Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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Full name | Robert Hearfield Stephenson | ||||||||||||||
Born | 3 June 1906 Brough, Yorkshire, England | ||||||||||||||
Died | 9 November 1942(1942-11-09) (aged 36) HMS Cromer, Mediterranean Sea, off Mersa Matruh, British-occupied Egypt | ||||||||||||||
Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||
Relations | John Stephenson (brother) | ||||||||||||||
Career statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 12 December 2019 |
Robert Hearfield Stephenson DSO (3 June 1906 – 9 November 1942) was an English first-class cricketer and Royal Navy officer.
The son of William Hugh Stephenson and his wife, Ethel, he was born in June 1906 at Brough, Yorkshire. After leaving school, Stephenson opted to join the Royal Navy, being commissioned as an acting sub-lieutenant in September 1926, with promotion to sub-lieutenant following in May 1927. He made his debut in first-class cricket for the Royal Navy against the Royal Air Force at The Oval in 1927. He made two further first-class appearances for the navy in 1928, playing against the British Army cricket team and the Royal Air Force. He scored 122 runs in his three matches, including making 75 on debut.
Stephenson was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander in May 1937, before later serving in the Second World War. During the war he was promoted to the rank of commander in June 1941, in addition to receiving the Distinguished Service Order in August 1942 for his actions while commanding HMS Cromer during the Battle of Madagascar. Stephenson was killed aboard HMS Cromer when the ship hit a mine off the coast of the Egyptian port of Mersa Matruh on 9 November 1942. His body was never recovered. His brother, John, also played first-class cricket.
References
- ^ McCrery, Nigel (2011). The Coming Storm: Test and First-Class Cricketers Killed in World War Two. Vol. 2nd volume. Pen and Sword. p. 253-55. ISBN 978-1526706980.
- "No. 33362". The London Gazette. 2 March 1928. p. 1493.
- "First-Class Matches played by Robert Stephenson". CricketArchive. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- "First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Robert Stephenson". CricketArchive. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- "Royal Navy v Royal Air Force, 1927". CricketArchive. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- "No. 34400". The London Gazette. 21 May 1937. p. 3298.
- "No. 35213". The London Gazette. 8 July 1941. p. 3923.
- "No. 35679". The London Gazette. 21 August 1942. p. 3715.
External links
Categories:- 1906 births
- 1942 deaths
- People from Elloughton-cum-Brough
- Royal Navy officers of World War II
- English cricketers
- Royal Navy cricketers
- Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
- Royal Navy personnel killed in World War II
- Cricketers from the East Riding of Yorkshire
- Military personnel from the East Riding of Yorkshire