Sir Frederick Wilfrid Scott Stokes, KBE (9 April 1860 – 7 February 1927) [1] was the inventor in 1915 of the Stokes Mortar, which saw extensive use in the latter half of the First World War and was one of the first truly portable mortars.
Stokes was born on 9 April 1860 in Liverpool, the son of Scott Nasmyth Stokes, a school inspector.[2] He was educated at St. Francis Xavier's College and the Catholic University College, Kensington.[2]
Following an apprenticeship with the Great Western Railway, he eventually became an assistant to William Shelford working on the designs for bridges for the Hull and Barnsley Railway.[2]
He was involved with the construction of the Aswan Low Dam in Egypt, for which he in 1902 received the 2nd class of the Ottoman Order of Osmanieh from the Khedive of Egypt.[3]
A civil engineer by trade, Stokes was appointed chairman and managing director of Ransomes & Rapier, an engineering company based in Ipswich, which manufactured cranes. Between 1915 and 1918 Stokes worked for the Inventions Branch of the Ministry of Munitions where he invented the Stokes Mortar.[2] The trench mortar was first used in 1915 during the Battle of Loos to fire a smoke shell. At first it was not liked but as the construction was improved it was widely used and eventually produced in two sizes. This mortar continued in use, its effectiveness being improved again and again by other British engineers.[2]
Stokes received a knighthood in 1917[4] for inventing the mortar which was named for him. He was also given several forms of monetary reward by the Ministry of Munitions for his invention including royalties of £1[dubious – discuss] per Stokes mortar bomb.
Stokes married Iren Ionides in 1899.[2] He is buried at St Mary Magdalen Roman Catholic Church, Mortlake.
His brother Leonard Stokes was an architect. His nephew Richard Stokes was a Labour MP and minister.
^"Wilfrid Stokes". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/36312. Retrieved 14 February 2016. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ abcdefCite error: The named reference obit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"No. 27517". The London Gazette. 20 January 1903. p. 386.
^"No. 30250". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 August 1917. p. 8795.
Sir Frederick Wilfrid Scott Stokes, KBE (9 April 1860 – 7 February 1927) was the inventor in 1915 of the Stokes Mortar, which saw extensive use in the...
The Stokes mortar was a British trench mortar designed by Sir WilfredStokes KBE that was issued to the British and U.S. armies, as well as the Portuguese...
Frederick Stokes may refer to: Frederick Stokes (rugby union) (1850–1929), first captain of the England national rugby union team Sir Frederick Wilfred Scott...
bravery when in charge of a Stokes gun in trenches which were being heavily shelled. Suddenly one of the fly-off levers of a Stokes shell came off and fired...
Society, trained in his offices. His brother WilfredStokes was an engineer and inventor. His nephew Richard Stokes was a Labour MP and minister. He died in...
Tunnel. Adrian Scott Stokes: (1854-1935) Artist known for his landscape paintings. Sir WilfredStokes: (1860-1927) Inventor of the Stokes mortar used during...
Italy, p. 63 Arthur; Stokes, "Wilfred Stanley Arthur", p. 3 Wilson, The Brotherhood of Airmen, pp. 81, 127 "Flying Officer Wilfred Arthur (usually known...
Marianne Stokes (née Preindlsberger; 1855–1927) was an Austrian painter. She settled in England after her marriage to Adrian Scott Stokes (1854–1935),...
Louise Mae Stokes Fraser (October 27, 1913 – March 25, 1978) was an American track and field athlete. The oldest of six children, Louise Mae Stokes was born...
August 2018. McNulty, Phil (5 May 2018). "Premier League: Crystal Palace and Stoke – how one stayed up and one went down". BBC Sport. Archived from the original...
February 7, 1954 Tucson, Arizona, United States 1934 (id=382) Nominated by Wilfred Hamilton Manwaring (14.9.1871 Ashland – 19.6.1960) (id=5884) the only time...
Wilfred Henry Haines (June 1882 – after 1908) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Stoke and Birmingham. Haines...
Phonology (2), Graham Pointon, Linguism, 3 November 2013 The Wilfred Bloor Papers "Wilfred Bloor Papers". Archived from the original on 2 May 2009. Retrieved...
he wrote 75 novels and demands to know the answer. His recording angel, Wilfred (Napier), returns Alexander to Earth to repeat his last day to investigate...
Joshi, Krishnanath Ganesh Ambegaonkar, Ram Nath, M. V. Rangachari, Sir Wilfred Harold Shoobert, B. K. Gokhale, Govardhan Shankerlal Bhalja, Sir Pheroze...
Wilfred Merritt (1864 – after 1890) was an English footballer who played in the Football League and the Football Alliance for Stoke. Merritt started his...
Wilfred Hudleston Hudleston FRS (né Simpson) (2 June 1828 – 29 January 1909) was an English geologist, ornithologist and paleontologist. Hudleston was...
Lionel William Pellew East Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Eastwood Brigadier Wilfred Algernon Ebsworth Brigadier Ronald Eccles Brigadier-General (temp. then...
"Viktor: The Spoils" Covert Affairs Max Kupala Episode: "The Outsiders" Wilfred Trashface Episode: "Isolation" Leverage Gunter Hanzig Episode: "The Office...