edge of the sleeve. The red chevron will be worn below the blue one. They will not be worn on greatcoats.

In the case of Australians, the first chevron was earned the date the individual left Australia. Additional chevrons were awarded for each successive aggregate period of 12 months service outside Australia.

[http://au.geocities.com/fortysecondbattalion/level2/reference/01nos-standards.htm]