In 1924 Guenther Meyer was born of German Jewish parents in Bochum, Germany. Nazi persecution saw him arrested by the Gestapo along with his father. A Jewish organisation managed to secure his release to England but he never saw his parents again.

As Jim Mitchell, he joined the Gloucestershire Regiment in 1943 and was attached to the SAS, going in to Arnhem and later on taking part in the Rhine Crossing and on other smaller SAS operations.
After the war he was employed in screening prisoners of war as part of the de-Nazification programme.

He transferred into the Intelligence corps in June 1953 and his encyclopaedic knowledge of Germany was key to his abilities as a security investigator and interrogator and his ability to establish rapport gave him a distinct advantage when interrogating difficult subjects, a skill at which he excelled.

After his retirement from the Army he continued to work, along with his wife Joan, in 3 Intelligence Company, Berlin and later as an Intelligence Officer with the British Services Security Organisation (BSSO.

A true professional, he epitomised the role of the Intelligence Corps in Berlin and the work of the many German Jews who served in the Corps or who contributed to British Intelligence during and after the war.
He died suddenly on 18 September 1974 and is buried in the British Military Cemetery, Berlin. His medals are, from left to right; The British Empire Medal, 1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star, War Medal, Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (LS&GC).