Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Sold by Order of the Recipient’s Son

The outstanding Second World War fighter ace’s D.S.O., D.F.C. and 2 Bars group of nine awarded to Group Captain M. M. “Mike” Stephens, Royal Air Force, who, having been twice decorated for downing nine enemy aircraft in little over a week during the Fall of France, added a Heinkel to his tally in the Battle of Britain, and many more in subsequent combats over Turkey, North Africa and Malta, a remarkable operational career that also witnessed his election to membership of the Caterpillar, Flying Boot and Goldfish Clubs: most notable of his victories was the Me. 109 which set his Hurricane ablaze and wounded him in both feet - as he was in the process of baling out the latter overshot his burning aircraft, so, as Nicolson, V.C., had done before him, he regained the cockpit and shot it down: he was awarded an immediate D.S.O.

Distinguished Service Order, G.VI.R., 1st issue, silver-gilt and enamel, the reverse of the suspension bar officially dated ‘1942’; Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., with Second and Third Award Bars, the reverse of the Cross officially dated ‘1940’, and the Bars ‘1940’ and ‘1942’; 1939-45 Star, clasp, Battle of Britain; Air Crew Europe Star; Africa Star, clasp, North Africa 1942-43; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Coronation 1953; Malta, 50th Anniversary Medal 1942-92, mounted court-style as worn, together with his Caterpillar Club membership badge, the reverse officially engraved, ‘S./Ldr. M. M. Stephens, D.S.O., D.F.C.’, with related membership card, and metalled Flying Boot Club membership badge, generally very fine and better (11) £40000-50000

In respect of gallantry awards won by aircrew in the 1939-45 War, just 15 men were awarded the combination of a D.S.O. and three D.F.Cs.

D.S.O. London Gazette 20 January 1942. The original recommendation for an immediate award states:

‘On 9 December 1941, this officer led a bombing and machine-gun attack on enemy mechanised transports in the Acroma area. Following the attack, Squadron Leader Stephens observed the fighter escort in combat with a force of enemy fighters, but, whilst attempting to participate in the engagement, his aircraft was severely damaged by an enemy fighter pilot whose cannon fire exploded the starboard petrol tank which, with the oil tank, burst into flames. The same burst of fire wounded Squadron Leader Stephens in both feet and blew out the starboard side of the aircraft’s cockpit. Squadron Leader Stephens then prepared to abandon aircraft but, when half-way out of the cockpit, he observed an enemy aircraft fly past him. He immediately regained his seat and shot down the enemy aircraft. Squadron Leader Stephens finally left his crippled aircraft by parachute and landed safely on the ground where he beat out the flames from his burning clothing. Although he had landed within 300 yards of the enemy’s lines, Squadron Leader Stephens succeeded in regaining our own territory within three quarters of an hour. Throughout, this officer displayed great courage and devotion to duty. Previously, Squadron Leader Stephens led his squadron on operations which were of the greatest value during the battle for Tobruk. His leadership and example proved an inspiration.’

D.F.C. London Gazette 31 May 1940. The original recommendation for an immediate award states:

‘This officer accounted for four enemy aircraft between 10 May and 13 May and led his Flight with courage and skill. I recommend him for the immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.’

Bar to D.F.C. London Gazette 31 May 1940. The original recommendation for an immediate award states:

‘Pilot Officer Stephens continued to lead his Flight against enemy formations much superior in number with such good leadership that he rarely lost any members of his formation. In addition he himself accounted for a further four enemy aircraft, making a total of eight victories to his credit. I recommend him for the immediate award of a Bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross.’

Second Bar to D.F.C. London Gazette 3 November 1942. The original recommendation for an immediate award states:

‘On 15 October 1942, whilst leading his squadron, he attacked enemy bombers head on and in spite of the presence of a large number of enemy fighters followed one bomber down to sea-level and chased it 20 miles out to sea before finally shooting it down in flames. He was then attacked by six enemy fighters but with great resolution fought his way back to base, destroying one of the Me. 109s during the engagement. In spite of his aircraft being badly shot up, he reached base and crash-landed.


He arrived in Malta on 29 September 1942 and first flew operationally on Spitfires on 8 October. His score to date during the present intense aerial fighting over Malta is five and a half destroyed, one probably and four damaged, two of these so severely that it is unlikely they returned to base. Squadron Leader Stephens arrived in Malta with a great reputation which he has upheld by his exemplary devotion to duty. On each occasion he has flown since the present battle began he has engaged in combat. He is an exceptional pilot and leader who has no hesitation in attacking the enemy whatever the odds may be. His courage and daring are an inspiration to his squadron and the other pilots in the Island.’

Maurice Michael “Mike” Stephens was born in Ranchi, India, in October 1919, the youngest son of an army officer, and was educated at the Xaverian Brothers colleges at Clapham and Mayfield, Sussex. Having then been employed by the Port of London Authority, he followed his two elder brothers, Richard and Jack, into the Royal Air Force on being accepted by R.A.F. Cranwell in 1938.

