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Old 08-09-14, 19:16
Jill Jill is offline
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Default (23) John McGeorge Mitchell, 2nd Lieutenant , 5th Battalion, Ox & Bucks Light Infant

John was the 22nd person from St Wilfrid’s School, Haywards Heath to lose his life in the Great War, and has the sad distinction of being the only member of staff to be killed.

Born 2nd June 1891 in Culham, Berkshire to Frederick Mitchell, (who was from Cuckfield and had been a teacher at Cuckfield School) and his wife Emily who was also a teacher. His parents had married in Cuckfield then moved to Berkshire where they both continued teaching.

John was privately educated at Abingdon School (he may well have known my grandfather’s cousin William Stewart Badcock who went there and was also killed in the war). John’s school records say he left to train as teacher which is what he was doing at St John’s Training School, Battersea on the 1911 census. In 1912 he came to teach at St Wilfrid’s School, Haywards Heath.

John was killed in action on 25 Sep 1915 in Belgium; he has no known grave, but is commemorated on panel 37 & 39 of the Menin Gate Memorial in Belgium.

He was mentioned in the local paper:

MID SUSSEX TIMES 12 Oct 1915
MISSING 2ND LIEUT. J MacG MITCHELL

A relative of Mr W E Mitchell, of Broad Street, Cuckfield, has been reported “missing” in the person of Second Lieut John Mac G Mitchell, of the 5th Battalion Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. His name will probably be familiar to Haywards Heath people, for the young officer was an assistant master at St Wilfrid’s School for about a year (1912) and belonged to the Musical Society and Football Club.


His uncle Mr W E Mitchell had been the School Attendance Officer and was also the local Registrar of Births and Deaths.

The Abingdon School website has a photograph of John and has digitized the school admission book in which he can be found.
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Old 13-10-14, 20:22
Jill Jill is offline
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The Abingdon School website have added a letter from his father giving a brief biography adding that he taught at St Barnabas Boys school in Oxford. His father also sent a guinea towards the Abingdon school memorial.

His father Frederick was sent his pay owing of £44 12s 6d on 27 Jun 1916.

Last edited by Jill; 19-01-15 at 17:19. Reason: effects paid
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