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Donald L Mitchell
Unit: 17 Engr Bn 2nd Armd Div, Company D, 3rd platoon
Rank: 1st LieutenantBorn: 1915
Awards and Citations: Bronze Star, Purple Heart
Enlisted: Unknown
Deceased: 11/23/1944
Location: Nort East of Setterich, Puffendorf, Germany
Hometown: Wyandotte County, Kansas
Army Serial Number: O1105682
Burial: Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial
Margraten, Eijsden-Margraten Municipality, Limburg, Netherlands
Plot: C row 9 grave 16
GPS (lat/lon): 50°49’01.0″N 5°48’20.9″E
Click here to read more about 1st Lieutenant Donald L Mitchell
Biographical Info
Gravestone Donald L Mitchell
Location grave 1st Lieutenant Donald L Mitchell at the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial:
Where was 1st Lieutenant Donald L Mitchell killed in action?
Phase: Phase III – The Push to the Roer River
On 19 Nov Co. “D” moved from Ubach to Setterich shortly after it was taken to clear mines from streets and paths, then swept the road into Puffendorf. A tank battle was raging on the outside of town, and it was necessary to gap a minefield east of Puffendorf and Setterich to get the tanks through for their attack on Freialdenhoven. The following day the 2nd Platoon moved into Freialdenhoven and cleared streets up to the forward outposts. The town was found to be loaded with mines. During the next three days between 250 and 300 mines were lifted from the streets and large quantities of mines were found cellars of buildings. Two platoons went into the line west of Merzenhousen. The 3rd Platoon remained at the job of removing mines, during which, on 23 Nov Lt. Mitchell was killed while standing near a truck which set off a mine on a road which had been swiped two times before, evidently a wooden type that the detectors failed to pick up. Co. “A” moved into Freialdenhoven 26 Nov to relieve Co. “D” which then moved into the former Co. “A” billets at Baesweiler. Co.”A” held only a temporary tenancy in town, however, being relieved by Co. “C” 1 December. The latter, being assigned to CC “B” for the period, remained in Freialdenhoven until 20 December, continuing the work of mine clearance and maintaining roads to the front. From the beginning of its occupations the town was under artillery fire, and enemy planes were frequent visitors at dusk
(Unit History 17th Armored Engineer Battalion)
Location where 1st Lieutenant Donald L Mitchell was killed in action:
Nort east of Puffendorf/ Setterich, germany
Official casualty list
Offciall deathlist, Kansas, Wyandotte County
Offciall deathlist, Kansas, Wyandotte County detail
Headstone Application Card
Unknwon.
The location of the house in the year 1930 where Donald L Mitchel lived with the family, as an 15 year old:
Adress: North Seventh street 2055, Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, United States
US Sensus 1940
| Name | Titles and Terms | Gender | Age | Marital Status | Race | Relationship to Head of Household | Birthplace | Birth Year (Estimated) | Last Place of Residence |
|---|
| Leo W Mitchell | Male | 49 | Married | White | Head | Missouri | ||||
| Donna L Mitchell | Female | 46 | Married | White | Wife | Kansas | 1894 | Same Place | ||
| Donald L Mitchell | Male | 25 | Single | White | Son | Kansas | 1915 | Same Place |
US SensUS Sensus 1940
US Sensus 1930
Additional info
Donald L Mitchell who was commissioned a First Lieutenant in the Field August 29, had landed in France after D-Day. A graduate of Wyandotte high school and Kansas city, Kansas Junior college, Lieutenant Mitchell was a switchman for Union Pacific railroad before he entered the service in August 1941. (source: http://www.honorstates.org/)
Family
Leo W. Mitchell (father)
Donna L. (McCrum) Mitchell (mother)
Kathlyn L (Fossati) Mitchell (wife)
Daisy A Mccrum (Mother-in-law)
Enlistment details
Unknown
Pictures
Research © by: Martijn Brandjes
Text © by: Martijn Brandjes
Photos © by: Findagrave.com, familysearch.org