Joseph R. Mitchell.
Pilot · 330th Squadron · Of Buckingham, IA.
The Man Behind the Name
Joined 330th Sqdn., 93rd Bomb Group on June 24, 1944. Flew 30 missions - 13 on wing and 17 as lead crew in H2X-equipped planes. On July 21, lost all turbo power at 27,000 feet over Munich; spiraled down to 10,000 feet and returned to base alone. Led the 2nd Air Division mission to Ludwigshafen in August 1944. Received Wing Citation from Gen. Timberlake for bombing Hanover on Dec. 12, 1944. Completed 30th mission by Jan. 6, 1945.
Service record.
Missions flown.
The missions below are those we have been able to document for this airman, drawn from flight logs, mission records, and archival sources. It is not necessarily a complete account of every mission flown; gaps may reflect missing documentation, transferred assignments, or records lost to time.
Before and after.
Born Dec. 30, 1918 in Buckingham, IA. Pilot training (Class 43-K) in Jackson, Greenville, and Columbus, TN; B-24 transition at Maxwell Field; crew training at Westover Field, MA.
After completing tour, returned to States; B-24 Instructors School in Smyrna, TN; transferred to B-29s at Davis Monthan Field, AZ. Discharged May 1947 as major (reserve). Finished college 1947 with degree in animal science, Iowa State University. Five years with Metropolitan Life Farm Loans; 10 years self-employed real estate and insurance; many years farming and raising purebred Black Angus cattle. Married 52 years, four children, eight grandchildren. Retired in Fountain Hills, AZ.