Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Warrant Officer Class II F. J. Mitchell, South Wales Borderers, who served with the 2nd Battalion in the Boer War and the 7th Battalion in the Great War

1914-15 Star (14070 Sjt. F. J. Mitchell. S. Wales Bord:); British War and Victory Medals (14070 W. O. Cl. 2. F. J. Mitchell. S. Wales Bord.) good very fine (3) £50-£70

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the South Wales Borderers.

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Frederick John Mitchell was born in West Down, Devon in 1876. He was a grocer by occupation and, having already served in the Kent Artillery Militia, he attested on 11 August 1897 for a minimum of seven years service with the South Wales Borderers (service number 5714) and five years with the Army Reserve. He served during the Boer War, arriving in South Africa with the rank of Corporal in the 2nd Battalion on 13 January 1900. He was promoted Sergeant on 4 December 1901 and later posted with the same rank to the 1st Battalion on 26 April 02. He received the Queen’s South Africa Medal with clasps Johannesburg, Cape Colony and Orange Free State and the King’s South Africa Medal with both clasps. He then went on to serve in India from 25 April 1902 until 15 December 1905 before returning to England and finally completing twelve years service upon his discharge on 10 August 1909.

After the outbreak of the Great War, Mitchell attested once again for his former regiment and joined the 7th (Service) Battalion on its formation on 3 September 1914. He proceeded to France with this new Battalion, arriving 6 September 1915, and after short period in the front lines was posted as part of XII Corps to Salonika in the Balkans. In September 1916 he was appointed Colour Sergeant-Major and promoted Warrant Officer Class II the following month. He was discharged, no longer fit for war service, on 29 October 1918 suffering from neurasthenia (shell-shock) and boarded at 4th Southern General Hospital, Exeter for a time. He died in Barnstaple, Devon, in 1956, aged 80.

Sold with copied Medal Index Card.