George Mitchell was born in Buckhaven, Fife on 16 May 1914, the son of William and Mary Mitchell (née Hamilton). He joined the Royal Navy and trained as a Telegraphist and, by 1943, he had been rated Petty Officer Telegraphist and was serving in submarines.

It is understood that he joined the Free French Submarine FFS LA PERLE ‘as RN Liaison Crew’ in 1943. FFS LA PERLE arrived in the United States for a refit in the Shipyard at Philadelphia in December 1943. It is thought that George Mitchell then left FFS LA PERLE shortly after arriving in Philadelphia and transferred to the FFS ARCHIMEDE which was completing her refit in the Philadelphia shipyard. On completion of the refit FFS ARCHIMEDE sailed from New York on 18 February 1944 for Casablanca via Dakar arriving at Casablanca on 7 March 1944.

On 14 March 1944 George Mitchell arrived back in the United States in the USS GENERAL WILLIAM MITCHELL from Casablanca together with Lieutenant Edward Zappert where he rejoined FFS LA PERLE.

George Mitchell died on 8 July 1944 when the submarine was sunk with all hands in the Atlantic while returning from refitting in the United States. LA PERLE was mistaken for a U-boat by an aircraft from the British Merchant Aircraft Carrier EMPIRE MacCALLUM, following a series of communications failures, and was attacked and sunk. Fifteen of the crew of fifty eight are reported to have abandoned ship but only one French Chief Petty Officer was rescued.

He was the husband of Lily Mitchell (née Scott) of Plymouth, and is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial on Panel 88, Column 3.