LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant David Lamont MITCHELL
Service No: 422619
Born: London, England, 29 March 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 22 May 1942 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 44 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Spilsby
Died: Air Operations: (No. 44 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LM648), Spilsby, 11 November 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas and Frances Mitchell, of Manly, New South Wales. Australia
Roll of Honour: Smithfield NSW
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the night of 11 November 1944 Lancaster LM648 took off from Spilsby to bomb Harburg, Germany. On return from the mission LM648 collided in the circuit area with No. 207 Squadron (RAF) Lancaster aircraft PB428 and both aircraft crashed out of control. The crew members of both aircraft were killed.
The crew members of LM648 were:
Flight Sergeant Dennis Sullivan Arnett (154683) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flying Officer Paul Arthur Charles Caryer (161393) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Robert Douglas Driscoll (1815438) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer Chesley Reginald Grassie (J/39373) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant Derrick Keen (2206220) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant David Lamont Mitchell (422619) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant John Routledge (1591457) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
The crew members of PB428 were:
Pilot Officer William Garnet Armour (J/92726) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Flying Officer John Albert Baker (420808) (Air Bomber)
Flying Officer Augustine Frederick Cullington (51876) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant James Nugent (1895775) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Pilot Officer Arthur Leslie Plowman (424880) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant George Rye (K/251459) (RCAF) (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer William Angus Sparks (130251) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/27/634