Reginald Whiteway-Wilkinson was born in Newton Abbott in Devon in April 1914.  He was the son of Reginald Hampton Whiteway-Wilkinson (a leading figure in the Mid Devon clay industry and a Teignmouth Harbour Commissioner) and Margaret Emily Whiteway-Wilkinson.

He joined the Royal Navy as a cadet on 1 May 1931 and was appointed to the Battleship HMS ROYAL OAK which he joined in Malta.

Promotion to Midshipman came on 1 January 1932 and to Acting Sub Lieutenant on 1 May 1934.  On the next day was appointed to his Lieutenants Courses at RN College, Greenwich which he completed in January 1935.

He qualified as a submariner and was appointed to HMS RAINBOW on 6 March 1936 and was promoted to Lieutenant on 16 April 1936.

On 26 September 1938 he was appointed to HMS H32 as First Lieutenant and after a year he was appointed on 15 September 1939 to HMS TRUANT as First Lieutenant standing by whilst completing at Vickers and on commissioning.

Reginald Whiteway-Wilkinson was awarded the DSC (London Gazette dated 9 May 1940) for the torpedoing of the German Warship KARLSRUHE.  He left HMS TRUANT on 4 August 1940 to complete his Commanding Officers Qualifying Course and, on 12 October 1940, he was appointed in command of HMS H31.

On 21 April 1941 he was appointed to HMS P33 standing by whilst completing at Vickers in Barrow and in command on commissioning.  After work up the submarine was sent to join the 10th Submarine Flotilla at Malta.

HMS P33 left Malta on 6 August 1941 for a patrol off Tripoli.  HMS P32 and HMS UNIQUE left at the same time and were in adjacent patrol areas.  Both of these submarines heard depth charging on 18 August 1941 coming from the area where HMS P33 was patrolling.  It is assumed that this depth charge attack was responsible for the loss of P33 with all hands.

Reginald Whiteway-Wilkinson is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval War Memorial on Panel No 45 Column No 2.