LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Reginald Ernest MITCHELL
Service No: 401577
Born: Devonport TAS, 27 May 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 1 March 1941 (at Melbourne VIC)
Unit: No. 27 Operational Training Unit (RAF), RAF Station Lichfield
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 27 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft X3944), near Lichfield, 3 December 1942, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Fradley (St Stephen’s) Churchyard, Staffordshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Albert James Mitchell and Louisa Alice Mitchell, of Devonport, Tasmania, Australia
Roll of Honour: Devonport TAS
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1718 hours on the 2 December 1942, Wellington X3944 took off from Lichfield detailed to carry out a Bullseye training sortie. In conditions of lowering visibility, the aircraft crashed at 0008 hours on 3 December 1942 in the River Tame, 500 yards from Chetwynd (or Saker’s Bridge), a hamlet east south east of Airewas and very near north east side of the airfield. The crew of five was killed.
The crew members of X3944 were:
Sergeant Alfred Brindle (1096831) (RAFVR) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant Reginald Ernest Mitchell (401577) (Pilot)
Sergeant John Brian Muir (411225) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Kenneth Hunton Park (1382096) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Ronald Henry Sankey (411530) (Wireless Air Gunner)
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, 163/144/250