Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria. To coincide with the OMRS Convention

A rare Second World War pilot’s D.F.C., post-war A.F.C. group of ten awarded to Squadron Leader A. D. G. Stephenson, Royal Air Force

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated 1945; Air Force Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated 1948; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals; General Service 1918-62, E.II.R., 1 clasp, Malaya (Flt. Lt., R.A.F.); Coronation 1953; Nigeria Independence 1960, mounted court-style as worn, together with Czech Flying Badge, by Spink & Son Ltd., silver, silver-gilt, the Coronation Medal a tailor’s copy, generally good very fine (11) £1800-2200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Awards to the Royal Air Force from the estate of the late Eric Campion.

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D.F.C. London Gazette 6 November 1945. The recommendation states:

‘This Officer has a fine offensive spirit, and has at all times shown the greatest keenness to take part in the most hazardous of operations against the enemy. The operations in which he has taken part include both day and night sorties against the most distant and heavily defended targets in Germany, including Dessau, Nuremburg and Kassel. During a night attack on Nuremburg, his Lancaster was attacked five times by enemy fighters, but by skilled evasive action he brought his aircraft home undamaged. On another occasion, this Officer showed a very high standard of airmanship, when, during a night operation, due to engine failure, he was forced to land away from base, in bad visibility on his two outward motors only. As Flight Commander, Squadron Leader Stephenson has at all times shown a great enthusiasm for his work which he has carried out with outstanding ability and competence. His magnificent example of courage and fortitude have been an example and inspiration to the whole Squadron.’

A.F.C. London Gazette 1 January 1948. The recommendation states:

‘Squadron Leader Stephenson has completed 2, 242 hours of accident free flying. He has been in command of No. 4 Ferry Pool since its inception in November 1945. He has twice been faced with situations demanding calmness, clarity of thought and level-headedness while in the air. On both occasions he has shown himself to be quite outstanding as a pilot. On one occasion, on 10 December 1945, he was faced with complete engine failure on take-off of an Anson with nine passengers. The aircraft was landed successfully. On another occasion, on 5 April 1946, while flying a Lancaster, Squadron Leader Stephenson experienced under-carriage failure, but by demonstrating that he possessed the greatest skill in flying, he managed to land the aircraft without damage. At all times, by his continued cheerfulness and power of example, he has shown himself to be quite outstanding as a pilot and a leader. He is capable of flying all types of aircraft, including Vampires, and this great skill which he now possesses, he has gained only by constant application and study.’

Anthony Derek George Stephenson, who was born in April 1918 and was from Hannam Court, Leicester, was commissioned in the Royal Air Force as a Pilot Officer in the course of 1938. The outbreak of hostilities found him serving at Abu Sueir in the Middle East and in the Summer of 1940 he was transferred to No. 244 Squadron, a reconnaissance unit operating in Vincent aircraft out of Shaibah. Here he remained employed until August 1941, other than brief attendance at a course in Habbaniya, and, according to one wartime newspaper cutting, was once ‘reported missing for eleven days, walking “home” across the desert after his plane had been brought down.’ This incident occurred in June 1941, one crew member succumbing to the elements before rescue arrived in the form of some Arabs, who guided them to Kuwait.

Returning to the U.K. at the end of 1941, following a month or two at H.Q. Middle East, Cairo, Stephenson appears to have been employed as an Instructor at assorted units until August 1943, when he took up an appointment with Air Ministry (Special Duties) Intelligence. This latter posting led to him being awarded the Czech Flying Badge in October 1942, for services to Czech personnel in the R.A.F.V.R., and to him serving as a Test Pilot on ‘Special Duties’ out in Portugal until September 1944, following which he once more returned to the U.K. to attend No. 10 O.T.U. at Abingdon.

Then in March 1945, as an Acting Squadron Leader, he joined No. 100 Squadron, a Lancaster unit operating out of Waltham, Lincolnshire (and afterwards Elsham Wolds), as a Flight Commander. Commencing his operational tour in the same month with an outing to Dessau on the night of the 7th-8th, Stephenson went on to attack Essen, Nuremburg and Bruchstrasse over the next two weeks, the last two targets being defended by intense heavy flak and marauding night fighters. Over Nuremburg on the night of 16th-17th, as verified in his D.F.C. recommendation, Stephenson’s Lancaster was attacked on five occasions and, a few nights later, over Bruchstrasse, twice more. The month’s operational agenda was completed with a sortie against Paderbourne on the night of the 27th-28th.

April witnessed Stephenson flying his Lancaster on sorties to Heligoland Bight and Bremen and, on the 29th, to a supply drop zone near the Hague, where ‘it was a wonderful sight to see the Dutch waving and cheering at us.’ Two further mercy missions - both to Rotterdam - were completed before the end of hostilties in May.

In November 1945, the same month in which he was gazetted for his D.F.C., Stephenson assumed command of No. 4 Ferry Pool at Hawarden, an appointment that witnessed at least two potentially fatal flying incidents, as outlined in the recommendation for his A.F.C. His final stint of active service was spent out in Malaya, at R.A.F. Butterworth, between 1955-57, prior to his retirement in January 1958.

Sold with the recipient’s original Flying Log Books (3), the whole bound into one volume, covering the periods January 1942 to May 1945, June 1945 to June 1956 and July 1956 to August 1962 - his first book is believed to have been lost out in the Middle East; several interesting inserts, including two target photographs.