MITCHELL, Gerald Earnest

Name: Gerald Earnest MITCHELL

Born 7 May 1921

Birthplace: Clinton, Arizona

Age at arrival in Buchenwald: 23

Died 30 July 2005 in Monroe, Louisiana, age 84

Service: USAAF

Service ID: O-699945

Service Rank: 2nd Lieutenant

Duties: Navigator

Air Group: 8th Air Force, 801st Bomb Group, 850th Bomb Squadron

Airbase: Harrington, Northamptonshire UK

Aircraft: B-24 42-95317

Date shot down: 5 July 1944

Fate of crew: 2 KIA, 6 evaded, only 1 of them captured (Mitchell).

Evasion summary: Evaded with CHALOT, see deposition.

Date captured: 10 July 1944 (but 19 July 1944 on POW card)

Capture summary: Credited to Desoubrie. CHALOT, LIGHT, and JACKSON were arrested on 10 July; likely Mitchell was arrested at the same time but not certain.

Boxcar Transport: 15-20 August 1944, in boxcar #1 or #2.

Buchenwald ID: 78307

Notes on Buchenwald internment:

Transferred from Buchenwald to: Stalag Luft III, North Compound

Kriege ID: 8147

Notes on SLIII internment:

Subsequent transfer to: Stalag VIIA, Moosburg, by train from Spremberg after forced winter march, 27-30 January, arriving 4 February 1945.

Notes on SVIIA internment:

Liberation: 29 April 1945 by units of the 14th Armored Division from Patton’s Third Army.

Repatriation from ETO:

Discharged:

VA status:

Notes on Post-War period: Odd disconnect between his account of Buchenwald and that of airmen other than MOSER. Was he coached on responses or repressing memories?