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~SOLD~STEPHENS Mike
Group Captain Mike Stephens
RAF DSO, DFC and two Bars,
Outstanding pilot who earned a DSO and three DFCs during the Fall of France, the Battle of Britain and the Siege of Malta, and while serving with the Desert Air Force. His official score of 15 enemy aircraft destroyed would probably have been doubled if it included his shared as well as his unreported kills.
Born: October 20, 1919 (Ranchi, India).
Died : September 23, 2004
When the Blitzkrieg erupted on the frontiers of Belgium and France on May 10, 1940, Mike Stephens was a pilot in No 3 Squadron, whose Hurricanes were rushed across the Channel to help the fighter squadrons covering the British Expeditionary Force against the overwhelming might of the Luftwaffe. In a two-week period of intense air fighting Stephens was engaged continuously as the British squadrons sought, to protect the retreating BEF, some pilots flying up to seven sorties in a single day. In little more than ten days, Stephens shot down nine enemy aircraft, including three Ju87 Stukas. Thus, by the time the squadron was withdrawn from France on May 25, owing to the overrunning of its bases, he was already an ace and had awarded two of the three DFCs he was awarded during the war.
During the Battle of Britain flying from Scotland he accounted for a Heinkel He111 over Scapa Flow in August 1940. He was sent to North Africa, ee flew with 274 Squadron covering the withdrawal from El Agheila early 1941. For some months, he flew patrols in a Hurricane squadron of the Turkish Air Force, accounting for two Italian SIAI S84 three-engined reconnaissance bombers in the process, kills which, not being ratified by an Allied authority, could not be added to his score.
In November 1941 Stephens returned to the Western Desert to take command of 80 Squadron of Hurricane fighter-bombers. On December 9, 1941, he found himself operating in both roles in a single sortie when, after attacking a vehicle convoy in the desert, he looked up to see a posse of Messerschmitt Me109s attacking his fighter cover in the skies overhead. Climbing to join in the mêlée, Stephens damaged an Me109 with a long burst, but was almost immediately attacked from astern and his Hurricane was set on fire. As his stricken aircraft slowed, the attacking Me109 overshot him, and in spite of the flames licking his cockpit, he stayed with his Hurricane long enough to dispatch it with another burst of his machineguns, before taking to his parachute. Wounded, though mercifully not badly burnt, Stephens reached friendly lines and was taken to hospital in Tobruk. For this feat he was awarded the DSO. After a period effectively recuperating he returned to the Middle East. For a short period in 1942 he was attached to the US 57th Pursuit Group, which had just arrived in the theatre with its Curtiss P40 fighters.
In October 1942 he volunteered for Malta, where he joined the 249 Squadron, under top-scoring Malta ace George “Screwball” Beurling). This famous fighter pilot was to be grateful to Stephens on October 12, 1942, when a pursuing Me109 was literally shot off his tail by Stephens, The Battle of France ace.
Two days later Stephens was given command of 229 Squadron, with which he had his last combat victories, shooting down a Ju88 bomber and an Me109 on October 18. He was almost killed himself that day, when he was hit by another Me109 and had to nurse his badly damaged Spitfire to a crash landing. This, and his other combat victories in that period, gained him his third DFC. He was an instructor for the balance of the war.
Photo is a 8 x 10 inches. Dedicated photo, pen has skipped,nice photo of a hard to obtain high scoring fighter ace
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