Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Reg was born on 19 Jul 1919 at Tumby Bay SA to Percy Gordon Phillis and Ethel Mabel Phillis (nee Coleman). He was the second eldest of 5 children in the family, 3 boys and 2 girls. His father was a farmer in the Butler area.

Reg undertook his schooling at Brayfield, winning a scholarship to attend Port Lincoln High School. Unfortunately he was required to leave school at age 15. He then worked for his father and then Les Phillis, until his enlistment in the RAAF on 23 Jul 1940. At that time he gave his occupation as contractor and his address as Ungarra, via Tumby Bay.

He enlisted in Adelaide before being sent to Laverton (Vic) for basic training, arriving there on 27 Jul 1940 and specialising as a wireless operator, before being sent to Signals School at Point Cook on 16 Feb 1941 and being promoted to Leading Aircraftman. On completion of this course it was further training and conversion courses on Catalina Flying Boats at Lake Boga (Vic) and then to Rathmines (NSW) for a gunnery course. After completing these courses successfully he was posted to No. 20 Squadron (Sqn) RAAF at Port Moresby (PNG) on 4 Oct 1941.

No. 20 Sqn had been formed at Port Moresby on 1 Aug 1941 with a general reconnaissance role. Initially it was equipped with 6 Catalina Flying Boats for long range patrols between the scattered Australian northern island bases.

Reg joined the Sqn just before the loss of HMAS “Sydney” and the escalation of the war in the Pacific Ocean. The strength of the Sqn was increased to 6 Catalina and 2 Empire Flying Boats: its first operational sortie in the Pacific was undertaken on 8 Dec 1941 when 3 Japanese vessels were sighted and engaged in area near Thursday Island (Qld). The Sqn also commenced anti-submarine patrols and bombing raids against Japanese bases and was given the task of evacuating expatriate personnel from threatened areas. On 21 Jan 1942 one of its aircraft located the Japanese fleet steaming towards Rabaul (PNG) and signalled a warning. Unfortunately the aircraft was shot down after sending its message and the crew lost.

With the fall of Rabaul, Port Moresby was subject to more frequent air attacks, resulting in more damage to aircraft and facilities. At this time the 2 Empire aircraft were reallocated to No.33 Sqn RAAF. Two of the Catalinas and their crews were lost on patrol on 4 and 6 May 1942; one of the crews was captured and beheaded.

The Sqn was then withdrawn to Bowen (Qld) but continued to attack targets in PNG. On 11 Nov 1942 the Sqn relocated to Cairns but its role remained largely unchanged until Jun 1943 when it commenced mine laying operations in the South China Sea.

It was at this time that Reg was promoted to Sergeant and given some leave; he made the most of it! He returned to SA, reacquainted himself with Patricia (Pat) Clare Tillbrook and married her at Ungarra on 14 Jun 1943. After a very short honeymoon he returned to his unit, but only as far as Townsville before being sent to an Air Crew Special Radar Operators course at Richmond (NSW) which concluded on 30 Oct 1943. He was able to get some more leave, so back to SA. His wife then decided to move to Adelaide to circumvent the long and time consuming trips back to Ungarra

On 3 Jan 1944 he was sent to Parkes (NSW) for a wireless and gunnery school (WAGS), before eventually re-joining his unit, but it was only for short stay as he had made application for early discharge to assist his father in law on the farm at Stokes (a protected industry). Despite being promoted to Warrant Officer, and over the objections of his unit, he was released for discharge and sent to No.4 Personnel Depot at Springbank: he was discharged on 29 May 1944.

On discharge he returned to Stokes and worked on his father in laws farm until 1947 when the couple moved to Butler and lived in Stumpy’s house, Sect 66 Hd of Butler. In 1948 they purchased Sect 64 Hd of Butler, built a house and moved onto the block where they raised their family of 3 children (2 girls and a boy). The couple remained on the farm until 1966, when they moved into Lawrie Street, Tumby Bay; Reg continued to commute to, and work on, the farm.

They were both keen sports people and both represented Butler at Association and State level. Pat was an early member of Butler CWA and then Division and State President and a National Delegate of the CWA.

In 1984 the couple moved to Adelaide due to the ill health of his wife. Pat died on 18 Feb 1996 and is buried in the Tumby Bay Cemetery. Reg died at Ungarra on 28 Feb 2010 and is buried beside his wife

Reg’s brother also served in the RAAF during WW2