Lieutenant John Mitchell, DSO, DFC (11 March 1888 – 2 January 1964) was an Royal Air Force (RAF) officer who served in World War I and the Allies' North Russia Intervention.

While on their mission, ground fire punched holes in the fuel tank of the DH.9A of Flight Lieutenant Walter Anderson and observer officer Mitchell.

When another DH.9A was forced down by anti-aircraft fire, Anderson and Mitchell landed to pick up its crew, Captain Eliot (Future Air Chief Marshal Sir William Elliot) and Lieutenant Laidlaw.

[1] Mitchell was still on the wing so Laidlaw took over the plane's Lewis machine gun in the rear cockpit and was able to hold off charging Bolshevik cavalry.

[2] On 30th July, 1919, near Cherni Yar (Volga), these officers were pilot and observer respectively, on a D.H. 9 machine, which descended to an altitude of 1,000 feet to take oblique photographs of the enemy's position.

A second machine of the same flight which followed as escort was completely disabled by machine-gun fire and forced to land five miles behind the enemy's foremost troops.

Anderson, notwithstanding that his petrol tank had been pierced by a machine-gun bullet, landed alongside the wrecked aeroplane, picked up the pilot and observer, and got safely home.