Lieutenant Richard Stone 201 Squadron RFC was born on the 12th of March 1899, the younger son of John Morris and Edith Emily Stone of 3, Stones Buildings, Lincolns Inn London. John Morris Stone was a barrister born at St George's East London on the 18th of March 1857 and Edith was about eleven years younger than him and was born at Highbury, London. In 1911 the census records that the couple had been married for fifteen years and had three children, all of whom survived childhood. The only child recorded was 13 year old Edith Alice who was born at Kidbrooke. The family had four servants and were living at Blackheath in south east London. Richard received his pilot's wings on the 5th of February 1918 and was promoted to Lieutenant in April and posted to 203 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps at St Omer from where he flew eleven operational sorties. On the 8th of August he was posted with two other pilots to 201 Squadron, which was operating from Poulainville airfield in the Amiens-Montidier front. Richard and the other pilots had arrived at their new home just after midnight on the 9th but were given no time to rest before going into action that same morning in support of the Amiens Offensive. Flying Sopwith Camel D6250 alongside Lt Wood, the pair attacked enemy positions around the village of Rosieres and were engaged by German Fokker DVIIs but shook them off. They then returned to the area and attacked enemy troops retreating from the allied advance. Once again enemy fighters intervened but this time Lt Stone could not escape and his aircraft was seen to spin into the ground where it burst into flames. Lt Wood was luckier and he returned safely to base, having been airborne for fifty minutes. The body of Richard Stone was recovered from the wreck of his aircraft by soldiers of 3 Company Australian Engineers and buried in a battlefield cemetery, where he remained until he, and the other casualties therein, were exhumed on the 23rd of May 191 by the Australian Graves Detachment for reburial in Heath Cemetery at Harbonnieres. He was 19 years and five months old at the time of his death. After the end of the war an Australian soldier visited Richard's father, John, and returned his cygnet ring which he had found by the aircraft. The soldier had traced the ring's owner via the coat of arms which was on it. This ring is still in possession of the family and is often worn. John was so shocked that he forgot to ask the soldier his name. Richard, known to his friends as "Stoney", is remembered on the family grave at Eastbourne (Ocklynge) Cemetery on which there is the following headstone inscription - Edith Emily Stone the wife of John Morris Stone / 2nd June 1867 - 21st May 1942 / John Leonard Stone Kt., Q.C., O.B.E. / 6th November 1896 - 3rs January 1978 / And his wife Madeleine (Mouche) Stone/ 1st February 1900 - 8th September 1989 / Georgina Maxwell Stone the wife of Richard Frederick Stone / 15th Oct: 1931 - 28th Feb: 1964. On the kerb foot. And in remembrance of / Lieutenant Richard Stone 201 sqdn. Royal Air Force who at the age of 19 gave his life for his country / at dawn the 9th August 1918. SLAB. John Morris Stone / 18th March 1857 - 11th November 1930. He is also remembered in the church of St Nicholas at Pidington in Oxford, a village to which the family has connections going back to the 15th century as land owners and farmers. In the ringing chamber at the church is a wooden propeller of the First World War dedicated to his memory Heath Cemetery Harbonnieres This cemetery is south of Brettoneaux Villiers and was started after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefield and at least eighteen other cemeteries in the area. There are 1,860 burials of Commonwealth servicemen here, of which 369 are unidentified. There is a memorial to 26 men buried here but whose graves could not be identified with certainty and a further memorial to 21 men buried elsewhere and whose graves are lost. Credits for assisting in the above - Millie Stone, granddaughter of John Leonard Stone, Ken Howard and Hazel Coleman . More details on Pidington and the church can be found at -www.piddingtonvillageoxfordshire.org