Gordon Mitchell - Link to Denny & Dunipace

Second Lieutenant Gordon Mitchell. Bard Cottage Cemetery, CWGC. Authors Image.

Second Lieutenant, 96th Field Company, Royal Engineers, 20th Division

Age: 22

Date of death: 17.8.17

Buried: Bard Cottage Cemetery IV.B.41

Family history: Son of James and Mary Ann Mitchell, 6 Broomfield Terrace, Springburn, Glasgow. He was born in Denny. His father was a foundry patternmaker and his mother was a house wife. All the children had been born in Denny before the family moved to Springburn.  The 1911 Census records him as aged 15 and one of four sons and two daughters. He was employed as an Apprentice Architect.

Action leading to his death

The 96th Field Company was working in the Huddleston Road area in the northern sector of the Ypres Salient and it was from here that the 38th (Welsh) Division attacked from during the opening day of Third Ypres on 31 July 1917. The 96th Field Company built the plank road to Huddleston Road, working on this for three days, in addition to two sections of the duckboard walk known as Track B. This was the work of No’s 2 and 3 sections who worked on the Huddleston Road to Pilckem duckboard walk while No’s 1 and 4 sections worked on the

Trench map showing the area were the 96th Field company was working. Tramways, Track B, and camps.

Decauville track from the Canal to Huddleston Road. On the 11 and 12 August they built a new artillery track from Cactus Junction to Pilckem, formed a wagon track to Cactus Ponton bridge over the Yperlee canal, completed 75 yards of the duckboard track, repaired the Bard Causeway, and were working on forming a dump at Gallwitz Farm. From the 13 august to 16 August they built 150 yards of the Duckboard walkway, built an artillery track from Pilckem Road to Huddleston Road, at Marsouin Farm they made a wireless signal station dugout as well as a RAMC Dressing station, they repaired the Cactus Pontoon track and Bard Causeway, completed the Dump at Gallwitz Farm, completed the double duckboard track to Pilckem Road, and put up signboards on the track from Bard Causeway to Pilckem, while No’s 1 and 4 sections were laying a tramway from near Mackensen Farm to Pilckem. The War Diary records on the 17 August that Langemarck had been captured and that: ‘II Lt Mitchell & Cpl McIlroy wounded while on reconnaissance. Lt Mitchell died of wounds.’