LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Reginald Ronald WITHAM DFC
Service No: 425800
Born: Brisbane QLD, 20 September 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 April 1942
Unit: No. 138 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Tempsford
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 16 January 1945
Died: Air Operations: (No. 138 Squadron Stirling aircraft LK151), North West Europe, 27 November 1944, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Alexander Leslie and Ellen Witham, of Annerley, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Annerley QLD
Remembered: Panel 257, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
DFC Citation (for service with No. 138 Squadron RAF): Flight Lieutenant Witham of No. 138 Squadron RAF has completed numerous operations against the enemy in the course of which he has invariably displayed the utmost fortitude, courage and devotion to duty.
On 27 November 1944 Stirling LK151 took off from Tempsford on a special mission to drop supplies to the Danish resistance and an agent, at a position 13 kms east north east of Assens. The supplies drop position was approximately 2 kms north of Glamsbjerg on the Danish Isle of Fyn. The drop was successfully completed, but there were no further messages from the aircraft and it did not return to base. The aircraft was shot down by a Ju-88 and following post war enquiries and investigations, it was recorded in 1949 that the missing crew members had no known graves.
The crew members of LK151 were:
Flight Sergeant Arthur Henry Bedggood (1853408) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Reginald Hughes Berrett ((1890825) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Pilot Officer Charles Elleman (186688) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Thomas Patrick McHale (J/24741) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Kenneth Naylor (1622999) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Geoffrey Herbert Brandon Slinn (423263) (Air Bomber)
Flight Lieutenant Reginald Ronald Witham DFC (425800) (Pilot)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/43/1001