Royal Marine who led secret missions in the Konfrontasi
COLONEL DAVID MITCHELL, who has died aged 92, was a Royal Marines officer who commanded No 2 Special Boat Section (2 SBS) in the Far East and pioneered new techniques of clandestine reconnaissance during the Konfrontasi.
He commanded 2 SBS in 1964-65 when the Konfrontasi, a Communistbacked, Indonesian-led series of armed incursions intended to destabilise the newly formed Federation of Malaysia, was at its peak.
In early 1964, 2 SBS was sent to the border between Sarawak (part of the Federation) and Kalimantan (part of Indonesia-held Borneo), where Mitchell established a covert observation post and a base for patrols on Turtle island. Between operations, he pioneered a novel technique for exiting with canoes from a submarine while it remained submerged, and in 1965 he applied 2 SBS’S new skills in reconnaissance tasks on the enemy coast.
Since these were extremely sensitive, their planning and rehearsal could leave nothing to chance. Over a three-month period, despite difficulties of weather and tide, and the risk of detection, Mitchell led several secret operations, calling for courage and determination by all concerned.
Launching underwater from the submarine Ambush, commanded by his friend, Lieutenant Commander Charles Baker, Mitchell and his marines successfully carried out their missions, despite having to close to within 30 yards of the enemy and their barking dogs, and to paddle silently up river into enemy territory.
One slip or false move would have prejudiced the whole series of operations, probably leading to the capture and death of the participants. On the very last operation, Mitchell returned to the rendezvous to find that one of his teams had been unable to achieve its goal, and, despite fatigue and the shortness of the night, he led his men back to finish the job.
Mitchell was appointed MBE for his leadership, coolness and courage.
David Mitchell was born on September 23 1929 into a well-known Sussex baking family, and while an apprentice baker at the Borough Polytechnic Institute, London, in 1948, he helped to decorate a cake with 56 lb of icing to celebrate the silver wedding anniversary of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
Called up for National Service, Mitchell volunteered for the Royal Marines, and never looked back. He undertook Special Forces training, was identified as officer material, and a month before discharge he opted for permanent service in the Corps.
Canoeing played a big part in his life, and as a young officer he was greatly influenced by his mentor and friend Hugh Bruce, with whom he broke the national record for crossing the English Channel. He also twice won the highly competitive Devizes to Westminster canoe race with his Marine friend Stuart Syrad. Later he commanded the Royal Marines at Poole, and his uniform career finished as Director, Royal Marines Reserves.
Mitchell was a gentle, courteous man, always ready with a smile and words of support and appreciation. Never one to claim the spotlight, he worked to ensure that others would succeed. He took little credit for his distinguished record, often saying that he had been lucky to be in the right place at the right time with the right people, and to have had such wonderful role models.
In retirement he was head of personnel at Marconi for many years, then worked tirelessly for Victim Support.
In his twenties, during a rugby tour at Rouen he was smitten by Betty Mann, daughter of the local representative of Kiwi polish, whose family lived in France, and immediately invited her to a ball at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. They married in 1953. She died in 2011 and he is survived by their five children.