Frederick Wilfred Scott Stokes

Who was Frederick Wilfred Scott Stokes?

Sir Frederick Wilfred Scott Stokes KBE 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. He was educated at St. Francis Xavier's College and the Catholic University College in Kensingston.

Following an apprenticeship with the Great Western Railway, he eventually became an assistant to Sir William Shelford working on the designs for bridges for the Hull and Barnsley Railway.

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. 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.