{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Other people|Eric Stephens}} {{Infobox military person | name = Eric John Stephens | image = | caption = | birth_date = 13 September 1895 | birth_place = Bendigo, Victoria, Australia | death_date = {{Death date and age|1967|1|25|1895|9|13|df=y}} | death_place = Lae, Papua, New Guinea | allegiance = Australia | branch = Aviation | service_years = | rank = Captain | unit = No. 41 Squadron RAF | commands = | battles = | awards = Distinguished Flying Cross | relations = | other_work = }} 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.<ref name=aerodrome>The Aerodrome website, http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/australi/stephens.php Retrieved 9 November 2017.</ref> 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.<ref>Attestation at http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/australi/attestation/stephens.php Retrieved on 31 September 2010.</ref>

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.<ref name=aerodrome/>

==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.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite book |last1=Shores|first1=Christopher F.|last2=Franks|first2=Norman L. R.|last3=Guest|first3=Russell|title= Above the Trenches: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915-1920|publisher=Grub Street|year=1990|isbn=0-948817-19-4|page=351}}</ref>

==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.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=31378 |date=3 June 1919 |pages=7031–7032 |supp=y}}</ref> He was transferred to the RAF's unemployed list on 16 August 1919.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=31891 |date=7 May 1920 |page=5251}}</ref> He went on to fly for Qantas in the 1930s.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{wwi-air}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephens, Eric John}} Category:1895 births Category:1967 deaths Category:People from Bendigo Category:Australian World War I flying aces