Richard Stokes was born on 27th January 1897. Educated at Downside
Abbey, Royal Military Academy and Trinity College,
Cambridge, he joined the British
Army soon after the outbreak of the First World
War.
Stokes
was sent to France in 1916 and served on
the Western Front. Promoted to the rank
of major in 1917, Stokes won the Croix de Guerre
during the conflict.
After
the war Stokes went into business and eventually became chairman and
managing director of Ransomes and Rapier Limited.
A
Christian Socialist and a member of
the Labour Party, Stokes unsuccessfully
contested Glasgow Central in 1935. He entered the House
of Commons after being elected to represent Ipswich in February
1938.
In
1939 Stokes set up the Parliamentary Peace Aims Group to "urge
the Government, while still there might be some hope of a settlement
before war with all its horrors broke over Europe, to explore possibilities
for the calling of a Conference prior to a negotiated peace."
Other members included Neil
Maclean and Sydney
Silverman.
During
the Second World War Stokes was an opponent
of the bombing bombing urban areas
in Nazi Germany and was a supporter
of Vera Brittain and her Letters
to Peace Lovers. Stokes was particularly critical of the bombing
of Dresden in 13th February 1945.
Clement
Attlee appointed Stokes as Minister of Works (February 1950 -
April 1951) and Minister of Materials (July - October 1951). He was
also the Labour Party spokesman of Defence
(1955-56). Richard Stokes died on 3rd August 1957.
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