James Wilson Mitchell was born 3 August 1908, in Marion, Ohio. His parents were Mr. & Mrs. Clyde Mitchell. He had a brother, Fleet Mitchell, who died of disease during World War One. James W. Mitchell attended Harding High School. On 21 March 1936, he was married to Alice (Peters), in Marion, Ohio. He was employed with the Marion Steam Shovel Company. He also had a step-son Charles Peters, who was serving as a Lieutenant in the Army Air Force as a navigator. Lt. Peters was stationed at Alamagordo, New Mexico, in August of 1945.
On 19 November 1942, James W. Mitchell would enlist in the Army Air Corps., at Patterson Air Field, Ohio. From here he would move to Keesler Field, Mississippi, and be trained as ground mechanic. He then would go to Harlington Army Air Force Gunnery School, in Harlington, Texas, and graduate and receive his wings on August of 1943. Next would be advanced training at Davis-Montham Field, Tucson, Arizona.

Sergeant Mitchell was part of the original cadre of 459th Bombardment Group (BG) going overseas in January of 1944. Sgt. James W. Mitchell was assigned to the 756th Squadron of the 459th BG.
Mitchell would attain the rank of Staff Sergeant (SSgt). He was assigned as a Waist Gunner on a B-24.
SSgt. Mitchell was assigned to B-24 (42-52406), nicknamed “Smokey.”
On 17 March 1944, while on a mission to bomb Messerschmitt plants in Vienna, Austria, another B-24 (42-52319) the La Borrache) was hit by flak. The flak hit destroyed the La Borrache’s tail and rudder. The La Borrache then lost control and collided with Smoky. The tail of the Smokey was sheared off in the collision. Both ships began to disintegrate and came down killing 21 airmen. One crew member from Mitchell’s crew, SSgt. Charles W. Bell survived.
SSgt. Bell was in the tail section when he bailed out. SSgt. Bell was captured by the Germans. He would report the deaths of some of the crewmen. Also, captured German records indicate that some crew members of this aircraft crash were buried in Soldiers Cemetery Vienna, Austria. It did not list SSgt. Mitchell’s remains with those buried in Soldier’s Cemetery. But later American reports from the Quartermasters General, Memorial Division, report that the remains of SSgt. Mitchell were recovered from Central Cemetery in Vienna, Austria.
SSgt. James W. Mitchell was reported Missing in Action (MIA). His wife would be notified via telegram that he was MIA in 1944. It would not be until August of 1945 that she would be again telegrammed stating her husband was officially declared dead. He was declared killed in action on 17 March 1944.
SSgt. Mitchell’s remains are reported as recovered and returned to the United States.
SSgt. James W. Mitchell is remembered on the Honor Roll, at the Veterans Memorial Park, in Marion, Ohio; on the west wall of the Marion County Courthouse; and on the World War II Veterans Memorial Wall, at the Marion Cemetery.