The Airmen's Stories - P/O R W Stokes

Richard William Stokes, of Acton, London, joined the RAF on a short service commission in February 1939. He was posted to the newly-reformed 264 Squadron at Sutton Bridge on November 6th 1939 and served with it throughout the Battle of Britain.

He was posted away on November 15th 1940.

(Above: Stokes is seated far right)

In 1942 Stokes was a flying instructor at 23 SFTS, Southern Rhodesia. He was killed on May 29th, aged 21, circumstances unknown. However Sgt. JK Wray of the same unit was killed on the same day, it may be that he was a pupil of Stokes and both were lost in the same aircraft or that two aircraft were involved in a collision.

Stokes is buried in Bulawayo Cemetery, Zimbabwe.