Francis J Mitchell RAF – 103 Squadron – 1939 / 40/ 41
103 Squadron Mitchell FJ
Francis John Mitchell was a pre war regular airman who joined 103 Squadron on the 28 September 1938 at RAF Abingdon. His role was that of Wireless Operator / Air Gunner and he departed with with 103 Squadron for France in September 1939 being based at Challerange, Ardennes.
At this time he flew with S/L J Coverdale the 103 Squadron Commander and he flew the following two operations.
17 September 1939 – S/L Coverdale – K9372 – Up 0855 – Down 1100 - First reconnaissance carried out between Bouzonville and Lauterbours along the Franco German border. This was completed without incident
30 September 1939 – S/L Coverdale – K9269 – Up 1005 – Down 1110 – Another reconnaissance along the Franco German border which was also completed without incident
103 Squadron Coverdale
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There is no record of the operations he flew during the Battle of France and who he flew with but there is no reason to believe he was not active during this time.
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There is no record of the operations he flew during the Battle of France and who he flew with but there is no reason to believe he was not active during this time. His log book was lost or destroyed during the retreat along with many others and also the Squadron records
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On return to the UK he is recorded as flying the following sorties on Fairey Battles
22 July 1940 – P/O J Hayter – E5331 – Up 0100 – Down 0125 - First operational sortie from England against oil storage tanks at Z3 Rotterdam. Due to an unserviceable gyro Hayter was forced to turn back. By trying to follow his instrument the pilot lost his position and had to home on W/T.
He then flew 3 operations on Battles with Midshipman Constable as follows :-
09-Sep-40 – Calais - Invasion barges – Battle – L5336 – M/mn Constable RN - Airfield under air raid alert on return. Bombs dropping in vicinity
14-Sep-40 – Boulogne - Invasion barges – Battle – P2306 – M/mn Constable RN - Bad weather at base. Diverted to Feltwell
22-Sep-40 – Boulogne - Invasion barges – Battle – L5038 – M/mn Constable RN - Port bomb doors failed to open. Hit by light flak.
103 Squadron then converted to Vickers Wellington twin engined bombers and Mitchell flew with several pilots flying as Wireless Operator as follows :-
22-Dec-40 – Ostend - Shipping and barges – Wellington – R1043 – Sgt Elliot
10-Feb-41 – Hannover - General attack – Wellington – R1445 – S/L Mellor
03-Mar-41 – Cologne - General attack – Wellington – R1452 – S/L Mellor
13-Mar-41 – Hamburg - U boat yards – Wellington – T2999 – Sgt WR Crich
21-Mar-41 – Lorient - U Boat base – Wellington – R1217 – Sgt WR Crich
30-Mar-41 – Brest – German capital ships – Wellington – R1217 – Sgt Crich
06-Apr-41 – Brest - German capital ships – Wellington – R1217 - Sgt WR Crich
15-Apr-41 – Kiel - Docks - Wellington - T2996 – P/O RS Chisholm
17-Apr-41 - Berlin - General attack - Wellington - T2996 – P/O RS Chisholm
05-May-41 - Mannheim - General attack - Wellington - R1445 – F/O Harper
07-May-41 - St Nazaire - U boat base - Wellington - R1445 – F/O Harper - Combat. Attacked by enemy aircraft. Rear gunner replied and claimed as probably destroyed
08-May-41 - Bremen - Industrial area - Wellington - R1445 – F/O Harper - Combat. Home bound approached by a twin engined enemy aircraft. Rear gunner opened fire. Enemy aircraft veered off.
12-May-41 - Mannheim - General attack - Wellington - R1445 – F/O Harper
103 Squadron Crich and Chisholm
103 Squadron Wellington R1445
At this point, on completion of is tour he disappears from the Battle Order. He was then posted as an instructor to 23 Operational Training Unit at RAF Pershore, .
Here, in addition to his training duties, he flew on the first 1000 Bomber Raid :-
30-May-42 – Cologne – Wellington – L7891 - P/O Breckon
and also the second 1000 Bomber Raid :-
01-June-42 – Essen – Wellington – L7891 - P/O Breckon
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Pilot Training and 550 Squadron
In 1942 Mitchell must have applied for pilot training. He was accepted and was posted to EFTS at RAF Theale on the 1 Jan 1943. All his subesquent pilot training was undertaken in the UK. Eventually he was posted to 20 OTU at RAF Lossiemouth on the 26 September 1944 and later 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Lindholme on the 2 February 1945.
This was followed by a posting to 550 Squadron at RAF North Killingholme with his crew on the 10 March 1945.
He then flew the following operations :-
His first operation was as Second Dickie / co-pilot as follows
13-Mar-45 – Herne Benzol Plant – Lancaster – C2 – F/O Sidwell
Mitchell then captained his own crew on the following operations.
27-Mar-45 – Paderborn – Lancaster – R
31-Mar-45 – Hamburg – Lancaster – R
3-Apr-45 – Nordhausen – Lancaster – R
4-Apr-45 – Lutzkendorf – Lancaster – R
9-Apr-45 – Kiel – Lancaster – R
10-Apr-45 – Plauen – Lancaster – R
14 Apr-45 – Potsdam – Lancaster - R
18-Apr-45 – Heliogoland – Lancaster - R
22-Apr-45 – Bremen – Lancaster – R – Aborted on instructions of Master Bomber
3-May-45 – Manna Rotterdam – Lancaster – R
5-May-45 – Manna Rotterdam – Lancaster – R
7-May-45 – Manna Rotterdam – Lancaster – R
10-May-45 – Exodus Brussels - Lancaster – R
11-May-45 – Exodus Brussels - Lancaster – R
On the conclusion of WW2 in Europe the Squadron reverted to peace time flying.
Mitchell did fly 3 Post Mortem tasks on the 1 July, 4 July, and 5 July the first two to Flensburg and the last to Fredericia.
In addition he also flew two Operation Dodge flights to Pomiglianao, Naples on the 31 July and the 2 Aug
The surviving log books are very interesting documents spanning 1940 to 1945. It is a shame the first log book was lost in France.
F J Mitchell Photo Page
Compiled by David Fell. Photos from the Mitchell family and my archive
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