Eric Arthur Mitchell was the son of a former rector of Wing. The Reverend William and Margaret Mitchell lived there in the pre-war years before moving to Gosport in Hampshire. Eric was a pupil at Oakham School from 1908 to 1912 and was a prefect. He wanted to be a professional soldier and went to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. Eric was gazetted as Second Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion South Lancashire Regiment on 7 August 1914, three days after the First World War broke out, and sailed to France the following day from Southampton. He took part in the Battle of the Aisne, promoted to Lieutenant before being killed in action attacking Neuve Chapelle on 27 October 1914. Eric was just 19 years old. He has no known grave and is remembered on Panel 23 of Le Touret Memorial, and on the war memorial at Oakham School Chapel. But he is not on the war memorial at his father's old church in Wing. The Northampton Independent wrote after his death:  "2nd Lieutenant Eric Arthur Mitchell was the eldest surviving son of the  Reverend W M Mitchell of Elson Vicarage, Gosport. He was attached to the 2nd South Lancashire Regiment and was killed in action near the Belgian border on October 27th. He was educated at Oakham School where he excelled in sports, obtaining his colours for both cricket and football, and was one of the first to join the OTC. Subsequently he entered the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. He passed through the course with distinction and was a member of the Champion Company at Arms. Last season he played several times for the College Rugby fifteen."  Eric's father was succeeded as rector of Wing by the Reverend Frederick Taverner, who also lost his son in the First World War.