228643 Pte. William Henry Mitchell British Army 11th Battalion Sherwood Foresters from:Haywards Heath, Sussex (d.18th October 1917) William Henry Mitchell born 1888 died working as a stretcher bearer tending the wounded at Passchendaele. Lieut Gibson described him as being exceedingly popular with everyone. He was in 11th Battalion, The Notts & Derby Regiment (The Sherwood Foresters) 23rd Division. Died of wounds on the 18th October 1917. Aged 34. Husband of Mrs W.H. Mitchell of 3 Church Avenue, Haywards Heath. Left 3 children. Employed in provisions by Beeneys, Commercial Square, Haywards Heath. Born in Lewisham. Enlisted in Grove Park. Buried Menin Road (South) Military Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium B.72.
His youngest sister (my grandmother) was deeply moved by his loss. She told me that she remembered that he came home to Haywards Heath, unexpectedly from the Front. He had somehow made his way through Europe and across to England, arriving from the train station. She did not at first recognise him as he was covered in mud, with sunken eyes and in shock. She said the mud on him was so thick that it was clogged in his eyelashes. He was covered in lice. He spoke very little but there was something mentioned about the bullets sounding like angry bees.
He was AWOL and within a few days some MPs turned up to collect him. She recalls they all went to the pub on the way to the station and got him and the MPs drunk before putting them on the train. She claimed his little dog chased the train down the track. She also said that someone standing by said that they would never see William again and sometime later they did receive word he had died.
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