The Fall of France and the Battle of Britain

Graduating in December 1939, he was posted to No. 3 Squadron, a Hurricane unit, in which capacity he was sent out to France when Hitler launched his attack on the Low Countries in May 1940 - ‘Shortly after midday we were on our way to France. There were not enough maps for everyone; I, as the most junior member of the Squadron, was not one of the favoured few. We had therefore to content ourselves with following our leaders’.

In a period of frantic fighting over the next week or so, in which his squadron was sometimes scrambled several times a day, Stephens claimed a remarkable tally of nine confirmed victories - the whole without map, radar or fighter control.

The first of his victims, a Ju. 87 and a Do. 17, fell to his guns on the 12th, in a combat over Diest-Louvain:

‘Suddenly we spotted about 60 tiny black dots in the sky, flying west like a storm of midges. The next moment we were among them - Stukas with an escort of about 20 Me. 109s. I got one Ju. 87 lined up in my gunsight and opened fire from about 50 yards. After a short burst he blew up in an orange ball of flame, followed by a terrifying clatter as my Hurricane flew through the debris. Just then, from out of the cloud a few hundred yards away, emerged a Dornier 17. I gave him a short burst from short range, hitting his starboard engine which started smoking. I had the satisfaction of seeing the pilot belly-land the aircraft in a ploughed field.’

Stephens added another Ju. 87 to his score later in the day and, in quick succession during combats over Sedan on the 14th, a Ju. 87, an Me. 109 and an Henschel 126, but he was compelled to make a force-landing at Maubeuge after his Hurricane was damaged by return fire on the latter occasion.

He was then credited with confirmed Do. 17s on the 18th and 20th, in addition to damaging at least two other aircraft on the latter date, one of them another Henschel 126 - the Observer / Air Gunner, Leutnant von Reden was killed and his pilot, Leutnant Boehm, wounded, though he managed to crash-land his aircraft back to German territory.

Returning from his final sortie in France with six inches missing off one of his propeller blades - enough to shake the engine to pieces if he attempted to take-off again - he was told the Squadron had just 30 minutes to evacuate its airfield; so, too, by the Engineering Officer, that his Hurricane would have to be destroyed. But rather than retreat to the coast by motor transport, Stephens got his astounded ground crew to take six inches off the other blade before taking-off - just - and making a shaky flight back to an airfield in England.

He was awarded the D.F.C. and Bar, both awards being announced in the London Gazette on the same day.

In July, his Flight was posted north to the Shetlands, where it was used to form the nucleus for No. 232 Squadron, of which he became the first C.O., aged just 20 years and, by way of confirming he was keeping his eye in, he shared in the Squadron’s first victory over Scapa Flow on 23 August.

Turkey and North Africa

Having then volunteered to go overseas, he was embarked in the carrier Furious for Greece, but was diverted to North Africa where he briefly joined No. 274 Squadron before undertaking a sensitive mission to neutral Turkey, where he was charged with training up Turkish pilots, it being the intention of the British Government to enlist such support in view of German advances in Greece. He remained for eight months, and, piloting a Turkish Hurricane in civilian clothing, shot down a pair of Italian S-84 reconnaissance bombers which strayed over the border. Even though Stephens inspected the wreckage in each case, and sent home samples of ammunition in the diplomatic bag, he was never officially credited with the victories.

In November 1941, he returned to the Western Desert, where he took command of No. 80 Squadron, and was quickly back in action strafing enemy troops and armour in the Tobruk area, often in the face of heavy flak. Thus a sortie on 3 December, parallel to the Trich-Capuzzo track, when at the commencement of his dive, a flak shell burst in his starboard tank, ‘making quite a mess of it’ (see photograph).



A few days later, on the 9th, as cited in the recommendation for his immediate D.S.O., he was jumped by 109 and wounded, and displayed magnificent courage in delaying his departure from his blazing aircraft in order to shoot his adversary down - a fact verified by on looking Polish troops, who rescued him shortly after he reached the ground just 300 yards from the German front line, where he had to beat out the flames on his flying overalls: a little over a year earlier, at the height of the Battle of Britain, Flight Lieutenant E. R. B. Nicolson of No. 249 Squadron had been awarded the V.C. for an identical act of bravery - ‘By continuing to engage the enemy after he had been wounded and his aircraft set on fire, he displayed exceptional gallantry and disregard for his own life’ (the London Gazette of 15 November 1940 refers).

After recovering from his wounds at a hospital in Tobruk, Stephens was rested in Kenya, and was briefly attached to the U.S. 57th Pursuit Group in the Middle East in 1942, prior to volunteering for yet another operational tour, this time in Malta.

Malta

On arrival in early October 1942, he was appointed a supernumerary Squadron Leader in No. 249 Squadron, a Spitfire unit whose pilots included Flight Lieutenant G. F. “Screwball” Beurling, the much decorated Canadian ace and, within hours, he was embarked on a period of active service as hectic and perilous as his time in France in May 1940 - a period that would witness him claim another seven confirmed victories in little over a week.

