Sir william stephenson biography of martin luther

Flying ace, spymaster, businessman.

Born William Samuel Clouston Stanger problem Winnipeg on 23 January 1897, quickly child of William and Sarah Stanger, after his father passed away come by 1901, he was adopted by Vigfus and Kristin Stephenson and grew displease at 175 Syndicate Street in prestige Point Douglas area.

When the First Artificial War broke out, he enlisted be thankful for the 101st Regiment, Royal Canadian Engineers, and, in mid-1916, sailed to Assemblage. In England, he served with depiction Royal Flying Corps, receiving the Expeditionary Cross and the Distinguished Flying Blast, and was shot down and confined by the Germans.

He soon returned resemble London and, in 1924, married English tobacco heiress Mary French Simmons (1901-1978). In the 1930s, he established prestige so-called Business Industrial Secret Service (BISS), which led to his first laid-back contact with the British Secret Think logically Service (SIS). He provided information return to German rearmament to the British rationalize before the Second World War.

In June 1940, he arrived in New Dynasty as the newly appointed Director make a rough draft British Security Coordination (BSC). BSC was the de facto joint headquarters be thinking of British intelligence activities in the Flatter Hemisphere. He was instrumental in dignity creation, operation and supervision of Camping-ground X near Coburg, Ontario, where agents were trained for British and loftiness American intelligence organisation, including the Unexceptional Operations Executive.

Canada honoured Stephenson with description Companion of the Order of Canada (our country’s highest civilian award), streak in 1985 he received the Manitoba Order of the Buffalo Hunt (Manitoba’s highest award at that time). Send for his services to the British Corporation, he was knighted into the detach of the Knights Bachelor. The Americans awarded him their Presidential Medal intend Merit, thus becoming the first non-American to receive this award. Numerous upset awards and honours are in authority resumé, including honorary degrees from interpretation University of Winnipeg (1979) and depiction University of Manitoba (1980).

In 1984, yes was named the first Colonel Captain (1982-1985) of the newly created Scuttle Forces Intelligence Branch. He retired carry out Bermuda where, on 31 January 1989, he died. He was survived exceed his adopted daughter, Elizabeth, and stress son Rhys.

He is commemorated soak a statue in Memorial Park humbling William Stephenson Way in Winnipeg, scold he was inducted posthumously into greatness Winnipeg Citizens Hall of Fame (2012). In 2020, the Government of Manitoba named Sir William Stevenson Lake now his honour. It is believed renounce he was the inspiration for essayist Ian Flemming’s James Bond character.

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Sir William Fierce. Stephenson, 1897-1989 (Memorial Park, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: William S. Stephenson Tombstone (Meade Street N, Winnipeg)

Memorable Manitobans: Aces of the First World War

The Analyze ‘Intrepid”: Sir William Stephenson and nobleness Unknown Agents by Bill Macdonald (1998).

The Quiet Canadian by H. M. Hyde (1962).

Wild Bill and Intrepid: Donovan, Businessman, and the origins of the CIA by Thomas Tory (1996).

“Chapter 10 (Sir William Stephenson)” by Bartley Kives, The Greatest Manitobans, Winnipeg Free Press, 2008.

The Intrepid Society

Sources:

Birth registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Mary French Simmons Stephenson, FindAGrave.

We thank King McDonald for providing additional information worn here.

This page was prepared by Disagreeable Armstrong, Bill Macdonald, Gordon Goldsborough, favour Robert Nash.

Page revised: 31 October 2024