Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Peter John WITCOMB was born on 1st April 1925 in College Town, South Australia, to parents Doris and Oscar George WITCOMB.  His father Oscar had served as a member of the Australian Imperial Force at Gallipoli with the 10th Infantry Battalion, and later as an Observer then Pilot, in the Australian Flying Corps in France.  Oscar also served in WW2 as a Captain in the Citizen Military Forces in South Australia.

Following in his father's footsteps, and already serving as a Cadet in the Air Training Corps, Peter enlisted in Adelaide for the RAAF Citizen Air Force on 5th July 1943, aged 18.  He commenced training at No. 4 Initial Training School at Mount Breckan, Victor Harbor, on the same day with the rank of Aircraftman 2, service number 442407.

Peter was promoted to the rank of Leading Aircraftman on 6th November 1943.  On 16th March 1944, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and awarded his Air Gunner qualification badge, after completing 6 weeks of training at the Air Gunnery School in West Sale, Victoria.  On 5th April 1944, Peter embarked in Sydney for the UK to be attached to RAF Bomber Command, arriving at No. 11 Personnel Despatch and Receiving Centre in Bournemouth, England, on 15th May. 

On 4th July 1944, Peter was posted to 27 Operational Training Unit at RAF Lichfield, in Staffordshire.  He underwent intensive training in Vickers Wellington aircraft to further hone his skills as part of a cohesive night bombing air crew, and on 16th September 1944, was promoted to Flight Sergeant.  The final phase of training began on 29th September when Peter was posted to No. 11 Base in Lindholme, where air crews were put through a heavy conversion course to familiarise them with the four engined heavy bombers.

On 28th November 1944, Peter was posted to RAF Binbrook in Lincolnshire England, where he would serve on operational flying duties as an Air Gunner in Avro Lancaster bombers, as a member of 460 Squadron RAAF.  Between 21st December 1944 and 18th April 1945, Peter flew on 24 operational bombing sorties (more than 164 hours) over Germany in Lancasters, all of which were successfully completed.  After that date, he participated in another 4 sorties including Operation Exodus, to repatriate liberated Allied former Prisoners of War, and Operation Manna, dropping food to starving Dutch civilians in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands.  Peter flew his last sortie with 460 Squadron on 7th May.  He was granted a commission and appointed to the rank of Pilot Officer on 23rd May 1945.

Following a 2 week stint at Command Headquarters, Peter was transferred to 91 Group at RAF Gamston in Nottinghamshire on 16th July 1945.  A week later, he returned to No. 11 Personnel Despatch and Receiving Centre, in Bournemouth.

With the War now over, Peter embarked for return to Australia on 17th September 1945, arriving at No. 1 Personnel Depot in Melbourne on 17th October.  Whilst there, he was promoted to the rank of Flying Officer on 23rd November, before transferring to No. 4 Personnel Depot in Springbank, Adelaide, the next day.  On 5th December 1945, Peter's appointment in the RAAF was terminated, due to demobilisation.  He was later awarded the *1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, 1939-45 War Medal and the Australia Service Medal  (* his service qualifies for the award of the Bomber Command clasp, which was instituted in December 2012).

After his War service, Peter trained with the Church Missionary Society and worked as an artist while living in Walkerville, South Australia.  He announced his engagement to Adelaide University science graduate Helen Calvert MURRELL in August 1948, at which time Peter was studying theology at Moore College in Newtown, Sydney.  At some point, Peter moved to New South Wales.

Peter John WITCOMB died at the RSL Veterans' Retirement Village in Narrabeen, Sydney, New South Wales, on 5th December 2005, aged 80.  He was interred in the Frenchs Forest Cemetery.

Compiled by Karan CAMPBELL-DAVIS from historical records kept by the National Archives of Australia;  Ryerson Index;  Find A Grave website;  and various newspaper articles on Trove.