| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Hearfield Stephenson | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 3 June 1906 Brough, Yorkshire, England | ||||||||||||||
| Died | 9 November 1942 (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.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3] He scored 122 runs in his three matches,[4] including making 75 on debut.[5]
Stephenson was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander in May 1937,[6] before later serving in the Second World War. During the war he was promoted to the rank of commander in June 1941,[7] in addition to receiving the Distinguished Service Order in August 1942 for his actions while commanding HMS Cromer during the Battle of Madagascar.[1][8] 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.[1] His brother, John, also played first-class cricket.