A/Sgt 23115 Norman Leslie Mitchell

Norman Leslie Mitchell was born on 21st February 1896 in Birkenhead the son of John Mitchell and his wife Margaret Jane (née Roberts) who married at St Catherine's Church, Tranmere on the 11th May 1894. His father John, born in Birkenhead, was a 24 year old schoolteacher of 32 Crown Street, father John deceased, whilst his mother Margaret, born in Liverpool, was aged 24 of 136 Church Road, father John. They had seven children; Norman had an elder brother John, and younger siblings Norah, Hilda Doreen, Arthur, Rita, and Dorothy.  

 

In 1901 his parents, with three children, are living at 7 Hilberry Avenue, off West Derby Road, Tuebrook.  

His father is a 31 year old schoolmaster, his mother is also 31 years of age. Norman is 5 and his siblings are listed as: John aged 6, Norah 2 and Doreen 8 months.

 

Norman and his siblings attended Lister Drive School; he withdrew in February 1910 when he turned 14.

 

By 1911 they have moved to Blundellsands, living at 17 Hastings Road. Both parents are 42, his father is an assistant teacher for the County Council.  John is 16, an apprenticed clerk for a tobacco merchant, and Norman, 15, is an apprenticed clerk for a timber merchant. Nora 12, Doreen 10, and Arthur 8, are at school.  Rita is 4 and Dorothy 1.

Prior to the war he was employed by Messrs A Mawdsley and Co, Timber Merchants, Bootle.

He enlisted in Liverpool  joining the 20^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 23115. His regimental number and the amount of the War Gratuity indicate that he enlisted in November 1914. (Pte 23111 Mellor enlisted on the 10th November 1914.) 

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

He was serving as Acting Sergeant when he was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 20, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. 

30th July 1916

The 20^th King’s Battalion Diary records:

“At 4.45am prompt the attack was launched. Unfortunately, a thick mist prevailed and it was impossible to see more than 10 yards ahead. This continued until about 6 o’clock when it lifted slightly, but it was still too hazy and impossible to see what was happening 100 yards ahead. This being so, it was not surprising to find that the attacking waves were experiencing great difficulty in maintaining connection.”

At 6am, Lt. RE Melly, No.1 Company, reported that his men had taken the German Maltz Horn trench.

At 6.30am, 2/Lt. CP Moore reported that he had 150 men, 4 Stokes Mortars and 2 Lewis Guns, but he was the only officer. He also said that due to the fog, both his “flanks were in the air” i.e. he was not in contact with neighbouring troops.

At 9.10am, Moore was still not in contact at his flanks, and now he had only 75 men, he had sent out 2 patrols and neither not returned. Later Moore established communication with the French on his right.

Around 10.00am, 2/Lt Musker reported that he had just over a company with him, but his left flank was suffering from German machine gun fire. Later he reported that he had over 30 casualties from the machine gun fire. His flanks were also “in the air”. No contact was made with this party until the remnants returned around 9.30pm, all runners sent were killed or missing. The War Diary states that this group had: ”held the ground won all day, and this permitted the consolidation of the ground won on the Maltz Horn ridge with little interference from the enemy”.

Relief for 20/Kings had been planned for 11.00pm, but it was 5.00am on the 31st July before it took place, ending a tragic day for the Liverpool Pals.

Casualties for 20^th Battalion were 16 Officers and 357 Other Ranks

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July. 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.

His parents placed a notice in the Liverpool Echo on 18th August 1916:  

“July 30, killed in action aged 20 years, Sergeant Norman Leslie Mitchell, King’s (Liverpool Regiment), the dearly-beloved second son of John and Margaret Mitchell, Hastings Rd., Blundellsands. (Comfort in our sorrow, he nobly fighting fell.)”

The Liverpool Echo on Saturday 19 August 1916 provided more detail: 

Norman's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

The Birkenhead News of 26th August 1916 brought the news of the death of Norman Leslie:

"Official intimation has been received that Sergeant Norman L. Mitchell, aged 20, King's (Liverpool Regt.) was killed in action July 30. He was the second son of Mr. John Mitchell, a well known old Birkonian and schoolmaster of Blundellsands. He joined in September,1914, crossed over to France in November,1915, and came through the earlier heavy engagements of his Battalion unscathed. In business Sergt. Mitchell was engaged by Messrs. W. A. Mawdsley and Co., timber merchants, Bootle by whom he was held in the highest esteem. From the outbreak of war his elder brother John has seen hard service in Egypt, Gallipoli, and France, and has recently returned to his reserve depot, after a severe illness, contracted at the front. The father was attached for 14 months as an instructor to the Cheshire Regt. (Bantams), and earned official mention for excellent service". 

Norman earned his three medals.

His father John received his son’s Army effects, including a War Gratuity of £10-10s. 

The family were to suffer a further loss in May 1917 when Norman's brother, John Mitchell, was killed at Arras. John had enlisted in January 1914, and served as Pte. 337114 87th Field Ambulance, R.A.M.C.  He was killed in action on 03rd May 1917, aged 22.

John now rests at Faubourg d’Amiens Cemetery, Arras, where his headstone bears the epitaph:

“AFFECTIONATELY REMEMBERED AT HOME”.

On the first anniversary of Norman's death his family placed a notice in the Liverpool Echo, on 30th July 1917 under the heading ‘Lost At The Battle of Guillemont’  which paid tribute to both sons:

“In loving memory of Sergeant N. L. Mitchell (Pals), killed in action July 30, 1916.

The happy hours we once enjoyed,
How sweet their memory still;
No morning dawns, no night returns,
But what I think of him.
(Ever remembered by Lily.)”

“In affectionate remembrance of Sergeant Norman Leslie Mitchell, K.L.R. (4th Pals), killed at Guillemont, July 30, 1916, and Driver John Mitchell, R.A.M.C., killed at Arras, May 3rd, 1917. (Their sorrowing Parents, Sisters and Brother.) – Hasting Road, Blundellsands.” 

 

He was also remembered on the second anniversary of his death in 1918:

"In loving memory of Sergeant Norman Leslie Mitchell, K.L.R. (Pals), killed in action, July 30, 1916 - Never forgotten by Lil."

His parents received a combined pension of 12/6d for both sons from March 1919.