Thus a probable Me. 109 and another damaged on the 10th; a confirmed Me. 109 and another shared on the 12th; a confirmed Ju. 88 and Mc. 202 on the 13th, with another damaged; a confirmed Re. 2001 on the 14th, with a brace of Ju. 88s damaged; a confirmed Ju. 88 and Me. 109 on the 15th, and another 109 damaged on the 18th, in between which, on the evening of the 13th, he had been appointed C.O. of No. 229 Squadron at Ta Kali.

But such achievements were won in the face of heavy position, Stephens once more gaining membership of a wartime club - the Goldfish Club - after being shot down off the island on the 12th. His Flying Log Book takes up the story:

‘Squirting 109 good and proper, got him smoking when a Spit (Stead) pulled up in front of me, so had to stop. Shot the port wing off another at 7,000, then later was bounced by a 109 who damaged my engine. Flew on a little way and then had to bale out. Trouble with dinghy, picked up after 3 hours. Moral - know your dinghy drill.’

In fairness to Stephens, his dinghy drill was complicated by the fact he was holding one of his hands out of the water to protect his watch, a recent gift from parents. He was eventually picked up by a seaplane tender and, as there was quite a swell, he was sick as a dog.

Stephens was equally lucky to survive events of the 15th, which ended with him flying low through the Grand Harbour barrage to undertake a crash-landing at Ta Kali:

‘Attacked Ju. 88s over Calafrana. Chiselled one from the formation and chased him north. Had to leave him when I was attacked by a 109, but then found another flying north, chased him and did a head-on to point blank range, and he dived into the sea. I was then attacked by 6 Me. 109s from both sides and had to fight my way home, turning into each attack as it developed. Shot down one 109 but then two others, which I’d hoped had been Spits coming out to help me, joined in, and the seven of them chased me to within ten miles of Grand Harbour. With R./T. u/s, I really thought I’d had it this time.’

Such events led Stephens to conclude that his Guardian angel was working overtime and, having also commanded the Hal Far Wing, he was able to note, in May 1943, ‘Home at last. Thank God!’ He was awarded his third D.F.C. and saw no further action, serving as a Chief Flying Instructor and, later still, as a Liaison Officer with the U.S.A.A.F. at Fort Worth.

Officially credited with 15 confirmed victories, to which should be added his brace of Italian bombers claimed over Turkey, it is widely accepted that Stephens, by way of encouragement, attributed numerous shared kills to his junior pilots, so much so that certain sources argue his true score might have been considerably higher - E. C. R. Baker’s The Fighter Aces of the R.A.F. credits him with 22 aircraft destroyed, as does Christopher Shores’ amalgamated table of top scorers in Aces High, a score that would place him in the top dozen highest scoring British pilots of the War. Be that as it may, his record of having destroyed so many enemy aircraft in such short periods of time in both France and Malta must surely be a unique attainment.

The post-war years

Stephens attended the R.A.F. Staff College after the War, served back in Turkey for three years, and then joined S.H.A.P.E. in Paris in early 1951. A spell with 2nd Tactical Air Force at Gutersloh followed in 1952-54, where he flew Meteors, so, too, at the R.A.F. Fling College Manby, but in April 1955, with his appointment to the Air Ministry with responsibility for fighter aircraft requirements, his flying career came to a close. Advanced to Group Captain, he was placed on the Retired List in October 1960, following another period at S.H.A.P.E.

Having then served as a representative for Roll Royce (Aero Engines Division) in Paris for many years, Stephens retired to the South of France. But in 1992, he returned to the U.K., where he much enjoyed his annual fishing forays to Scotland and elsewhere up until his death in September 2004, aged 84 years. According to his Daily Telegraph obituarist, he was ‘a great raconteur’ who ‘rarely dwelt on the difficult or sad times but would regale his friends with stories of the fun and exciting aspects of his remarkable career as a fighter pilot.’

to be sold with the following original documentation and artefacts:

(i) The recipient’s D.S.O. warrant, signed by the King and dated 20 January 1942, together with an old typescript of the citation.

(ii) His commission warrant for the rank of Pilot Officer, dated 23 December 1939.

(iii) His R.A.F. Pilot’s Flying Log Book, covering the period November 1941 to March 1955, with opening ink inscription, ‘Brought forward from previous log book: 482 operational sorties, 466 operational hours’, his first having been lost in transit in the Western Desert, and thereafter a wonderfully detailed and important record of operational flying over North Africa and Malta.

(iv) His Empire Central Flying School graduation certificate, dated 8 September 1943.

(v) An evocative array of wartime photographs (approximately 55 images), many laid down on album pages; and copied portrait by Sir William Rothenstein.

(vi) His embroidered R.A.F. Wings, together with a metalled No. 88 Squadron badge, embroidered No. 33 Squadron badge, and a gilt and enamelled Italian badge, a souvenir of the Desert War.

(vii) One of his wartime flying helmets, with oxygen mask.