With a heavy heart, I wish to advise members of the Fleet Air Arm Association that Robert Witt (Bob), passed peacefully on August 30th 2024 aged 91. A memorial and funeral service will be held at the Mount Gravatt Crematorium for family and friends on Thursday September 5th, at 2pm.
Bob was born in Townsville in 1933, and enlisted at the age of 21 for an initial engagement of six years. He became an Aircraft Handler, bearing the rank of Leading Airman AH2 at discharge. After a training stint at HMAS Cerberus, he ended up at HMAS Albatross before being drafted to the aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney. His first port of call was Fiji, where he fondly recalled playing a rugby game against the local police. In 1956, he was briefly drafted to Lonsdale as a patrol driver during the 56’ Olympics. After that, he headed to New Zealand as a leading airman on the HMAS Melbourne, where he later saw service during the Malayan Emergency – Far East Strategic Reserve.
Bob Witt’s service during the Malayan and Indonesian conflicts was a defining chapter in his life. His dedication and proactive campaigning for the rights of ex-naval personnel who served during these conflicts were unparalleled. His efforts supported the recognition of medal entitlements for naval veterans, and he played a vital role in establishing Queensland’s first naval statue in South Bank Parklands, Brisbane.
While many of his former shipmates have long set sail, his family ensured his efforts did not go unrecognised. With permission from the RAN, the white ensign draped his coffin, and the Naval Association of Australia paid tribute with a poppy service. We only wish some of his former Navy buddies could have been there to bid their last farewells, as he has done for so many of them before.
Bob Witt was a proud ex-birdie, a matelot to many, and beloved by all who knew him.
R50295 Robert Witt.
