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Frank Douglas Stevens

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Frank Douglas Stevens
Nickname(s)"Inky"
Born7 April 1893[1]
Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England
DiedDelgany, County Wicklow, Ireland
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branchBritish Army
Royal Air Force
Years of service1914–1919
RankCaptain
UnitSuffolk Regiment
Motor Machine Gun Service
Royal Flying Corps
Battles / warsWorld War I
 • Western Front
AwardsOrder of the British Empire
Other workBrewing engineer, Guinness Brewery, Dublin

Captain Frank Douglas Stevens OBE (7 April 1893 – ) was a British First World War flying ace credited with five aerial victories.[2]

Military service

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Stevens was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant in the infantry on 22 September 1914.[3] He served briefly in the 9th (Service) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, before being seconded for service with the Motor Machine Gun Service on 21 November 1914,[4] and was later transferred to the General List.[5] He was promoted to lieutenant on 1 March 1915.[6]

Stevens joined the Royal Flying Corps to serve as an gunner/observer, being appointed a flying officer (observer) on 21 June 1916,[7] but soon trained a pilot, and was appointed a flying officer on 21 November 1916.[8] He was posted to No. 20 Squadron RFC, to fly the F.E.2d two-seater fighter, where he gained his first victory on 3 May 1917 by driving down "out of control" an Albatros D.III.[2] On 9 June 1917 he was appointed a flight commander, with the acting rank of captain,[9] and gained his remaining four victories, all D.IIIs driven down, between 17 May and 16 August 1917.[2] His observer/gunners included fellow ace Lieutenant William Cambray.[10]

On 1 April 1918, the Army's Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service were merged to form the Royal Air Force, and Stevens was appointed a captain in the new service that day.[11] On 21 July 1918 he was appointed an acting-major.[12]

List of aerial victories

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Combat record[2]
No. Date/Time Aircraft/
Serial No. 		Opponent Result Location
1 3 May 1917
@ 1715		 F.E.2d
(A6444)		 Albatros D.III Out of control Westrozebeke
2 3 July 1917
@ 1600		 F.E.2d
(A6516)		 Albatros D.III Out of control Becelaere
3 6 July 1917
@ 1830		 F.E.2d
(A6516)		 Albatros D.III Out of control Comines
4 17 July 1917
@ 1955		 F.E.2d
(A6516)		 Albatros D.III Out of control Polygon Wood
5 16 August 1917
@ 1100		 F.E.2d
(A6516)		 Albatros D.III Out of control South-east of Polygon Wood

Post-war career

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After the end of the war, on 21 March 1919, Stevens was transferred to the RAF unemployed list,[13] and on 3 June, in the King's Birthday Honours, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire "in recognition of distinguished services rendered during the War".[14]

On 7 July 1921 he married Eva May, youngest daughter of William Gore of Sandymount, Dublin, at Sandymount Presbyterian Church.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Surrey, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1912
  2. ^ a b c d e "Frank Douglas Stevens". The Aerodrome. 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  3. ^ "No. 28910". The London Gazette. 22 September 1914. p. 7488.
  4. ^ "No. 29052". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 January 1915. p. 896.
  5. ^ "No. 29091". The London Gazette. 5 March 1915. p. 2243.
  6. ^ "No. 29181". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 1915. p. 5366.
  7. ^ "No. 29653". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 July 1916. p. 6707.
  8. ^ "No. 29858". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 December 1916. p. 12090.
  9. ^ "No. 30152". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 June 1917. p. 6361.
  10. ^ Shores, Franks & Guest (1990), p. 352.
  11. ^ The Monthly Air Force List. March 1919. p. 47. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  12. ^ "No. 31206". The London Gazette. 28 February 1919. p. 2860.
  13. ^ "No. 31279". The London Gazette. 8 April 1919. p. 4575.
  14. ^ "No. 31378". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 May 1919. p. 7028.

Bibliography

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  • Shores, Christopher F.; Franks, Norman & Guest, Russell F. (1990). Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 978-0-948817-19-9.
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