Primary Documents in Family Custody
All documents listed here are scanned originals held across the Stevens, Charmans and Lords families. They form the evidentiary backbone of this research.
The Pilot’s Flying Log Book
RAF Form 414 — Service Number 2665293
The most significant document in the archive. John’s log book runs from his first flight on 26 May 1944 to his final entry on 17 March 1945 — one week before Operation VARSITY. Every entry is in John’s own hand, in blue ink.
The log book was returned to Mrs Minnie Stevens by the Army Air Corps Record Office, Edinburgh, on 9 July 1946. It was lost to the family for decades and reunited in April 2023 following a post by Rob Ponsford on the Glider Pilot Regiment Public Group on Facebook.
Birth Certificate
20 December 1923
Certified Copy of an Entry of Birth. Registration District: Epsom. Sub-District: Carshalton, County of Surrey.
- Born: 20 December 1923 at “Kirkside”, Church Road, Sutton
- Father: Arthur Stevens, Boot Maker (Master)
- Mother: Minnie Stevens, formerly Rowden
- Registered: 7 March 1924
The Battlefield Cross
Hamminkeln, March 1945
A CWGC-era photograph of John’s battlefield grave marker as it stood at Hamminkeln in the immediate post-war period. The cross reads:
2665293 / A/SJT J.H. STEVENS / GLIDER PILOT / 24.3.45
Neighbouring graves: S.SJT Smith J.F. (Glider Pilot) and L Bdr Johnson I. (R.A.).
This photograph is the primary documentary evidence for the correct date of death — 24 March 1945 — contradicting the CWGC headstone which reads 26 March 1945.
War Office Form E.2 — Burial Notification
30 December 1946
Ref: Germ.1-1696-AG13. Formal notification to Mrs M. Stevens of her son’s burial location. A handwritten annotation on the form records his reinterment to Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
IWGC Letter — 1 August 1950
From F. Higginson, Secretary, Imperial War Graves Commission, Wooburn House, High Wycombe. Requesting Mrs M. Stevens to complete the permanent headstone registration form.
Mrs Stevens chose the inscription: “Till We Meet Again.”
The reverse of the letter bears a notation: “Reichswald Forest Brit. Cem. (XLIII F. 3.) Germany. 8 Squadron.”
John Arthur Stevens — Medal Research
13 February 2017
Printed from forces-war-records.co.uk on 13 February 2017 — among the final pieces of research conducted by John Arthur Stevens before his death later that year.
John Henry’s Signature
From the log book — the last known example of John Henry Stevens’s handwriting. He signed the final page on 17 March 1945, closed the book, and flew to Germany a week later.
Medals — What He Was Entitled To
John Arthur Stevens’s 2017 research identified two medals. A thorough analysis of official eligibility criteria indicates John Henry was entitled to three, with a fourth a strong possibility.
| Medal | Entitlement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1939–45 Star | Confirmed | Operational service |
| France and Germany Star | Confirmed | Service in northwest Europe |
| War Medal 1939–45 | Confirmed | 28+ days service |
| Defence Medal | Possible | Depends on home service dates |
The France and Germany Star was missed in the 2017 research. It is confirmed by the operational record.
Order of wear (if all four awarded): 1939–45 Star · France and Germany Star · Defence Medal · War Medal 1939–45
To confirm full medal entitlement, write to: MOD Medal Office, Imjin Barracks, Gloucester GL3 1HW. Email: DBS-Medals@mod.gov.uk. Quote service number 2665293.
Burial and Commemoration
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany
Plot 38, Row F, Grave 3
John Henry Stevens lies at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany — one of the largest British and Commonwealth war cemeteries in the world, containing nearly 7,700 burials.
His headstone bears the regimental badge of the Glider Pilot Regiment and the inscription his mother chose in 1950:
“Till We Meet Again”
The headstone currently reads 26 March 1945 as the date of death. The correct date is 24 March 1945. This discrepancy has not yet been formally raised with the CWGC.
Epsom College Memorial Panel
The 1939–1945 memorial panel at Epsom College records “STEVENS J. H.” — visible in the fourth column from the right, towards the top of the panel.
CWGC Record
Casualty ID: 2046150. Available at cwgc.org
FindAGrave
Memorial ID: 56038510. Available at findagrave.com
All primary documents are held in family custody across the Stevens, Charmans and Lords families. Scanned copies available on request.