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Alan Mitchell (Hoplite)
This was posted on the Western page, thanks for letting me re-post it
In Tribute to Alan Mitchell (Hoplite)
Alan Mitchell was born on 31 March 1923 and grew up in Newquay, a place that would remain close to his heart throughout his extraordinary 103 years. From an early age, he was deeply influenced by his grandfather, a policeman whom Alan greatly admired and described as a man who “was respected and had a degree of adulation among men.” Alan wanted to be just like him.
His grandfather also helped nurture two of Alan’s lifelong passions: dogs and the sea. Alan loved Newquay Harbour, its boats and the life that surrounded it, and these interests would follow him throughout his life.
Alan attended university in Exeter, where he played saxophone in a small band. His musical talent led to an unusual chapter in his story when Ivy Benson brought her famous all-girl jazz band to Exeter and needed a saxophonist. She asked Alan to join them, making him one of only two men ever to play live with her band.
His university years were abruptly changed by the Second World War. When Exeter was bombed in May 1942, Alan and his friends took cover in the university grounds beside a tree. When the bombing stopped, they discovered that the tree they had sheltered beside was simply gone. It was a moment that brought home the reality of war, and Alan decided to volunteer before completing his degree.
He initially signed up for the Engineers, but during training he was selected to become an officer in the Devonshire Regiment. He went on to serve for more than two years in the Italian campaign, fighting until the German surrender. He was wounded several times, but each time, after being patched up, he returned to his unit.
During one of his stays in hospital, Alan met the poet Henry Reed, author of Naming of Parts. The poem was dedicated to Alan, although Reed misspelled his name.
Alan was promoted in the field to Captain, something he himself described as the result of “a moment of madness.”
On VE Day, while Britain celebrated the end of the war in Europe, Alan was told that his next mission could involve landing on the Japanese mainland. It was certainly not a prospect anyone would have relished. Thankfully, his orders changed, and he was posted to the Caribbean, where, among other duties, he trained new officers in Jamaica.
It was there that another important chapter of Alan’s life began.
He captured the leader of a wild pack of dogs and, rather than simply leaving him behind, Alan trained him to become his own dog. He named him Satan.
Satan was best described as an 80-pound Stafford, a formidable-looking dog, but one who became a much-loved member of Alan’s family. Alan brought Satan back to the United Kingdom when he was demobbed. He was wonderful with people, fiercely protective of the family and especially devoted to Doreen.
Shortly after returning home, Alan married Doreen, whom he had known before the war. She became his rock and stood beside him through the many difficult years that followed. The effects of his wartime experiences stayed with Alan for much of his life, and Doreen was there to support him through them.
When Satan eventually passed away, Alan sought a replacement. His previous encounters with the breed had left a lasting impression. One encounter in particular on Fistral beach where Satan had an altercation with a Stafford owned by the Greenwoods. Afterwoods Alan took them and their Stafford home to effect first aid on both dogs and Alan got to know the dog well and described him as “a charmer” and so from this he bought Bellerophon Belle Star, affectionately known as Bella.
From Bella came the beginning of something that would become an enormous part of Alan’s life.
But Alan was never a man who simply did things halfway. Whatever he became involved in, he gave it his time, energy and passion.
As a teacher, he always put the interests of his pupils first, finding ways to help and encourage them in everything he taught. He established a fishing club in Newquay, insisting that schoolchildren should be given free membership. He taught boxing as a way of challenging inequality within the school and helping children develop confidence and discipline.
He taught himself to sail and then passed that knowledge on to his pupils, while becoming a very accomplished dinghy sailor himself.
Alan also entered public life. He was elected to the local council, where he fought for the rights of his constituents and stood firmly against corruption and injustice. He was never afraid to speak up when he believed something was wrong.
In the late 1970s, the damage to his hearing caused by repeated wartime explosions led to his early retirement from teaching. But retirement was certainly not going to stop Alan.
He returned to his childhood love of the sea and fishing in Newquay Harbour, becoming a commercial fisherman. Once again, he found himself fighting for the rights of others, defending the fishermen and challenging injustice whenever he felt it necessary.
He also took up bowls with Doreen, and the two of them became extremely accomplished players. Alan worked tirelessly to improve Newquay Bowling Club and was eventually elected President of Cornwall Bowls. He continued playing into his late nineties, and even then his talent and competitive spirit remained evident.
Yet it was the Staffordshire Bull Terrier that would become perhaps the greatest legacy of Alan’s life.
Determined to understand the breed properly, Alan researched its history and travelled to meet the founders and early breeders, gathering knowledge wherever he could. When Bella produced her first litter, the Hoplites were born.
As the breed continued to grow in popularity, Alan became increasingly aware that the West of England was not properly represented. Together with Trevor Rowe, Jim Parsons, Barbara Lacey and Rosemary Key, he set about finding enough founder members to enable him to approach the Kennel Club with the proposal for a new society.
After much discussion and deliberation with the Kennel Club, permission was finally granted for the Western Staffordshire Bull Terrier Society.
In 1966, the Society was born.
Alan remained devoted to the breed and to the Society for more than 65 years. He bred many Champions and International Champions and became an International Championship Judge. He travelled the world, sharing his knowledge and delivering seminars whenever he was invited to do so.
For Alan, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier was never simply a show dog. The breed's history, character, soundness and purity mattered enormously to him. He believed passionately in preserving what made the Staffordshire Bull Terrier special.
He also wanted to share his knowledge with others. He wrote The Show – Stafford Handbook, a guide intended to help those wishing to own, show and breed Staffordshire Bull Terriers.
And, as Alan readily acknowledged inside his front cover, that the book might never have been written without Doreen. She encouraged him, supported him and, when necessary, gave him the occasional nudge in the right direction.
Doreen was not simply his wife. She was his partner, his constant companion and the person who stood beside him through everything.
Alan’s life was remarkable not because of one single achievement, but because of the sheer breadth of it. Soldier, teacher, fisherman, sailor, councillor, bowler, musician, dog man, breeder, judge, author and champion of those he believed deserved a fair chance.
But perhaps the simplest way to describe Alan is this:
Alan was the original Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
He was loyal, loving and kind. He fiercely defended those he loved — his family, his friends and the causes he believed in — and he did so without fear. Bold, fearless and totally reliable.
He never went looking for trouble. He would always have preferred to lick rather than bite.
But if a fight was necessary, he would fight.
And, just like the Hoplites, he was formidable in battle.
Alan passed away in early April 2026, just weeks after celebrating his 103rd birthday.
He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy — not only in his family and friends, but in the Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed, in the many dogs that carried the Hoplite name, and in the Society that he helped create and served so faithfully.
After a life of 103 years, Alan has finally been reunited with his beloved Doreen.
The Western Committee, and everyone who has had the privilege of knowing him, thank Alan for his service to the breed, his service to the Society, and above all, for the extraordinary life he gave to the people, dogs and communities he loved.
Rest peacefully, Alan.
Hoplite forever.
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