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R.A.F. 27061 Wing Commander Alan Cunningham MITCHELL. (surname underlined).
Parents: Colonel and Mrs. G. Mitchell of Wellington.
Widow: Mrs. D.E. Mitchell of Wellington (one child)

Alan Mitchell was born at Balclutha on the 2nd November 1904 and received his secondary education at Southland High School and Wellington College attaining Matriculation standard. After leaving school he was employed in the Auckland branch of Hatrick and Co. In 1927 he proceeded to England at his own expense to apply for a short service commission in the Royal Air Force. His application was successful and on the 25th May 1928 he was granted a short service commission with the commencing rank of pilot officer and posted to the R.A.F. Depot, Uxbridge, Middlesex, for a short disciplinary course. Following this he embarked for Egypt on posting to No. 4 Flying Training School, Abu Sueir.

Wing Commander Mitchell arrived at the Flying Training School on the 8th June 1928 and forthwith commenced his flying training. On the completion of his training here, he was awarded his flying badge and on the 5th April 1929 was posted to No. 55 (Bomber) Squadron, Iraq, for squadron flying duties. While with this squadron on the 25th November 1929 he was promoted to flying officer. On the 1st June 1934 he was further promoted to flight lieutenant and two years later his short service commission was terminated and he was granted a permanent commission. He was appointed squadron leader on the 1st December 1937 and promoted to Wing Commander on the 1st June 1940. Meanwhile, during 1930 he had been posted from Iraq back to England and after completing a flying instructor's course at the Central Flying School, was posted on the 22nd April 1931 to the R.A.F. College, Cranwell, Lincolnshire, for duty as a flying instructor. He remained here until on the 20th March 1933 when he was posted to R.A.F. Station Calshot, Southampton, for a course on flying boats. This course completed, he was posted on the 16th September 1933 to No. 201 (Flying Boat) Squadron, Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales. He continued his flying boat squadrons until the 25th April 1936 when he was attached to the Central Flying School