Stan Wells, from Weston, Ontario, was born in 1911.

He enlisted in the RAFVR in the Middle East in early summer 1940.

On completion of flying training he was commissioned on 9 November, joining ‘K’ Flight in East Africa.

In February 1941 ‘K’ Flight was based at Mersa Taclai and equipped with Gloster Gladiators.

On the 26 February Wells had been patrolling over Kub-Kub, when army personnel on the ground drew his attention to two CR.32s, which were flying above him and oblivious to his attention. Climbing up below them, he attacked one and shot it down over Keren in full view of the troops on the ground.

‘K’ Flight became the nucleus of 250 Squadron when this unit was formed in May 1941. This unit served in the Western Desert.

At 17:30 on 30 June, 73 and 250 Squadrons were escorting a Tobruk convoy when twenty Ju87s, escorted by twelve G.50s, ten Bf109s and five Bf110s were spotted. The seven Tomahawks of 250 Squadron attacked the formation, Pilot Officer Caldwell destroying two Ju87s, and sharing a Bf110 with Sergeant Whittle, while Flight Lieutenant Martin claimed two G.50s and Pilot Officer Wells claimed a Bf110.
Two Bf110s of III/ZG 26 failed to return, Felwebel Walter Schöne and his passenger, Unteroffizier Karl Rohde, a war film cameraman, and Unteroffizier Friedrich Wiesböck and his gunner Gefreiter Otto, all being lost. 27-year-old Australian Pilot Officer J. F. S. Kent (RAAF no. 402124) was shot down and killed by Oberleutnant Ludwig Franzisket of 3./JG 27 north of Mars Lücceh while Sergeant T. G. Ryan’s aircraft was badly damaged, resulting in a forced landing.

On 26 August nine Tomahawks of 250 Squadron, on shipping patrol with 274 Squadron joined battle with a dozen Bf109s, eleven of which were spotted above by Pilot Officer Wells, who claimed two Bf109s shot down. A third was claimed by Sergeant M. S. Hards before he was hit by Feldwebel Günther Steinhausen of 1./JG 27 east of Gambut. Hards force-landed one the Mersa Matruh – Sidi Barrani road, wounded in the leg.

In the afternoon on 27 September ten Tomahawks of 250 Squadron, together with 3 RAAF Squadron, took off to escort nine Marylands of 21 SAAF Squadron to Bardia. Fifteen miles south of Buq Buq Bf109s attacked and Pilot Officer Wells was shot and killed by Oberleutant Karl-Wolfgang Redlich of 1./JG 27 at 17:50 south-west of Sidi Barrani (claim no. 24). One Maryland was shot down, the pilot of another, Major Britz, claiming to have shot down the fighter responsible with his front guns, while his rear gunner, Sergeant Petterson, hit another, which spun, trailing heavy smoke. Pilot Officer Caldwell and Sergeant Humphries of 250 Squadron each claimed a Bf109, the pilot of Humphries’ victim being seen to bale out. Leutnant Friedrich Hoffmann and Oberfähnrich Karl Kugelbauer each claimed to have destroyed a Maryland south-east of Bardia.

At the time of his death Wells was credited with 1 biplane victory and a total of 4.

Claims:

Kill no.	Date	Number	Type	Result	Plane type	Serial no.	Locality	Unit
	1941
1	26/02/41	1	CR.32	Destroyed	Gladiator	N5815	Keren	’K’ Flight
2	30/06/41	1	Bf110 (a)	Destroyed	Tomahawk IIb	AK349	50m NE Tobruk	250 Squadron
3	26/08/41	1	Bf109 (b)	Destroyed	Tomahawk IIb	AK416	5m N Sidi Barrani	250 Squadron
4	26/08/41	1	Bf109 (b)	Destroyed	Tomahawk IIb	AK416	5m N Sidi Barrani	250 Squadron

Biplane victories: 1 destroyed.
TOTAL: 4 destroyed.
(a) 250 Squadron claimed two Bf110s of III/ZG 26, which lost two aircraft; Felwebel Walter Schöne and his passenger, Unteroffizier Karl Rohde, a war film cameraman, and Unteroffizier Friedrich Wiesböck and his gunner Gefreiter Otto, all being lost.
(b) Claimed in combat with Bf109s from JG 27.

Sources:
Dust Clouds in the Middle East - Christopher Shores, 1996 Grub Street, London, ISBN 1-898697-37-X
Fighters over the Desert - Christopher Shores and Hans Ring, 1969 Neville Spearman Limited, London
Gloster Gladiator Home Page - Alexander Crawford.
Luftwaffe Claims Lists - Tony Wood
Those Other Eagles – Christopher Shores, 2004 Grub Street, London, ISBN 1-904010-88-1