Cleland, Ralph (Ronald)

Date of birth:: August 4th, 1906 (Hentland/Herefordshire, United Kingdom)
Date of death:: December 20th, 1948 (Princess Mary RAF Hospital/Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom)
Service number:: 362870/05190
Nationality:: British

Biography

September 1922: Boy
1924: Acm. 2e cl.
August 1925: Acm. 1s cl.
1928: Sergeant
29 May 1931: Pilot Officer (prob.)
1 April 1936: Flight Lieutenant
1 December 1938: Squadron Leader
1 March 1941: Temporary Wing Commander
5 April 1943: Wing Commander (WS)
1 July 1944: Group Captain (temp.)
1 October 1946: Wing Commander

September 1939: "officier de liaison" at the ZOAE (Zone Operation Aérienne Est) at Nancy

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Mentioned in Dispatches

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: January 1st, 1941

Retreat from France 1940

Mentioned in Dispatches

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Acting Wing Commander
Unit:: Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF), Allied Forces
Awarded on:: January 14th, 1944
Awarded for:: Operation Overlord

For service at HQ SHEAF in preparation for D DAY 1944.

Mentioned in Dispatches

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Group Captain
Unit:: Assault Force "J", Royal Navy
Awarded on:: January 1st, 1945
Awarded for:: Operation Neptune

For service on HMS Hilary off Juno Beach on D DAY.

Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Group Captain
Unit:: Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, Air Staff, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:: June 14th, 1945

Sources

- Halton Apprentices - The Gallantry Awards and Honours
- https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/36866/supplement/61/data.pdf
- https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/36329/page/287/data.pdf
- https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37776/supplement/5406/data.pdf
- https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/36618/supplement/3395/data.pdf
- https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/36059/supplement/2770/data.pdf
- https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37119/supplement/2947/data.pdf