Joseph Mitchell

Joseph and the 11th (Service) Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 13/05/1915 and were part of the 46th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division when Joseph received his wounds either at the Battle of Pozieres, 23rd July - 3rd September 1916 or the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, 15th ' 22nd September 1916. Pozieres : Pozieres was a small, straggling village on the main Albert-Bapaume road. It is situated on high ground that gives the occupier observation southwards along the road towards Ovillers, La Boisselle, Albert and beyond; to the east across to High Wood, Delville Wood and beyond; and westwards to Thiepval. Possession of Pozieres was key to making possible any further advances towards Bapaume, the capture of the Thiepval ridge and the breaking of resistance at High and Delville Woods. The Battle for Pozieres and nearby Mouquet Farm became an epic in its own right, with tenacious German defence keeping determined British-Australian attack at bay for several weeks. Flers-Courcelette : This was a large-scale general renewal of the offensive after the weeks of attritional fighting for the third German system at Pozieres, High Wood, Delville Wood, Guillemont and Ginchy. It is historically noteworthy for being the first time that tanks were used in battle. Few in number, mechanically unreliable and as yet without proven tactics for their best use, the small numbers of tanks that actually went into action had an important positive effect. High Wood and Delville Wood were finally cleared and a deep advance was made to Flers and towards Combles. Joseph was lying in hospital wounded when his brother was Killed in Action. He subsequently died of these wounds 2 months later. These Battles was part of the Battles of the Somme, 1st July - 18th November 1916 : A Franco-British offensive that was undertaken after Allied strategic conferences in late 1915, but which changed its nature due to the German attack against the French in the epic Battle of Verdun, which lasted from late February to November. Huge British losses on the first day and a series of fiercely-contested steps that became attritional in nature. For all armies on the Western Front it was becoming what the Germans would call "materialschlacht" : a war not of morale, will or even manpower, but of sheer industrial material might. The 15th September 1916 saw the first-ever use of tanks in the step known as the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. The British army in France is now approaching its maximum strength in numbers but is still developing in terms of tactics, technology, command and control. See Directory for Joseph's elder brother Alexander's page. I personally laid a Poppy at Joseph's grave in 2009 (see main grave photo). He is also remembered on the Stewarts and Lloyds Roll of Honour with his brother Alexander (see photos). For some reason Joseph and his brother were NOT on the original Roll of Honour but are listed here - https://www.greatwardundee.com/roll-of-honour/search/a-z/?alpha=m#results . He is also listed in the St Augustine's Parish (book) Roll of Honour. See photos for Joseph's Medal Index Card, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report x 2, Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension, Joseph's Pension Records x 2 and the Highland Light Infantry Cap Badge. Joseph's grave inscription reads "SADLY MISSED".