More about David Mitchell

On this day, 3 June 1916: David Mitchell, son of Thomas and Margaret Mitchell, Hawkhill, Dundee, an Engineer Officer aboard S.S. Golconda, was lost when the 5,874 ton steamer struck a mine in the North Sea. She was on a voyage from Tees and London to Calcutta with a general cargo.

DUNDEE ENGINEER IS LOST WITH THE STEAMER GOLCONDA. Official intimation has been received by his parents that Mr David Mitchell, fourth engineer of the steamer Golconda, has lost his life. The Golconda, which was a Glasgow vessel, was reported sunk off the East Coast a few days ago. He was the youngset son of Mr Thos. Mitchell, 83 Hawkhill, Dundee, formerly of the Dundee cleansing staff, and served his apprenticeship as an engineer in Ward Foundry. Some time ago his brother-in-law, Mr Mudie, of Monifieth, who was also an engineer, went down with the steamer Jacona, of Dundee. The Courier, Tuesday, 6 June 1916, 2.

David Mitchell was the son of Mr Thomas and Mrs Margaret Mitchell (nee Anderson) of 83 Hawkhill, Dundee. In mid 1915 he may have served onboard the Liverpool registered cargo ship Jose de Larrinaga as Third Engineer David Mitchell, aged 23, but born in Dunedin which might be a misreading of Dundee. In 1916 the SS Golconda was on passage from the river Tees to Calcutta when she was sunk by mine explosion five miles South East of Aldeburgh in Suffolk. The minefield was probably laid by the German submarine UC-3 and nineteen crew were lost in the sinking. David Mitchell is named on the Tower Hill Memorial in London and a report of the sinking is given in the Peoples Journal in June 1916.