Flt Lt Richard Playne Stevens - Nightfighter Ace

[Andy Saunders]

I have spent some time with Terry Thompson these last couple of weeks and I can tell you that work is well underway for a very detailed biography of R P Stevens. Terry has been collecting material for well over twenty years and has a vast amount of detail, interviews, photographs etc. The work will be extremely comprehensive but obviously he is loathe to release information from his archive at this stage which will form the basis of his eventual work.

[gedburke3]

Hi Andy and all,
My understanding is that he will not be included as a BoB participant in Wynns future book release.
I believe he now has proof that he never flew operationally during the required period and will therefore be omitted.
Gerry

[Andy Saunders]

Indeed so, Gerry.

Terry Thompson was talking about this to me today and was satisfied from his research going back 25 years that R P Stevens was not a Battle of Britain "accredited" pilot. I may have misunderstood, but I think that his Record of Service failed to show an issue of the BofB bar thus indicating that the powers-that-be never considered him to be B-of-B either. Terry did mention saomething about "another R Stevens" on 151 Squadron and this is where the confusion arose. If so, it seems that this "other" R Stevens is not on the list. Should he be? Whoever he is...!!

[gedburke3]

Hi Andy,
Interesting one this.
I have a record showing a Sergeant Stevens (No first initial) of 151 Squadron promoted to Flight Sergeant on April 18th 1940. However I can find no further mention of him in any of the 151 Squadron records.
There is an entry in North Wealds ORB on the 2nd July '40 that states:
P/O Alexander and P/O Hunt reported for duty with 151 Sqdn.
P/O Stevenson and F/O Timmins reported to SHQ.
I wonder if the Stevens mentioned earlier is an accidental corruption of Stevenson?
Best wishes
Gerry

[Andy Saunders]

Gerry

The June 1940 Air Force List has the following options for a Plt Off Stevenson:

J S (78903)
J W B (42158)
P C F (33521)
R (40760)
R W H (36230)
S A (77474)

However, in view of the fact that the Stevenson you mention goes to Station HQ I do rather doubt that he was a Generel Duties (flying) officer.

The key might be to unravel who the Sgt Stevens was who gets promoted to Flt Sgt on 18 April 1940.