Eric John Stephens

Captain Eric John Stephens was an Australian flying ace who served in the Royal Air Force. He was credited with 13 confirmed aerial victories. He later became a Qantas pilot.

Eric John Stephens
Born13 September 1895
Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Died25 January 1967
Lae, Papua, New Guinea
AllegianceAustralia
Service/branchAviation
RankCaptain
UnitNo. 41 Squadron RAF
AwardsDistinguished Flying Cross

Early life

Eric John Stephens was born in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia on 13 September 1895.[1] When Eric John Stephens joined the Australian Imperial Force on 19 July 1915, he named his father, John Thomas Stephens, as next of kin. The younger Stephens was a college student and was in the militia when he joined.[2]

He landed at Marseilles, France in June 1916. He served on both the Northern Front and the Somme River, being commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the process.[1]

Flying service

Stephens' was commissioned in the RFC on 13 April 1917. He became a pilot on 30 June. He was retained as a flying instructor until his transfer to No. 41 Squadron RFC on 16 March 1918. Using a Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a, he shot down a Rumpler on 28 June for his first victory; he shared it with Frederick McCall. Stephens would accumulate 12 more wins after this, all solo, and most over enemy fighters, with the final one falling on 1 November 1918. By war's end, he was a Flight Commander, had destroyed five enemy airplanes, and driven down eight more out of control.[3]

Aerial victory list
See also: Aerial victory standards of World War I
No. Date/time Foe Result Location Notes
1 28 June 1918 @ 1050 hours Rumpler reconnaissance craft Destroyed Belloy-en-Santerre Victory shared with Frederick McCall
2 30 June 1918 @ 0815 hours Pfalz D.III fighter Driven down out of control Bray-Peronne
3 3 July 1918 @ 1915 hours Pfalz D.III Driven down out of control East of Lamotte
4 29 August 1918 @ 0850 hours Fokker D.VII fighter Driven down out of control South of Armentieres
5 29 August 1918 @ 0930 hours Fokker D.VII Destroyed East of Comines
6 3 September 1918 @ 1845 hours Fokker D.VII Driven down out of control South of Vitry
7 29 September 1918 @ 1145 hours Fokker D.VII Destroyed Northeast of Roulers
8 1 October 1918 @ 1110 hours Fokker D.VII Driven down out of control Southwest of Roulers
9 1 October 1918 @ 1510 hours Fokker D.VII Driven down out of control Southeast of Armentieres
10 8 October 1918 @ 1233 hours DFW reconnaissance craft Destroyed Ledgehem
11 14 October 1918 @ 0855 hours Fokker D.VII Driven down out of control West of Roulers
12 28 October 1918 @ 1530 hours Fokker D.VII Destroyed West of Audenaarde
13 1 November 1918 @ 1520 hours Fokker D.VII Driven down out of control East of Tournai

Post World War I

Stephens earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, which was gazetted to him on 3 June 1919.[4] He was transferred to the RAF's unemployed list on 16 August 1919.[5] He went on to fly for Qantas in the 1930s.[3]

Endnotes
  1. The Aerodrome website, http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/australi/stephens.php Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  2. Attestation at http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/australi/attestation/stephens.php Retrieved on 31 September 2010.
  3. Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920. p. 351.
  4. "No. 31378". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 June 1919. pp. 7031–7032.
  5. "No. 31891". The London Gazette. 7 May 1920. p. 5251.

References
  • Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920. Christopher F. Shores, Norman L. R. Franks, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1990. ISBN 0-948817-19-4, ISBN 978-0-948817-19-9.
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