Mrs. Gilbert Gets Word Son Safe in Philippines
Mrs.
Esther Gilbert, 705 West Cherry Street, has received a cablegram from
her son, Captain Leslie Gilbert, at Manila, Philippine Islands, stating
that he is safe and well.
Captain Gilbert, who is attached to the engineer’s corps, is stationed in an area that has been hard hit by Japanese bombers.
His wife is living in Madison, Wis.
Mrs.
Gilbert has as visitors this week, another son, Lieutenant Gerald
Gilbert of Fort Knox, Ky. His wife and two daughters are with him.
(Source: Cherokee Daily Times, Wed., Dec. 17, 1941, pg. 1)
Captain Gilbert Writes Letter from War Zone April 3
Mrs.
Esther Gilbert, mother of Captain Leslie Gilbert, who was last reported
in the Philippines, said Friday that a message had been received from
him April 3 by his wife, who lives at Madison, Wisc.
The message did
not divulge where Captain Gilbert was stationed but Mrs. Gilbert was
inclined to think he was not on Bataan. However, his mother pointed
out, since nothing definite has been heard, he may have been on the
battle-ridden peninsula when the weary American-Filipino forces gave in
Thursday after a three months heroic defense.
Mrs. Gilbert has two other sons in the U.W. army service.
(Source: Cherokee Daily Times, Friday, April 10, 1942, pg. 1)
Capt. Leslie Gilbert Is Japanese Prisoner
Captain Leslie Gilbert, son of Mrs. Esther Gilbert of Cherokee, is a prisoner of the Japanese in the Philippines.
Mrs. Gilbert received word Wednesday morning from the war department to that effect.
On
June 1 of this year, just after the fall of the Philippines, Captain
Gilbert’s family was notified that he was “missing in action.”. Since
then, they had received no word.
Captain Gilbert left for the
Philippines nearly two years ago, before the outbreak of fighting there
and presumably saw action throughout the Philippine campaign.
(Source: Cherokee Daily Times, Wed., Dec 9, 1942, pg. 1)
CHEROKEE CAPTAIN DIES WHEN SUBMARINE SINKS PRISON SHIP
Leslie B. Gilbert Now Reported Killed in Action
Capt.
Leslie B. Gilbert, 39, son of Mrs. Esther Gilbert, of Cherokee, has
been officially declared killed in action October 24, 1944 after being
reported missing in action for many months. Capt. Gilbert was a reserve
officer and went overseas January 6, 1941 and was taken a Japanese
prisoner of war when Corregidor fell, May 6, 1942.
In a letter
received in February from one of the men who survived, it was learned
that Capt. Gilbert was taken from Camp Cabanatuan and was put in
command of a group of prisoners. He was transferred to Camp Bilibid,
where more prisoners were picked up.
From there they were to be
shipped to Japan to work camps. The vessel in which they were sailing
was sunk by submarine action in the South China sea over 200 miles from
the Chinese coat which was the nearest land.
The letter which his wife received from the war department is as follows:
"June 19, 1945
Dear Mrs. Gilbert,
The
International Red Cross has transmitted to this Government an official
list from the Japanese Government, after long delay, of American
Prisoners of War who were lost while being transported northwest from
the Philippine Islands on a Japanese ship which was sunk on October
1944. It is with deep regret that I inform you that your husband, Capt.
Leslie B. Gilbert, Corps of Engineers, was among those lost when the
sinking occurred, and in absence of any probability of survival must be
considered to have lost his life. He will be carried on the records of
the War Department as killed in action October 24, 1944. The evidence
of his death was received June 1, 1945, the date upon which his pay
will terminate and his accounts will be closed.The
information available to the War department is that that vessel sailed
from Manilla, Philippine Islands, on October 11, 1944 with 1775
prisoners of war aboard. On October 24, 1944, the vessel was sunk by
submarine action in the South China Sea over 200 miles from the Chinese
coast which was the nearest land. Five of the prisoners escaped in a
small boat and reached the coast. Four others have been reported as
picked up by the Japanese, by whom all others aboard are reported lost.
Absence of detailed information as to what happened to other individual
prisoners and the known circumstances of the incident lead to a
conclusion that all the other prisoners listed by the Japanese as
aboard the vessel perished.It
is with deep regret that I must notify you of this unhappy culmination
of the long period of anxiety and suffering you have experienced. You
have my heartfelt sympathy.Sincerely yours,
J. A. Ulio, Maj. General
The Adjutant General of the Army"
Capt.
Gilbert graduated from Wilson high school with the class of 1923 and
took an engineering course at Iowa State college at Ames. Before going
into service, he was assistant state highway engineer with offices at
Madison, Wis. He was a 32nd degree Mason and was a member of the
Presbyterian church.
He is survived by his wife, who resides in
Madison; his mother, Mrs. Esther Gilbert; and two brothers, Capt.
Roland Gilbert, who is in Germany at present time but has been in many
of the European operations and Capt. Gerald Gilbert, who is in the
Pacific theater. The latest reports stated that he was in Okinawa. Both
boys have been in the service for the past four years.
(Source: Cherokee Daily Times, Wed., June 27, 1945, pg. 6)
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