Air Commodore Stephenson was an RMC Graduate and had flown with the RCAF in WW2 and as a 432 Squadron Wing Commander, Stephenson was shot down 1945-01-05 in Halifax VII aircraft NP 817 QO-D and became a Prisoner of War. He was freed in March 1945 and continued to serve in the RCAF, rising to the rank of Air Commodore until he lost his life in this accident
Air Commodore John Gay Stephenson is commemorated on Page 108 of the 'In the Service of Canada' Book of Remembrance
Air Commodore John Gay Stephenson - National...
12 RCAF Air Transport Command (Falcon) Squadron, Uplands, Ottawa. B-25 Mitchell III aircraft 5220 had just taken off from Milwaukee airport with an intended destination of Truax Field Air National Guard Base at the Dane County Regional Airport near Madison, Wisconsin. However, with one engine out of control and with a over-speeding propeller, the Mitchell was forced to turn back. Tragically, it crashed into the Milwaukee Harbour of Lake Michigan, 1 mile off shore, three miles short of the runway at Billy Michell Field, Milwaukee. All six crew members on board the aircraft perished in the accident
Air Commodore JG Stephenson OBE AFC CD (RCAF), Wing Commander GW Kusair DFC CD (RCAF), Flyong Officer RP Howard (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant DE Dyck (RCAF), Sergeant LUJ Bisson (RCAF) and Leading Aircraftman NA Porteus (RCAF) were all killed in the crash