Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Vivian Charles Leithhead was born in Perth in 1921. His family were from the country but he grew up in Victoria Park. He was a well known amature cyclist who became a civil servant. 

Vivian volunteered for RAAF Aircrew in 1941. He was accepted and made the initial sorting cut for Pilot Training. Finally getting his wings at RAAF Base Geraldton after mastering the Avro Anson. Vivian was commissioned as a RAAF Pilot Officer before that year was out.

1941 had been an eventful year for him made more so by Japan entering the war. He would have known by then that his air war would no longer be in either the European Theatre or in the Middle East Theatre.

Vivian converted to the RAAF A16 Lockheed Hudson Bomber. He was the Pilot of A16-159 which was forced to ditch near Timor after being attacked by A6M Zeros.

It was 13 April 1942. His four man crew made it to dry land. Two wounded Air Gunners had to be left in the care of locals. Vivian and his Navigator were extracted by a USN Submarine after hiding in the Jungle for nine days. 

The wounded Air Gunners who could not be extracted on the USN Submarine fell into Japanese hands. They were both executed on 15 May 1942. The deaths of SGT Hearle [406758] and SGT Whitham [404761] are war crimes. CWGC confirms that date of death. War crime investgators confirm that 24 POWs were executed on that date near the Village of Boeak.   

Vivian retrained as an RAAF A19 Beaufighter Pilot. He was killed during a mid air collision while making a diving attack. His aircraft, A19-63 collided with the port wing of A19-47. These RAAF Beaufighters were attacking an enemy sea plane from different directions without coordinating their attack. Two RAAF Pilots plus their observers were killed. The RAAF Beaufighters collided on 21 August 1943. The Floatplane (F1M1 "Pete") that both sited was a target of opportunity.

Hence both RAAF Beaufighter Pilots dived on that "Pete" Floatplane to get an easy kill.

Their mission had been to attack the Taberfane Japanese Floatplane base in the Aru (Aroe) Islands.

There were seven RAAF A19 Beaufighter crews on that raid. 

A19-63 crew, including Vivian and the A19-47 crew were posted MIA. Eventually both RAAF A19 Beaufighter crews were officially presumed to have killed on 21 August 1943.         

When Vivian's mother received her second RAAF MIA Telegram, she lived in the false hope that Vivian would somehow make land. Hence be extracted again by a U.S.N Submarine, as before. That was not to be.

Lest We Forget.

Reference links provided.

Vivian Charles LEITHHEAD was born in Subiaco, WA on 23rd January, 1921

His parents were Alexander Charles LEITHHEAD & Lillian JENNINGS

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His brother Alexander James LEITHHEAD (SN WX27745) served in the Australian Army during WW2 and was dicharged on 11th May, 1945