Current Information:

Age-19

37, Belvedere Road, Upper Norwood

Abbeville Communal Cemetery, France

From 19th May to 27th May, 1917, 18th London of 141 Brigade, 47th Division were in support trenches at Swan Chateau in the southern part of the Ypres salient. On 28th May they moved into the front line in the Spoil Bank sub sector where they stayed until relieved on 4th June. The Battalion Diary gives no other detail about the time spent here other than recording that the British artillery was very active as a prelude to the forthcoming Battle of Messines. It would be safe to assume that the enemy artillery responded in kind and that it was shell fire that caused of the death of John Mitchell who died from wounds on 4th June after he had been evacuated back to a base hospital in Abbeville.