LEST WE FORGET
Leading Aircraftman John WITTS
Service No: 411569
Born: Parkes NSW, 19 January 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 24 May 1941
Unit: No. 1 Air Observer’s School (RCAF), Malton, Ontario
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 1 Air Observer’s School Anson aircraft), Lake Ontario, 8 January 1942, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Elmo John and Kitty Witts, of Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Penrith NSW
Remembered: Panel 2, Column 1, Ottawa Memorial, Ontario
Remembered: Panel 133, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Penrith City Memory Park, Penrith NSW
Brother of Pilot Officer Geoffrey Paul Witts (424522)
An Anson of No 1 Air Observers School RCAF departed St John’s Quebec at 1800 hours on 8 January 1942, on a routine night training flight to Malton a distance of 323 miles, and then return. The aircraft reported from Montreal as setting course for Malton but it failed to reach its destination. In subsequent searches an aircraft fuselage was located on the shore of Lake Ontario near Watertown, New York, but was not identified. No trace of any survivors was found.
The crew members of the Anson were:
Leading Aircraftman Alexander McDonald Morgan (R/102709) (RCAF) (Trainee Air Observer)
Mr C B Rutherford (Staff Pilot, Civilian)
Leading Aircraftman Bernard Bede Sutton (403769) (Trainee Air Observer)
Leading Aircraftman John Witts (411569) (Trainee Air Observer)
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, 163/178/255
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line