3502 Sdt 2e Cl James Mitchell, 3e RMLE.
From Washington, USA, James was born on 3 July 1883. A participant in the revolution in Mexico and several uprisings in Latin and South America, his lust for adventure brought him over to France soon after the outbreak of war where, not long after setting foot ashore in late August/ early September 1914, he enlisted into the French Foreign Legion (1e Regiment Etranger) at Dunkirk. Following his training at Rouen, Toulouse and Camp de Mailly, James found himself at the front with the 3e Regiment de Marche in time for the harsh winter of 1914/15. Located on the Somme front at the beginning of 1915, James was killed in action at Frise during a trench raiding venture on 22 February 1915. With his death he became the first of the American volunteers in the Legion to die in the Great War (and the first ‘true blood' American to die in the war (the actual first American citizen to die in combat during the war, Charles Parrot, who was killed on the Aisne front whilst serving with 42 RI on 12 November 1914, was of half French parentage). James has no known grave, his remains most likely lying in the ossuaire or under an ‘inconnu' grave at Dompierre.
22 February 1915
Research by David O'Mara, Croonaert Research Services.
