British and World Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Western Front’ M.M. and Bar awarded to Serjeant Joseph Mitchell, 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders

Military Medal, G.V.R., with Second Award Bar (546 Sjt., 2/Gord. Hdrs.) good very fine £400-450

M.M. London Gazette 19 February 1917.

Bar to M.M. London Gazette 23 February 1918.

Joseph Mitchell came from Glasgow in Scotland and, from his number, it would appear that he joined the army in c.1910 for a twelve-year term, seven of which were to be spent with the Colours. After initial training at Castlehill Barracks, Aberdeen, he would have been posted to the 1st Battalion at Colchester for further training and would then have gone to join the 2nd Battalion in Cawnpore, India.

In January 1913 he moved with the 2nd Battalion to the Palace Barracks, Cairo and he is recorded as being in ‘B’ Company. On 13 September 1914 he sailed back on the S.S. Assaye landing at Southampton on 1 October. On 4 October he boarded the S.S. Lake Michigan and arrived in Zeebrugge on 7 October thus qualifying for the 1914 Star.

During the War the 2nd Battalion fought at Ypres in 1914; Neuve Chapelle and Loos in 1915; the Somme in 1916 - they attacked Mametz on 1 July; at Arras and Third Ypres in 1917. On 23 November 1917 they went to Italy as part of the 7th Division and took part in the battles of Piave and Vittorio Veneto.

Serjeant Joseph Mitchell was one of only ten soldiers of the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders who earned a bar to their M.M in the Great War. Both his awards were for bravery in the France/Flanders theatre of war. With copied m.i.c.