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Personal info

Full name
MITCHELL, Anthony Baird
Date of birth
1 December 1918
Age
25
Place of birth
Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio
Hometown
Poland, Mahoning County, Ohio

Military service

Service number
O-659391
Rank
Captain
Function
Co-Pilot
Unit
854th Bombardment Squadron,
491st Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Distinguished Flying Cross,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
18 September 1944
Place of death
Northeast of Udenhout, the Netherlands

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
O 8 6

Immediate family

Members
Osborne Mitchell (father)
Nellie (Foster) Mitchell (mother)
James E. Mitchell (brother)
Jane T. Mitchell (sister)
Suzanne B. Mitchell (sister)
Sara J. (Aiken) Mitchell (wife)
Anthony B. Mitchell II (son)

Plane data

Serial number
44-40210
Data
Type: B-24J
Nickname: I'll Be Seeing You
Destination: Eindhoven, the Netherlands
Mission: Supply drop
Macr: 10211

More information

Anthony B. Mitchell attended Washington and Jefferson College and graduated from Cornell University School of Engineering.

He joined the Air Corps of the Regular Army at fort Hayes, Ohio on 27 September 1941 and was sent overseas in May 1944.

The airplane was hit by 20 mm flak and a small fire started on the right wing. With only seconds in which to work, Capt Hunter, considered one of the best pilots in the group, picked his spot and started to bring the B-24 in on its belly. At less then 50 feet, however, the right inboard engine burst into flames. The right wing dropped and it was too low when the plane hit. The instant was captured by a camera in another aircraft. The plane then slid on the ground, crashed into a haystack and exploded. It came to rest in a field about three fourths of a mile northeast of a train overpass near the town of Udenhout.

Because of the low altitude, no one was able to bail out. Nine crew members were killed. One man survived, evaded capture and was kept hidden until the twon was liberated by Canadian troops.

In Poland, Ohio a football stadium was named after him because he was a great athlete and war hero.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, NARA, - MACR, Youngstown Vindicator - Oct 5, 1944, www.ancestry.com - WWII Enlistment Record / Family Trees, www.newspapers.com - The Daily Republican

Photo source: The Washington Observer - Dec 27, 1944, Youngstown Vindicator - Oct 5, 1944, www.ancestry.com - Family Tree