Eric John Stephens

Captain Eric John Stephens (13 September 1895 – 25 January 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. 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.

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

Aerial victory list

No.Date/timeFoeResultLocationNotes 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. He was transferred to the RAF's unemployed list on 16 August 1919. He went on to fly for Qantas in the 1930s.