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 MHM Captain Frederick Joseph Stevenson - Winnipeg MB Posted by:  PeterNoG
N 49° 55.385 W 097° 13.295
14U E 627653 N 5531594
This Manitoba Historical Marker is at a split in the roadway at the Field of Honour #1 (1-151A) of Brookside Cemetery in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Waymark Code: WMMX3P
Location: Manitoba, Canada
Date Posted: 11/18/2014
Views: 1
MHM Winnipeg Brookside Cemetery ( visit link) is on the back of this monument.
Marker Name: Captain Frederick Joseph Stevenson
Languages: English & French
Location:
Brookside Cemetery
Field of Honour #1
Marker Text:
Captain Frederick Joseph Stevenson
Canada's Premier Commercial Pilot
Frederick Joseph Stevenson was born on December 2, 1896 in Parry Sound, Ontario. He spent most of his childhood and youth in Winnipeg. When the First World War was declared, Stevenson, just 19 years old, enlisted with the 196th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. In 1917, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in England where he began pilot training. Stevenson flew many combat missions during his military service and ended the war with the rank of Captain. During his notable military career, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and decorated with the Belgian and French Croix de Guerre.
After the war, Stevenson joined the Canadian Aircraft Company where he conducted flying exhibitions throughout western Canada. In 1924, he flew for the Ontario Provincial Air Service on forest patrol from bases in Sault Ste. Marie, Sioux Lookout and Sudbury. In 1926. he began with Western Canada Airways and became one of Canada's first bush pilots, regularly transporting material and equipment across northern Canada.
In 1927, Stevenson received the Harmony International Trophy for his remarkable contribution to commercial aviation. This trophy is presented annually to a pilot whose "flying is judged to have been the most outstanding in the advancement of aeronautics in the year."
On January 5, 1928, during a test flight in The Pas, Manitoba, Stevenson's aircraft engine failed, his plane went into a spin at a low altitude and crashed onto a quiet residential street, killing him on impact. Stevenson was the first pilot to lose his life in a commercial flying accident in Canada. He was buried 4 days later with special arrangements being made to ensure that his final resting place faced southwest, toward the airfield that would later be named after him.
On May 27, 1928, the City of Winnipeg and the Municipality of St. James officially opened their new airdrome. Stevenson's mother unveiled a marble plaque that read: This airdrome is named Stevenson Airdrome in dedication to Captain F.J. Stevenson, Canada's Premier Commercial Pilot. The filed eventually became known as Stevenson Field and later renamed Winnipeg International Airport.
Field of Honour Section 150A
Dedicated June 15, 2003
Website: [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca or mhs.mb.ca: [Web Link]
Agency: Not listed
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