Dennis Mitchell

Who is Dennis Mitchell?

Air Commodore Sir Dennis Mitchell, KBE, CVO, DFC, AFC was a British military pilot and commander.

Dennis Mitchell was educated at Bloxham School and Pangbourne College before becoming an air cadet at RAF Cranwell. He flew multiple missions during the Second World War in the Far East and Europe. During the post-war 1940s Mitchell served at No 2 Group headquarters, British Air Forces of Occupation, No 84 Group and the Air Ministry, before learning to fly the Gloster Meteor, the RAF's first jet fighter.

Following brief command of No 26, a Hawker Tempest squadron in Germany, he was posted to Brussels in 1948 as a member of an RAF delegation responsible for determining the needs of the future Belgian Air Force. In this period Mitchell met and married Comtesse Mireill Cornet de Ways Ruart.

He was decorated on several occasions, most notably being awarded a DFC and Bar in 1944 for his courageous leadership of squadrons under his command in the north-west Europe Campaign. From 1956 to 1959 he was Deputy Captain of the Queen's Flight and Captain from 1962 to 1964. In 1958 Mitchell has been appointed ADC to the Queen; he had been extra equerry since 1962.