Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Flight Lieutenant Reginald Ronald Witham DFC was an elite Australian pilot whose covert operations during the Second World War significantly aided European resistance movements.

Serving with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and attached to the British Royal Air Force's clandestine No. 138 Squadron, Witham specialized in hazardous, low-altitude night supply drops into occupied Europe. His exceptional skill earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) before he paid the ultimate sacrifice over Denmark in 1944.

Early Life and Enlistment:

Reginald Ronald Witham was born on September 20, 1918, in Brisbane, Queensland, to parents William Alexander Leslie and Ellen Witham. He grew up in the Brisbane suburb of Annerley and received his secondary education at St Laurence's College, a prominent Catholic school in South Brisbane.

Following his graduation, Witham found employment as a clerk. However, as the conflict of World War II intensified globally, he chose to enlist in the RAAF to serve his country. Assigned the service number 425800, he underwent rigorous flight training under the Empire Air Training Scheme, a program designed to provide the Allied air forces with highly trained crew members. His aptitude for leadership and technical aviation skills quickly stood out, paving his path to becoming a commissioned officer and pilot.

Special Duties and No. 138 Squadron:

Upon his arrival in the United Kingdom, Witham was posted to the RAF's No. 138 Squadron. This was no ordinary bombing unit; No. 138 Squadron was controlled by the Special Operations Executive (SOE).

Operating largely out of the highly secretive RAF Tempsford airfield, the squadron’s primary objective was to drop secret agents, wireless equipment, weapons, and supplies to underground resistance networks across Axis-controlled territories.

Flying these missions required incredible precision. Unlike high-altitude bombing raids, Special Duties pilots had to navigate in total darkness at dangerously low altitudes, mapping their paths by the terrain to avoid radar detection and locate makeshift drop zones marked only by flashlights held by resistance fighters.

Witham commanded a Short Stirling Mk. IV, a heavy bomber uniquely modified for towing gliders and parachuting supply containers. His bravery and consistent success during these demanding operations led to his promotion to Flight Lieutenant and the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.

The Final Mission:

On the night of November 26, 1944, Flight Lieutenant Witham and his diverse Commonwealth crew took off from their base on a classified supply-dropping mission to the Danish resistance.

The crew aboard Stirling LK151 reflected the united international effort of the Allies:

Flight Lieutenant Reginald Ronald Witham, DFC (Pilot, RAAF)
Flying Officer Geoffrey Herbert Brandon Slinn (Air Bomber, RAAF)
Flying Officer Thomas Patrick McHale (Navigator, RCAF)
Pilot Officer Charles Ellemann (Wireless Operator, RAF)
Sergeant Reginald Hughes Berrett (Flight Engineer, RAF)
Flight Sergeant Arthur Henry Bedggood (Air Gunner, RAF)
Flight Sergeant Kenneth Naylor (Air Gunner, RAF).

The mission ran into catastrophic trouble in the early hours of November 27, 1944. Military historians believe the Stirling was intercepted and shot down by a German Ju 88 night fighter belonging to the 1/NJG3 Luftwaffe squadron.

It is highly probable that the aircraft crashed into the icy waters of the Lillebælt (Little Belt) strait, near Assens, Denmark. The aircraft vanished without a trace, and the entire seven-man crew was lost.

Witham was only 26 years old.

Legacy and Commemoration:

Because the aircraft crashed at sea and no bodies were recovered, Flight Lieutenant Witham has no known grave. However, his memory is preserved across multiple continents:

Runnymede Memorial: His name is engraved on Panel 257 of the Air Forces Memorial in Surrey, England, which honours over 20,000 Commonwealth airmen lost without a trace.

Australian War Memorial: He is permanently remembered on Panel 132 of the AWM Roll of Honour in Canberra.

Local Tributes: His name is listed on the St Laurence's College Old Boys Honour Board in Brisbane, ensuring future generations of his alma mater remember his sacrifice.

International Bomber Command Centre: His service is recorded on the memorial walls in Lincoln, England.

Flight Lieutenant Reginald Ronald Witham's life was a testament to the quiet, perilous heroism of the Special Duties squadrons, whose clandestine work shortened the war and kept the flame of European resistance alive.

Rest in Peace Reg Witham.