text: A teddy bear mascot owned by a celebrated Battle of Britain fighter pilot who carried it in his Spitfire cockpit has gone on sale for £10,000. Flight Lieutenant Stephen Beaumont took his cherished bear with him on every Spitfire and Defiant flight he took to defend Britain from the aerial onslaught from Hitler's Luftwaffe. The pilot gave his teddy, named Beaumont Bear, a RAF tie and printed the Royal crest, the letters AM for Air Ministry and his nickname 'Bea' on his chest. Flight Lieutenant Stephen Beaumont took his treasured teddy bear mascot on every flight, pictured together in the cockpit of a Boulton Paul Defiant . Fl Lt Beaumont was one of just seven of the 24 pilots in his squadron who survived the 1940 Second World War battle and believed his beloved teddy bear brought him luck. He was known as one of 'The Few', which comes from Winston Churchill's famous phrase: 'Never, in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few.' When Fl Lt Beaumont died aged 87 in 1997, his bear - suffering from a little wear and tear - was passed to his family. It is now being tipped to sell for an estimated £10,000 when it goes under the hammer at Bonhams auctioneers on behalf of a private collector. The teddy, named Beaumont Bear (left), is expected to sell for £10,000 when it goes under the hammer at Bonhams. Fl Lt Beaumont's uniform (right) is also up for sale for £2,000 . Tom Lamb, a specialist in military history at Bonhams, said: 'The life of an RAF pilot in the Summer of 1940 was marked by great physical danger and mental strain. 'Of the 3,000 airmen who served in this period, over one sixth were killed in combat. 'Teddy bears became popular mascots and helped to bolster the resolve of men engaged in a conflict where survival seemed a matter of luck as much as of skill. 'This particular bear called Beaumont Bear once belonged to Flight Lieutenant Stephen Beaumont, a 30-year old Spitfire pilot in the Battle of Britain. 'He flew numerous sorties with the bear in his cockpit. 'Flight Lieutenant Beaumont survived the war and died at the age of 87. His bear has lived on and if it could speak it surely would have some amazing stories of dog fights, sorties and close shaves. 'If it were just a normal bear it would be almost worthless but this one could go . Fl Lt Beaumont was aged 30 when his Squadron Commander, 26-year-old George Darley, removed him from combat duties midway through the Battle of Britain because of his 'advancing age'. Beaumont, a solicitor before the war, was furious at the time. The Battle of Britain was the German air force's attempt to gain air superiority over the RAF, pictured is a German Messerschmitt 109 shot down in raids over Ramsgate . He became an instructor, teaching young pilots the skills they would need to fly Spitfires and Hurricanes in dogfights against the Luftwaffe. He quickly rose through the ranks to the Wing Commander before helping plan the aerial assault aspect of the D-Day invasions. In 1945 he Beaumont was honoured for his outstanding contribution to the war effort by being made an OBE. Mr Lamb said: 'The teddy bear followed Beaumont in his new duties as an instructor and flight commander at an Operational Training Unit. 'There he distinguished himself in training Hurricane and Spitfire pilots, before eventually assisting in the preparations for D-Day in the role of Deputy Air Officer Administration.' After the war Fl Lt Beaumont, who was a solicitor before the war and was educated at Oxford University, returned to his home town of Wakefielfd, West Yorks, and took a string of administrative roles including becoming the city's deputy coroner. In 1967 he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for the West Riding of Yorkshire, and in 1979 High Sheriff of West Yorkshire. He retired to Devizes, Wilts. His teddy is being auctioned on April 29 in New York. Fl Lt Beaumont's uniform is also up for sale, for £2,000. The Battle of Britain was one of the turning points of the Second World War and prevented Germany from invading Britain . The Battle of Britain was the German air force's attempt to gain air superiority over the RAF from July to September 1940. It was one of the turning points of the Second World War and prevented Germany from invading Britain. The battle began in mid-July with Luftwaffe concentrating on attacking shipping in the English Channel and attacking coastal towns and defences. From 12 August, Hermann Goering, one of the leaders of the Nazi regime, shifted his focus to the destruction of the RAF, attacking airfields and radar bases. (Pictured above, RAF scrambling to their planes in 1940.) Convinced that Fighter Command was now close to defeat, he also tried to force air battles between fighter planes to break British strength. However, Goering grew frustrated by the large number of British planes that were still fighting off his attacks. Luftwaffe switched tactics again and, on Hitler's orders, set about destroying London and other major cities. Eleven days later, on what became 'Battle of Britain Day', the RAF decimated the huge incoming Luftwaffe formations in the skies above London and the south coast.
target: Flight Lieutenant Stephen Beaumont took cherished bear on every flight .
  Treasured mascot was by his side when he flew in Battle of Britain in 1940 .
  He was named Beaumont Bear and has RAF tie and Royal crest on chest .
  Teddy expected to sell for £10,000 when it goes under hammer at Bonhams .