Lt Cook Cleland WW2
 

Many sources claim he was an air aces in WW2 downing five enemy planes. My research so fat has only turned up a Sonia and a Zeke with a second zeke damaged while piloting an SBD of VB-16. The latter two credited to his air gunner.

Did he make further claims in WW2?
regards

Keith

Re: Lt Cook Cleland WW2
 

Keith,
He claimed a Betty on Nov 20, 1943 according to Lexington's deck log. A Zeke on Dec 4, 1943, ACA #8; his gunner claimed a Zeke probable in the same report. He claimed a Sonia on April 21, 1944, ACA #24. All with VB-16. His gunner was ARM2c William Joseph Hisler on all these missions. I have not found any documentation for any further claims.

Enjoy!

Frank.

Re: Lt Cook Cleland WW2
 

Morning Frank

Since this both updates and changes your Victory list No 2, may I ask for confirmation on a couple of points?

Cleland's claim on 20 Nov 1943 is not in your list. Was the claim acknowledged by any higher authority or was it rejected at a higher level than Lexington itself?

In your list, the claim you give above with date 24 April 1944 is given in your list as April 21st. Since April 24th seems to have been rather "quiet", at least claim wise, it looks like the 21st is more correct as you initially had it.
Can you confirm that, please?

Cheers
Stig

Re: Lt Cook Cleland WW2
 

Stig,

According to Lexington's Action Report for 20Nov43 an SBD on a search mission claimed a Betty. The pilot was Lt. C. Cleland, his rsm ARM3c W.J. Hisler.

The Sonia claim was made on 21Apr44 in the course of strikes on the Hollandia airfields. Total claims were 9, 8 by the VF.

Re: Lt Cook Cleland WW2
 

Thanks George

Regarding point 1, that is basically what Frank just said. Since the claim is not in his book, I am interested in is why it isn't.
Could be many reasons, such as the claim was not found until after publishing, mistake perhaps, or, it was not accepted as a valid claim at a higher level.
Thus should it be added to Cleland's score or should it be listed as unconfirmed?

Regarding point 2, thanks for the confirmation. Typing error by Frank

Cheers
Stig

Re: Lt Cook Cleland WW2
 

I'm sure that "higher level" was not interested in individual claims, so most likely an error.

Re: Lt Cook Cleland WW2
 

Stig,
I have corrected the date of the April 1944 claim. Typoed, probably because my eyes are bad, or because it was ACA 24.

With regard to the Nov 1943 claim, I did not have access to ships deck logs at the time I prepared the USN list. I may not have had the Action Report either, or overlooked it.

With regard to a review of claims by higher authority, I do not believe the USN had any review process after a report (ACA) was prepared by the Intelligence Officer. But certainly the Action Report is prepared by a "higher authority". If there is an ACA report for this claim I probably missed it, because I went through the VB and VT records rather quickly by hand, rather than having all the records put on microfilm as was done with the VF units (costs shared by myself, Chris Shores, and Pete Clausen, with copies to each).

Enjoy!

Frank.

Re: Lt Cook Cleland WW2
 

Back in the nineteen eighties I paid to have most of the VB records placed on microfilm.

Re: Lt Cook Cleland WW2
 

Frank/George

Thanks again
So conclusion thus is that we should increase Cook Cleland's claims to three.

Not often I have had to update your extremely useful books, Frank!!

Cheers
Stig

Re: Lt Cook Cleland WW2
 

Good morning to all
On Cook Cleland nice to hear about his claims, since they made a 1/48 die cast model of (Franklin Mint) his SBD # white 39 and with 5 victory markings for the pilot and four for the gunner.

Frank I hope to re-release your books, last time i saw one for Victory list for the USN in world war 2 they were asking 400.00 (bad condition) I was about to tell the seller he was out of his mind. (very polite saying it)

Cheers
Santiago