Frank Douglas Stevens

Frank Douglas Stevens
Nickname(s)	Inky
Born	1892 or 1893 Kingston upon Thames, England
Died	Unknown Delgany, County Wicklow, Ireland
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army Royal Air Force
Years of service	1914–1919
Rank	Captain
Unit	Suffolk Regiment Motor Machine Gun Service No. 20 Squadron RFC
Battles/wars	World War I  • Western Front
Awards	Order of the British Empire
Other work	Brewing engineer, Guinness Brewery, Dublin

Captain Frank Douglas Stevens OBE was a British First World War flying ace credited with five aerial victories.^[1]

Military service

Stevens was commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant in the infantry on 22 September 1914.^[2] He served briefly in the 9th (Service) Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment, before being seconded for service with the Motor Machine Gun Service on 21 November 1914,^[3] and was later transferred to the General List.^[4] He was promoted to lieutenant on 1 March 1915.^[5]

Stevens joined the Royal Flying Corps to serve as an gunner/observer, being appointed a flying officer (observer) on 21 June 1916,^[6] but soon trained a pilot, and was appointed a flying officer on 21 November 1916.^[7] 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.^[1] On 9 June 1917 he was appointed a flight commander, with the acting rank of captain,^[8] and gained his remaining four victories, all D.IIIs driven down, between 17 May and 16 August 1917.^[1] His observer/gunners included fellow ace Lieutenant William Cambray.^[9]

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.^[10] On 21 July 1918 he was appointed an acting-major.^[11]

List of aerial victories

Combat record^[1]

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

After the end of the war, on 21 March 1919, Stevens was transferred to the RAF unemployed list,^[12] 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".^[13]

On 7 July 1921 he married Eva May, youngest daughter of William Gore of Sandymount, Dublin, at Sandymount Presbyterian Church.^[1]

References

Notes

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

Bibliography

• 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.