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Alfred Mitchell

Age: 41

Sex: male

Date: 9 Nov 1940

Place: George Wimpey & Co., Ltd, Hammersmith Grove

Alfred Mitchell was found dead on a trestle bed in an office of George Wimpey & Co., Ltd in Hammersmith along with two other wounded workmates.

He was found dead there at 4am on 9 November 1940.

He had been hit over the head with a blunt instrument and the other two workmates, a foreman and a workman had severe head injuries. It was thought that they had been attacked by intruders.

The two workmates said that after they received their injuries, they went into Alfred Mitchell's room and saw him there in bed, but said that they thought he was asleep. They were then taken to hospital and it was there that they learnt that he was dead.

The foreman said that the three of them had gone to a public-house and that on the way back they had met some Irishmen and there was an argument, described as political, that Alfred Mitchell had started, however, he said that he had dissuaded them from quarrelling. The foreman said that they had been in the political argument for about a quarter of an hour. He said that during the argument, one of the Irishmen had threatened to strike Alfred Mitchell.

The foreman added that he had seen the Irishmen before, stating that they had worked for them before on two or three jobs.

Alfred Mitchell was said to have held a responsible position in George Wimpey & Co., Ltd and was also described as a clerk. The foreman said that Alfred Mitchell was the pay clerk and that he gave them their pay every Friday.

The foreman said that when they got back to the office, he and the other workman slept in one room whilst Alfred Mitchell slept in another and that the next thing he knew was that somebody was striking him, but said that he didn't know who it was.

The police said that there was no sign of a struggle having taken place and that none of the windows showed any signs of having been forced.

It was initially reported that Alfred Mitchell had been shot in the back, but the pathologist that carried out his post-mortem said that his death had been caused by a blow with a heavy straight instrument such as a stick or a poker.

The pathologist said that death was due to coma due to haemorrhage around the brain consequent upon a blow to the head.

It was thought that Alfred Mitchell had been hit whilst he was asleep.

A doctor at West London Hospital said that he thought that Alfred Mitchell had been hit over the head with a heavy instrument that probably had an edge or edges.

On 24 January 1941, the police sid that they had interviewed hundreds of people but could find no person who could in anyway be connected with Alfred Mitchell's murder.

His inquest returned a verdict of murder against a person or persons unknown.

He had lived in Verulam Road in St Albans.


*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

see The Scotsman - Friday 24 January 1941

see Aberdeen Press and Journal - Wednesday 13 November 1940

see Dundee Evening Telegraph - Friday 24 January 1941

see Nottingham Journal - Friday 24 January 1941

see Gloucester Citizen - Friday 24 January 1941