The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
WW1 linguist’s name lives on
A feature on a First World War theme that appeared in The Courier last year has led to further formal recognition of a Highland Perthshire serviceman’s heroic service.
Patrick Anderson gets in touch to say: “I read the story last September by Michael Alexander who spoke to Belgian schoolteacher Marijke Valdevyvere, who visited a Pitlochry’s soldier’s war grave and the war memorial in the town that names the officer Major James Lawson Mitchell of the Royal Field Artillery, killed in action on 16th of March 1916 and buried in Belgium.
“I subsequently found that he was listed on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission index with these details: ‘Major James Lawson Mitchell, Royal Field Artillery 24th Brigade died (killed in action) 16th March 1916 aged 32 years and buried at Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery in Belgium (grave no 1 D1). The son of Hugh and Elizabeth Lawson Mitchell, born Pitlochry, Perthshire, army interpreter of the first class in Japanese’.”
Mr Anderson, who points out that the inscription on Maj Mitchell’s headstone reads ‘Only son of Hugh Mitchell, Dundarach, Pitlochry’, continues: “I was very pleased to see that he was listed on the CWGC index, but I found that he was not listed on the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle, maybe because the Royal Field Artillery had not passed on his details when it was unveiled.
“I started my investigation as the trustees of the national war memorial require details of the military service and death, and found that James Mitchell was born on 13th of April 1883, the son of Hugh Mitchell,
solicitor and bank agent, and Elizabeth; the 1891 census shows James was a pupil at Cargilfield Prep School in Edinburgh.
“It seems he was also schooled at Ardvreck in Crieff, and Fettes College, Edinburgh, and the 1901 census shows him as a gent cadet at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, with his parents residing at Union Bank House, Pitlochry, with four servants.
“An interesting story features in the Evening Telegraph for 8th of November 1903, reporting that an officer entertained
Lieutenant James L Mitchell, of the Royal Field Artillery going to India, at a complimentary dinner in Fisher’s Hotel, Pitlochry, on the occasion of his departure.”
The Letham, Angus, resident adds: “My research found James Mitchell listed by the Army as an officer, with an entry showing ‘interpreter in a modern foreign language’.
“The 1915 Army lists show he was a captain in the Royal Field Artillery serving in the theatre of war, and The Perthshire Advertiser for 28th of July 1915 records, ‘Pitlochry: Captain James L Mitchell of the RFA has enjoyed this week a couple days furlough from the front at Pitlochry. He arrived on Monday morning and left on Monday forenoon. Captain Mitchell, who has been promoted since he went to the front 10 months ago, is in charge of a battery of guns. For two months he was engaged in reconnaissance work in the air, now returned to the field batteries...’
“It seems he was attached to the Royal Flying Corps as an observer, but had returned to the Royal Field Artillery on the 14th of March 1915.”
Tragically, James lost his life as hostilities intensified the following spring.
Mr Anderson writes: “The war diary of the 24th Brigade RFA records, ‘16th March 1916: enemy’s artillery very active all day, roads etc being constantly shelled with shrapnel. In the morning 200 rounds of heavy explosives were fired at 112 battery from a 5.9 howitzer and 50 more rounds were fired in the afternoon. Capt JL Mitchell 112
battery killed in action, Pte 9040 Duxbury 112 battery wounded, since died’.”
Mr Anderson will conclude his account of the memorial campaign on tomorrow’s page.