Eric John Stephens
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
| name =Eric John Stephens
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = 13 September 1895
| death_date = 25 January 1967
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial =
| birth_place =Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
| death_place =Lae, Papua, New Guinea
| placeofburial_coordinates =
| nickname =
| allegiance =Australia
| branch =Aviation
| serviceyears =
| rank =Captain
| unit =No. 41 Squadron RAF
| commands =
| battles =
| awards =Distinguished Flying Cross
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}
Captain Eric John Stephens (1895-1967) 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.
Early life
Eric John Stephens was born in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia on 13 September 1895.The Aerodrome website, http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/australi/stephens.php Retrieved 9 November 2017. 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.Attestation at http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/australi/attestation/stephens.php Retrieved on 31 September 2010.
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.
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.{{cite book |title= Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920|page= 351 }}
Aerial victory list
{{See also|Aerial victory standards of World War I}}
| class="wikitable" |
| No.
!Date/time !Foe !Result !Location !Notes |
|---|
| align="center"| 1
| align="center"| 28 June 1918 @ 1050 hours | align="center"| Rumpler reconnaissance craft | align="center"| Destroyed | align="center"| Belloy-en-Santerre | align="center"| Victory shared with Frederick McCall |
| align="center"| 2
| align="center"| 30 June 1918 @ 0815 hours | align="center"| Pfalz D.III fighter | align="center"| Driven down out of control | align="center"| Bray-Peronne | align="center"| |
| align="center"| 3
| align="center"| 3 July 1918 @ 1915 hours | align="center"| Pfalz D.III | align="center"| Driven down out of control | align="center"| East of Lamotte | align="center"| |
| align="center"| 4
| align="center"| 29 August 1918 @ 0850 hours | align="center"| Fokker D.VII fighter | align="center"| Driven down out of control | align="center"| South of Armentieres | align="center"| |
| align="center"| 5
| align="center"| 29 August 1918 @ 0930 hours | align="center"| Fokker D.VII | align="center"| Destroyed | align="center"| East of Comines | align="center"| |
| align="center"| 6
| align="center"| 3 September 1918 @ 1845 hours | align="center"| Fokker D.VII | align="center"| Driven down out of control | align="center"| South of Vitry | align="center"| |
| align="center"| 7
| align="center"| 29 September 1918 @ 1145 hours | align="center"| Fokker D.VII | align="center"| Destroyed | align="center"| Northeast of Roulers | align="center"| |
| align="center"| 8
| align="center"| 1 October 1918 @ 1110 hours | align="center"| Fokker D.VII | align="center"| Driven down out of control | align="center"| Southwest of Roulers | align="center"| |
| align="center"| 9
| align="center"| 1 October 1918 @ 1510 hours | align="center"| Fokker D.VII | align="center"| Driven down out of control | align="center"| Southeast of Armentieres | align="center"| |
| align="center"| 10
| align="center"| 8 October 1918 @ 1233 hours | align="center"| DFW reconnaissance craft | align="center"| Destroyed | align="center"| Ledgehem | align="center"| |
| align="center"| 11
| align="center"| 14 October 1918 @ 0855 hours | align="center"| Fokker D.VII | align="center"| Driven down out of control | align="center"| West of Roulers | align="center"| |
| align="center"| 12
| align="center"| 28 October 1918 @ 1530 hours | align="center"| Fokker D.VII | align="center"| Destroyed | align="center"| West of Audenaarde | align="center"| |
| align="center"| 13
| align="center"| 1 November 1918 @ 1520 hours | align="center"| Fokker D.VII | align="center"| Driven down out of control | align="center"| East of Tournai | align="center"| |
Post World War I
Stephens earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, which was gazetted to him on 3 June 1919.{{London Gazette |issue=31378 |date=3 June 1919 |pages=7031–7032 |supp=y}} He was transferred to the RAF's unemployed list on 16 August 1919.{{London Gazette |issue=31891 |date=7 May 1920 |page=5251}} He went on to fly for Qantas in the 1930s.
Endnotes
{{reflist}}
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}}.
{{wwi-air}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephens, Eric John}}