Cleeland, James Rayson Wallace (Flying Officer)

Killed in Action 1943-May-05

Flying Officer James Rayson Wallace Cleeland RCAF

Birth Date: 1919-September-28

Born: Toronto, Toronto Municipality, Ontario, Canada

Parents: Son of John & Madge L. Cleeland

Spouse:

Home: Toronto, Ontario

Enlistment: Toronto, Ontario

Enlistment Date: 1941-May

Service

RCAF

Unit

5 (BR) Sqn- Squadron

Base

RCAF Station Gander, Newfoundland

Rank

Flying Officer

Position

Navigator

Service Numbers

J/11797

Home
Google MapToronto, Ontario
Final Burial
Google MapCWG Cemetery
Plot 1 Row 2 Grave 9

Canso 9807 crashed because it "stalled due to climbing at a critical angle in rough air" (Mulvihill 1943). The weight of the aircraft may have been a factor, as it was the second incident with a Canso under similar conditions. Therefore, it was recommended that the maximum weight of the aircraft be reduced to prevent further accidents.

Killed: F/Lt Brian Anthony Casey RCAF C.1061 1st pilot 5 Bomber-Reconnaissance Sqn F/Lt Joseph John Barsalou RCAF C.1237 2nd pilot 5BRSqn Flying Officer James Rayson Wallace Cleeland RCAF J/11797 5BRSqn Pilot Officer James Herbert Millar RCAF J/20859 5BRSqn Warrant Officer Class 2 Alexander Frederick Morrice RCAF R/93368 10BRSqn Sergeant John Benjamin Stallwood RCAF R/122657 5BRSqn

Survivor: Cpl. Edmond Antoine Dube RCAF R/63059 5BRSqn

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Grave Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave Finadagrave.com

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Crew or Other Personnel

Canso 9807

Flight Lieutenant Jean Paul Barsalou RCAF

Flight Lieutenant Barsalou, Jean Paul (RCAF)
2nd Pilot
Killed in Action
1943-May-05
CWG Cemetery, Gander, Newfoundland, Canada

Flight Lieutenant Brian Anthony Casey RCAF

Flight Lieutenant Casey, Brian Anthony (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1943-May-05
CWG Cemetery, Gander, Newfoundland, Canada

Flying Officer James Rayson Wallace Cleeland RCAF

Flying Officer Cleeland, James Rayson Wallace (RCAF)
Navigator
Killed in Action
1943-May-05
CWG Cemetery, Gander, Newfoundland, Canada

Corporal Urbain Edmond Antoine Dube RCAF

Corporal Dube, Urbain Edmond Antoine (RCAF)
2nd Flight Engineer
Survived
1943-May-05
cemetery unknown

Pilot Officer James Herbert Millar RCAF

Pilot Officer Millar, James Herbert (RCAF)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1943-May-05
CWG Cemetery, Gander, Newfoundland, Canada

Warrant Officer 1 Alexander Frederick Morrice RCAF

Warrant Officer 1 Morrice, Alexander Frederick (RCAF)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1943-May-05
CWG Cemetery, Gander, Newfoundland, Canada

Sergeant John Benjamin Stallwood RCAF

Sergeant Stallwood, John Benjamin (RCAF)
1st Flight Engineer
Killed in Action
1943-May-05
CWG Cemetery, Gander, Newfoundland, Canada

Accident Card - Consolidated Canso A serial:9807

This accident involved 1 aircraft on 1943-May-05. Cnso A s/n 9807.

This accident involved 7 people. Cleeland JR, Millar JH, Casey BA, Barsalou JP, Morrice AF, Stallwood JB, Dube UEA

This accident had 6 fatalities. Pilot Officer James Herbert Millar RCAF Killed in Action service no:J/20859 Canso 9807, Warrant Officer 1 Alexander Frederick Morrice RCAF Killed in Action service no:R/93368 Canso 9807, Flight Lieutenant Jean Paul Barsalou RCAF Killed in Action service no:C/1237 Canso 9807, Flying Officer James Rayson Wallace Cleeland RCAF Killed in Action service no:J/11797 Canso 9807, Sergeant John Benjamin Stallwood RCAF Killed in Action service no:R/122657 Canso 9807, Flight Lieutenant Brian Anthony Casey RCAF Killed in Action service no:C/1061 Canso 9807

Mission

Canso A 9807

Reconnaissance 1943-May-05 to 1943-May-05

5 (BR) Sqn (RCAF) RCAF Station Gander, Newfoundland

5 (BR) Squadron, RCAF Station Gander, Newfoundland. Canso A 9807 F was outward-bound on an anti-submarine patrol when it crashed into bush immediately after take-off from Gander Newfoundland. The aircraft was completely demolished by the crash and the subsequent explosion of fuel and depth charges, killing six of the seven aircrew aboard

Flight Lieutenant Brian Anthony Casey MiD (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant Jean Paul Barsalou (RCAF), Flying Officer James Rayson Wallace Cleeland (RCAF), Pilot Officer James Herbert Millar (RCAF), Warrant Officer Class 2 Alexander Frederick Morrice (RCAF) and Sergeant John Benjamin Stallwood (RCAF) were all killed in action

Corporal Urbaine Edmond Antoine Dube (RCAF) survived the crash, seriously injured

The cause of the loss of this aircraft was not determined but a recommendation was made that a Canso should not be fully loaded at take-off if the wind conditions are too "rough" or strong

Quietus Last Flight, Accident Proneness in WWII, Wartime Aviation Stories on the Canadian Home Front by Anne Gafiuk, Chapter 6

RCAF Squadrons and Aircraft by Samuel Kostinuk and John Griffin, page 26

Unvetted Source Aviation Safety Network

Unvetted Source RCAF Canso 9807 (DfAp-07) - Plane Crash Girl.ca

Unvetted Source Canadian Vickers PBV-1 Canso (OA-10 Canso) I Bureau of Aircraft Accidents...

Canso serial: 9807

RCAF Canso A (Serial No. 9754), No. 162 Squadron, F/L David Ernest Hornell aircraft.

The Consolidated Catalina and Canso were close cousins. The Canso was the true amphibious version of the design and therefore included a conventional undercarriage to allow for either water or land use. The Canso provided more than two decades of valuable service to the RCAF. The Catalina variant came first and was produced beginning in 1935 for the United States Navy. The amphibious version, designated PBY-5A, came in service early in 1941 and the RCAF began using the aircraft on anti-submarine patrols that same year. After the Second World War, the RCAF used Cansos for search and rescue, Arctic survey missions and various transport operations. RCAF

YouTube Canso PBY

Wikipedia Wikipedia Canso PBY

Unvetted Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Aircraft Images

Canso 9807

Canso A 9807

Served with No. 5 (BR) Squadron in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, or Quebec, coded "F". Crashed near Gander in early 1943 (or 1944?). To No. 19 Sub Repair Depot at RCAF Station Gander, Newfoundland on 6 May 1943. Wreckage still on site in 2012.
{{link,canadaprimary,https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c5933/2006,RCAF - Accident Investigation File}}

1943-02-12 Taken on Strength Eastern Air Command 2019-08-20
1943-May-05 Accident: 5 Squadron Loc: Aerodrome Names: Barsalou | Casey | Cleeland | Dube | Millar | Morrice | Stallwood
1944-03-20 Struck off Strength Struck off, reduced to spares and produce 2019-08-20