Stevens, Ralph Arnold (Leading Aircraftman)

Killed in Flying Accident 1942-March-10

Male Head

Birth Date: 1921

Born:

Parents: Son of Arnold and Dorothy Daisy Stevens, of Marston Green, Warwickshire, England.

Spouse:

Home:

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RAFVR

Unit

36 SFTS- Service Flying Training School (RAF)

Base

Penhold, Alberta, Canada

Rank

Leading Aircraftman

Position

Service Numbers

1197657

Final Burial

Red Deer Cemetery
Lot 1 Block F

Died of injuried sustained in the mid air collision of Oxford - AR972 and Oxford - AS674. "657470 Sgt. Gulliver, S. in Oxford AS674 and 1197657 Leading Aircraftman Stevens, R.A. in Oxford A.R.972 both carrying out solo landing practice at Innisfail at approx. 1500 hours when they collided on approach. The aircraft piloted by Sgt. Gulliver struck the tail of the aircraft piloted by Leading Aircraftman Stevens causing it to rear up, flick over and hit the ground nose first. Sgt. Gulliver swing port and opened his throttles and made a crash landing on the aerodrome ahead. He was unhurt and immediately ran to the other aircraft where he put out a small fire which had started and then began to cut Leading Aircraftman Stevens free. Leading Aircraftman was badly injured suffering from fractured scull and brain laceration and died at 22.30 hours."

Canada Primary Source School Daily Diary Entry - 1942-03-10

Commonwealth War Grave Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Find-A-Grave Finadagrave.com

Unit Desciption

36 SFTS (36 Service Flying Training School)

Graduates of the EFTS "learn-to-fly" program went on a Service Flying Training School (SFTS) for 16 weeks. For the first 8 weeks the trainee was part of an intermediate training squadron; for the next 6 weeks an advanced training squadron and for the final 2 weeks training was conducted at a Bombing & Gunnery School. The Service schools were military establishments run by the RCAF or the RAF.

There were two different types of Service Flying Training Schools. Trainees in the fighter pilot stream went to an SFTS like No. 14 Aylmer, where they trained in the North American Harvard or North American Yale. Trainees in the bomber, coastal or transport pilot stream went to an SFTS like No. 5 Brantford where they learned multi-engine technique in an Airspeed Oxford, Avro Anson or Cessna Crane.