William Mitchell (RAF officer)

Air Chief Marshal Sir William Gore Sutherland Mitchell, KCB, CBE, DSO, MC, AFC (8 March 1888 – 15 August 1944) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the first RAF officer to hold the post of Black Rod.

Sir William Gore Sutherland Mitchell
Nickname(s)	Mitch[1]
Born	8 March 1888 Cumberland, Australia
Died	15 August 1944 (aged 56) Westminster, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army (1906–18) Royal Air Force (1918–41)
Years of service	1906–41
Rank	Air Chief Marshal
Commands held	Inspector-General of the RAF (1940–41) RAF Middle East (1939–40) Air Member for Personnel (1937–38) British Forces in Iraq (1934–37) RAF Cranwell (1933–34) Aden Command (1928–29) No. 1 Flying Training School (1924–25) No. 1 (Indian) Wing (1920–24) No. 52 (Corps) Wing (1920) No. 20 Group (1918–19) 12th (Corps) Wing (1916–18) No. 10 Squadron (1916)
Battles/wars	First World War Battle of Loos Battle of Arras (1917) Waziristan[1] Second World War
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Military Cross Air Force Cross Mentioned in Despatches (5)
Other work	Commandant London Air Training Command Black Rod

RAF career

Commissioned into the Devonshire Regiment in 1906, Mitchell spent his early military years as an infantry subaltern.[2] He attended the Central Flying School in 1913, being awarded his Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate no. 483 on 17 May 1913, before becoming a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps.[2] During the First World War he saw rapid advancement, serving as Officer Commanding No. 10 Squadron, Officer Commanding 12th (Corps) Wing and Officer Commanding No. 20 Group.[2]

After the war he moved to India and commanded No. 52 (Corps) Wing and No. 3 (Indian) Wing (subsequently redesignated No. 1 (Indian) Wing).[2] He was appointed Officer Commanding, No. 1 Flying Training School in 1924, Group Captain – Administration at RAF Halton in 1925 and Officer Commanding Aden Command in 1928.[2] He went on to be Director of Training at the Air Ministry in 1929 before being made Air Officer Commanding RAF Cranwell in 1933, Air Officer Commanding British Forces in Iraq in 1934 and Air Member for Personnel in 1937.[2]

Mitchell served in the Second World War as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Middle East from March 1939,[3] and then Inspector-General of the RAF before retiring in 1941.[2]

In retirement Mitchell served as Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod.[4] He held the post of Commandant of London Air Training Command from 1942 until his death in 1944 from a heart attack, at the age of 56 .[2] He is buried in Putney Vale Cemetery, south west London.[5]

References

1. ForValor.com – Air Chief Marshal Mitchell
2. Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Chief Marshal Sir William Mitchell
3. Playfair, p. 30
4. "Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod". Archived from the original on 16 September 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
5. See: Grave of Air Chief Marshall Sir William Mitchell, Putney Vale Cemetery.

Bibliography

• Playfair, Major-General I.S.O.; with Stitt R.N., Commander G.M.S.; Molony, Brigadier C.J.C. & Toomer, Air Vice-Marshal S.E. (2004) [1st. pub. HMSO 1954]. Butler, J.R.M (ed.). The Mediterranean and Middle East, Volume I The Early Successes Against Italy (to May 1941). History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series. Naval & Military Press. ISBN 1-84574-065-3.

External links

• Portraits of Sir William Gore Sutherland Mitchell at the National Portrait Gallery, London