{"product_id":"husband-wife-from-scotland-ww2-australian-service-medals-wia-ww1-9th-aif-bwm","title":"Husband \u0026 Wife from Scotland WW2 Australian Service Medals WIA WW1 9th AIF BWM","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eFirst World War \u0026amp; Second World War Husband and Wife Group – Captain John Greig Mitchell, 9th Battalion A.I.F. \u0026amp; Corporal Anne Millar Mitchell, Australian Forces – Scottish-born Couple who both served Australia in Two World Wars, Anne Mitchell identified in a named wartime painting\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eBritish War Medal 1914-20 – \u003cb\u003e718 T-2-CPL. J. G. MITCHELL. 9 BN. A.I.F.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAustralia Service Medal – \u003cb\u003eV148371 J. G. MITCHELL\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAustralia Service Medal – \u003cb\u003eVF346699 A. M. MITCHELL\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eMedals very fine. Pair and single both officially named as issued.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eCaptain John Greig Mitchell\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e was born at Thornton, Fife, Scotland, on 16 June 1890, the son of William Mitchell and Mary G. Clark. Before emigrating he worked as a clerk, and by the outbreak of the Great War was resident in Australia. He attested for the Australian Imperial Force at Brisbane, Queensland, on 14 April 1917, aged 26 years and 9 months, giving his birthplace as Fifeshire, Scotland. His papers record that he had previously served and that his next of kin was his sister, Mrs Mary Goodall of Kirkcaldy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eMitchell served with the \u003cb\u003e9th Battalion A.I.F.\u003c\/b\u003e, embarking aboard H.M.S. \u003ci\u003eAfrasic\u003c\/i\u003e and travelling via Alexandria and Taranto before arriving in France during April 1918. He joined the Battalion in the field on 1 May 1918 during the final and most intense phase of the war on the Western Front. The 9th Battalion, part of the famed 3rd Australian Brigade, had already earned a formidable reputation at Gallipoli, Pozieres, Ypres and Passchendaele, and in 1918 took part in the Allied offensives that ultimately broke the German Army.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eHis service papers record that he was \u003cb\u003ewounded in action on two occasions\u003c\/b\u003e, first during May 1918 with a gunshot wound to the right thigh, and again on 20 June 1918 near \u003cb\u003eBucquoy, France\u003c\/b\u003e. He was evacuated through medical units and hospitals in France and England before eventually recovering. The records also note his transfer between reinforcement and training units and his subsequent return to duty. Mitchell was promoted to \u003cb\u003eTemporary 2nd Corporal \u003c\/b\u003ebefore being demobilised in London on 3 November 1919. He went to work in Scotland before returning to Australia.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eRemarkably, despite already being in his fifties, Mitchell again volunteered for military service during the Second World War. He re-entered service on 23 July 1942 with the Australian Military Forces and served on continuous full-time war service with Headquarters Southern Command and later Headquarters Victorian Lines of Communication Area. Commissioned during this later service, he rose to the rank of \u003cb\u003eCaptain\u003c\/b\u003e, serving until 14 May 1952, an unusually long period of wartime and post-war service for a man of his age. His Second World War service earned him the \u003cb\u003eAustralia Service Medal\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eMitchell had married \u003cb\u003eAnnie Millar Graham\u003c\/b\u003e at St Giles, Edinburgh, on 28 April 1919 whilst still serving with the A.I.F. The marriage certificate records him as a soldier of the 9th Battalion A.I.F., stationed at Warminster Camp, while Annie, born at Thornton, Fife, on 11 November 1889\/1900 (records vary slightly), worked as a railway telegraphist. Annie later emigrated to Australia, and the couple settled in Victoria.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eAnne Millar Mitchell\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e herself later served during the Second World War with the Australian Forces, enlisting on 13 April 1942 under service number \u003cb\u003eVF346699\u003c\/b\u003e. She attained the rank of \u003cb\u003eCorporal\u003c\/b\u003e and served in signals and communications work, a fitting role given her earlier civilian occupation as a telegraphist. Her wartime service is especially notable as she is specifically identified in an official wartime artwork depicting the interior of an Australian signals station. The description accompanying the painting names \u003cb\u003e“Corporal Anne Millar Mitchell (VF346699), sending messages by Fullerphone”\u003c\/b\u003e, alongside other operators and dispatch personnel serving in the 89 Australian Operating Section, Advanced Land Headquarters Signals. The scene provides a rare and highly personal visual link to her wartime service and directly identifies her by name and service number within the composition.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eAnne Mitchell was discharged on 13 October 1944. The couple later resided in Melbourne, Victoria, where Anne died on 11 July 1971 and John the following year, both being buried at Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Melbourne.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eAn extremely unusual and highly researchable husband and wife group to a Scottish-born couple who both served Australia during wartime; the husband a twice-wounded veteran of the Western Front who later became a Captain during the Second World War, and the wife a named wartime signals Corporal identified in an official wartime painting.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003ePLEASE NOTE: All research will be sent to the buyer via email. I am unable to provide printed copies, as I do not have access to a printer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003eAJMS Medals\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"AJMS Medals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54435472179546,"sku":null,"price":150.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0958\/9850\/1466\/files\/20260518_113609.png?v=1784208571","url":"https:\/\/ajms-medals.com\/products\/husband-wife-from-scotland-ww2-australian-service-medals-wia-ww1-9th-aif-bwm","provider":"AJMS Medals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}