Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Second-Lieutenant

Unit:

9th Battalion Royal Fusiliers, British Army

Awarded on:

November 7th, 1945

For extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy at Tamara, Italy, on 24 April 1945. When his company was committed to assist a neighboring battalion in taking its objective, Lance Sergeant Mitchell, acting platoon commander of the 12th Platoon, 9th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, without supporting arms, assaulted and took the battalion objective in the face of extremely heavy mortar and small arms fire and enemy opposition. He personally led his platoon in attack after attack on houses which had been prepared as strong-points, and although he lost one third of his platoon in casualties, kept the platoon a magnificent fighting body. He personally killed eight of the enemy and took twelve others as prisoners. From the time of occupying the objective, his platoon was subjected to a series of most determined counter-attacks, supported by intense and accurate enemy fire of all kinds. Lance Sergeant Mitchell's example again so rallied his men that the objective was held for five hours until the platoon was relieved. Lance Sergeant Mitchell's gallant leadership and heroic actions, which resulted in the taking and holding of an enemy objective which had resisted the efforts of a battalion, are in keeping with the finest traditions of the armed services.

Headquarters, U.S. Army-Mediterranean Theater of Operations, General Orders No. 281