Charles Alfred Mitchell (1919-2000) was born in Brighton and worked in the family's building business in Kemptown all his life. He signed up to the Royal Navy in 1940, and married Doris Susan Cook in 1941. Throughout the course of the Second World War he served as a plumber A/4th class. During this time he saw active service on many ships including HMS Drake, HMS Norfolk and HMS Defiance. In February 1946 he was released from service and put on the reserve list.
He was taken ill and hospitalised on the day he should have been joining the Royal Navy battle cruiser HMS Hood on its final tour of duty. He lost many of his friends when HMS Hood was sunk by the Bismarck On May 24 1941. 1,415 men were lost in this country's largest single-ship loss of the war.
One printed form and two related photos
The original form (LIA/25/1) is held by the East Sussex Record Office. Digital copies of the photos (LIA/25/2 and LIA/25/3) are held by the East Sussex Record Office. The originals of the photos are held by Christine Desborough, CAM's daughter.
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