Jack Mitchell & Bomber Crew MemorialPrint Page

The cross commemorates local man Jack Mitchell and members of his crew who were killed in World War Two.

Pilot Officer Jack Mitchell was the pilot of Lancaster bomber N-Nuts on a raid over Magdeburg, southwest of Berlin, in January 1944. On its return the Lancaster was shot down. The crew were listed as missing until the end of the war when it was found they had been buried with full military honours by the Germans.

This was the first big raid to Magdeburg, a large industrial complex, with a total of 648 aircraft. 421 Lancasters, 224 Halifaxes and 3 Mosquitoes dispatched. The Pathfinders initially marked the target accurately but decoy markers set by the Germans successfully distracted the Main Force and the raid became scattered. The diversionary raid to Berlin may have contributed to a delay in the defenders identifying the main target, but in any case it appears that German night-fighters had infiltrated the stream before it had even crossed the enemy coast. Consequently it was believed that a large proportion of the 57 lost aircraft: 35 Halifaxes and 22 Lancasters, were caused by German night fighters.  One of those missing was ED803, piloted by Pilot Officer Jack Mitchell, of 467 Squadron. It departed Waddington at 20.20 but crashed near Magdeburg.

On his last leave home, Jack Mitchell climbed to the top of Sugarloaf with some friends and jammed a stick between rocks on the peak. As he did so, he declared, “I wonder if this will be here when I come home?”  On hearing the news, Mitchell’s father, Cliff, climbed to where his son had placed his stick and erected a wooden cross. In time a wooden shield was added, commemorating the Lancaster crew.

Location

Details

Dedication