61 Facts About Alan Deere

Alan Deere was known for several near-death experiences over the course of the war.

Alan Deere participated in the subsequent Battle of Britain, during which he shot down several more enemy aircraft, and had his Spitfire destroyed from under him more than once.

Alan Deere's continued accomplishments earned him a bar to his DFC in September 1940.

Alan Deere was promoted to squadron leader, and commanded No 403 Squadron RCAF for several months in 1942.

Alan Deere led a fighter wing from Biggin Hill for six months in 1943, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his achievements.

Alan Deere remained in the RAF after the war, commanding several stations and training establishments.

Alan Deere wrote his autobiography, which was published in 1959.

Alan Deere left military service in 1967, having risen to the rank of air commodore, and continued to live in the United Kingdom.

Alan Christopher Deere was born in Westport, New Zealand, on 12 December 1917, the third of six children of Terrence Deere, a New Zealand Railways worker, and his wife, Teresa.

When Sir Charles Kingsford Smith visited Wanganui in his 1933 tour with the Southern Cross, he offered paid flights in his aircraft; Alan Deere was one who took up the offer and, from then on, became interested in learning how to fly.

Alan Deere passed the selection board, presided over by Wing Commander Ralph Cochrane, in April 1937 and sailed for England on the Rangitane in September.

Alan Deere had failed a medical check owing to high blood pressure, and had to undertake further tests that he passed, the previously high readings being put down to excitement at the prospect of flying.

Alan Deere was assigned to the section commanded by Flight Lieutenant Adolph 'Sailor' Malan, who arranged for him to have some flying time on a Gloster Gauntlet fighter.

Much of the squadron's training in peacetime involved formation flying and fighter tactics, but Alan Deere played rugby for Rosslyn Park, a South London club.

At the time, Alan Deere noted the need for improvement in how ground controllers directed the intercepting fighters as he found the volume of directions issued difficult to follow.

On one such patrol Alan Deere, directed by a controller, very nearly flew into a set of barrage balloons over Harwich and then ran into a perimeter fence when landing at a foggy Hornchurch.

Alan Deere was involved with the first, uneventful, patrol, and over the coming days flew several more such patrols, often two or three a day, across the English Channel to Dunkirk.

Alan Deere damaged a third Bf 109 but ran out of ammunition and, with Allen, had to return to England.

An attempt to attack the bombers was interrupted by the Bf 109s and during the resulting melee, Alan Deere shot down one of the fighters.

Alan Deere's aircraft was badly damaged during this action, part of a wing being shot away.

The next day, Alan Deere led the squadron, now down to eight serviceable aircraft, on its final dawn patrol before it was withdrawn for a rest.

Alan Deere hitched a ride on a British Army lorry to Dunkirk, and boarded a boat to Dover, then travelled via London to Hornchurch, where he had taken off some 19 hours earlier.

Alan Deere shot down one Bf 109 but collided with a second, flown by Oberfeldwebel Johann Illner of Jagdgeschwader 51.

Alan Deere spent the night at the nearby RAF airbase before returning to Hornchurch the next day.

Alan Deere pursued one Bf 109 and shot it down over the English Channel.

Alan Deere bailed out at low altitude and, as he exited the cockpit, struck the tailplane and injured his wrist.

Alan Deere had earlier scored hits on a pair of Bf 109s but, not being able to see either one crash, only claimed one probable.

Alan Deere later conceded that the "strain had almost reached breaking point".

Alan Deere's abandoned Spitfire crashed at Boreham, in Essex; its engine and other remnants were recovered in 1973.

All three aeroplanes of Alan Deere's section were destroyed and his Spitfire was blown on its back, trapping him.

Alan Deere only had two more days of operations before the squadron moved back to Catterick for yet another period of rest and recovery.

Alan Deere was an instructor, involved in practice flights with new pilots and bringing them up to speed with combat tactics.

Alan Deere was finally able to break free as the Spitfire approached the ground but his parachute, which had been damaged, failed to fully open.

Alan Deere landed in a pool of farm sewerage that broke much of his fall.

In January 1941 Alan Deere was promoted to acting squadron leader and tasked as an operations room controller at Catterick.

Alan Deere was able to wriggle free and make his way back to Ayr.

Alan Deere claimed two more Bf 109s as damaged between September and November 1941, and his rank of flight lieutenant was made permanent.

In January 1942, No 602 Squadron was taken over by Squadron Leader Brendan Finucane and Alan Deere was sent on a lecturing and public relations trip to America.

Alan Deere found that he had been assigned to a staff post in the Far East but preferred to remain in Europe.

Alan Deere arranged a meeting with the commander of No 11 Group, Air Vice-Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory, who gave him command of No 403 Squadron, of the Royal Canadian Air Force, instead.

Alan Deere quickly brought the squadron back to operational status, commencing with an uneventful sweep over the Belgian coastline on 5 May 1942.

Alan Deere used up all his ammunition but the hectic nature of the engagement meant that he was unable to observe whether any of his strikes were successful.

Alan Deere was only briefly in this role before he was sent to the RAF Staff College for a three-month course.

At Biggin Hill, Deere became reacquainted with Sailor Malan, who was the station's commander and had been helpful when Deere was first posted to No 54 Squadron in 1938.

Alan Deere was given a staff role at the headquarters of No 11 Group in March 1944.

Alan Deere acted in a co-ordination role, moving with ground forces and calling in air strikes on ground targets.

Alan Deere was credited with 22 victories, one of which was shared, 10 probables and 18 damaged.

In July 1945, Alan Deere took over leadership of the Polish P-51 Mustang wing based at Andrew's Field in Essex.

Alan Deere received a permanent commission, as a squadron leader, in the RAF on 1 September 1945, although he continued to retain his acting wartime rank of wing commander.

Alan Deere remained in the role for two years, which included a period of leave in New Zealand.

Alan Deere's acting rank of wing commander was made permanent on 1 July 1951, and at the end of the year he took up a post at Fighter Command's No 11 Group, at the headquarters of its northern sector at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, in North Yorkshire.

Alan Deere returned to his former wartime base at RAF North Weald in May 1952, becoming the station's commander.

Alan Deere kept his hand in on flight duties, flying Gloster Meteor jet fighters, including one on a demonstration flight to Hornchurch in 1953 for celebrations of the anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

In between his instructing duties at Bracknell, Alan Deere worked on his autobiography.

Alan Deere had been inspired to do so by his return to Hornchurch a few years previously, which had prompted memories of his wartime service there.

Alan Deere's teaching duties at Bracknell ended in late 1959 and, after a short period at Transport Command in a liaison capacity, Alan Deere was assigned to the Air Ministry as Director of Postings.

Alan Deere became the chairman of the RAF Rugby Committee, helping to select playing teams.

In March 1972, he participated in a This Is Your Life television programme in honour of Douglas Bader, the famous British fighter pilot who flew with false legs; Alan Deere recounted the story of how he flew as an escort to the aircraft delivering a replacement leg for Bader, who had been shot down and was a prisoner of war.

Alan Deere was cremated and his ashes were scattered over the River Thames from a Spitfire.

Alan Deere was survived by his wife Joan nee Fenton, whom he had married on 18 September 1945, and their two children.

Alan Deere's medals were acquired by the RAF Museum at Hendon, along with his original manuscript for Nine Lives.