The Squadron’s Operations Record Book shows that FR Mitchell was the Captain of a 35 Squadron aircraft on the following sorties, prior to the cessation of hostilities in Europe:
- 22/04/1945 Bremen
- 25/04/1945 Wangerooge Island
- 04/05/1945 Ypenburg (Operation Manna)
The following shows the composition of his crew on these sorties, along with the number of sorties undertaken by each airman as part of his crew:
(Pilot) | Frederick Robert Mitchell | 3 |
(Navigator) | Douglas Joseph Gates | 3 |
(Air Bomber) | William Philip Scourfield-Smith | 3 |
(Wireless Operator) | Neil David Dunn | 3 |
(Air Gunner) | Joe Perkin | 3 |
Robert Pye | 3 | |
(Flight Engineer) | Albert Henry Thomas | 3 |
It is known that some (or all) of these airmen continued to fly operationally with the squadron during the post war clean up, which included repatriation of POW and service personnel, Cooks Tours, testing of German radar and disposal of surplus incendiaries. However, the squadron’s record book only provides a summary of these activities and does not list the individual captains and crews that took part in these sorties.

Mitchell Crew [Courtesy of John Dann]
Dunn, Perkin, Pye, Thomas, Sourfield-Smith, Mitchell, Gates
Posting Dates
Mitchell | Frederick Robert | In From: | 466 Squadron | 13/03/1945 |
Out to: | RAF Graveley | 24/05/1945 |