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Wing Commander Alan Christopher 'Al' Deere
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DescriptionPortrait of Wing Commander Alan Christopher 'Al' Deere, RAF, July 1944.
Photograph taken at the Air Ministry Studios, London.
IWM - CH13619
Colorized by Daniel Rarity
Wikipedia:
Deere was born in Auckland, the third son of Terrence (known as Joe) and Teresa (née Curtin) Deere, while his father was employed in the Post Office. The family returned soon after Alan's birth to the family's home town of Westport, where Joe took up a position with the New Zealand Railways.[1]
Deere attended St Canices School in Westport before the family moved to Wanganui where the family established a home at 43 Plymouth Street, which allowed Deere to grow up in a semi-rural environment while he attended Marist Brothers' School and Wanganui Technical College. At the age of eight he saw an aircraft fly overhead and sprinted to see it land on a nearby beach. The pilot allowed him to sit in the cockpit and Deere determined to become a pilot.
After a school career dominated by success in sports, representing his school in rugby, cricket and boxing, Deere spent two years as a law clerk. Encouraged by his family doctor to follow his chosen career, Deere persuaded his mother to sign the under 21 application for entry into the Royal Air Force. He passed selection under Wing Commander Ralph Cochrane in April 1937 and sailed for England on the Rangitane in September, but was admitted to hospital with high blood pressure.
Deere was temporarily posted to No. 74 Squadron on 20 August, before joining No. 54 Squadron in September where he was joined by Colin Gray, who was to become New Zealand's top scoring pilot of World War II. Both squadrons operated Gloster Gladiators, the RAF's last biplane fighter.
On 23 May 1940, during the closing phases of the Battle of France, Deere and Pilot Officer J. Allen flew Spitfires escorting Flight Lieutenant James Leathart across the channel in a Miles Magister to rescue No. 74 Squadron's commanding officer, who had made a forced landing. In sight of Leathart and White, Deere claimed his first combat victories, shooting down two Bf 109s. Later the same day he shot down a third Bf 109. On 24 May he added a Bf 110 over Dunkirk and on the 26th claimed two more in the same area.
On 28 May Deere was shot down by a Dornier Do 17 he was attacking near Dunkirk. He was knocked unconscious when making a forced landing on a Belgian beach. Rescued by a soldier, Deere made his way on foot to Oost-Dunkerke where his head injuries were dressed. He hitched a ride on a British Army lorry to Dunkirk, and (after receiving some criticism from soldiers about the effectiveness of the RAF's fighter cover), boarded a boat to Dover from where he took a train back to London, 19 hours after taking off from RAF Hornchurch with his squadron.
Deere being presented with his DFC by King George VI, 27 June 1940
Together with Leathart and Allen, Deere was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 12 June 1940. The medal was presented at Hornchurch by King George VI on 27 June.
On 28 July Deere was promoted to the rank of flying officer.[5] After Adlertag (Eagle Day) on 11 August he shot down a Bf 109, two more plus a Bf 110 the next day, and on the 15th added another Bf 109 over the Channel. However he was then trapped in an unequal dogfight with Bf 109s which attempted to block his return to England. Deere made the coast but was forced to bail out at low altitude, and was admitted to Victoria Hospital with minor injuries. He discharged himself the following day. Deere was shot down again on 28 August - this time by a Spitfire - but parachuted to safety. A frustrating combat on the 30th saw him claim a probable Do 17.
The following day the Luftwaffe raided Hornchurch. Deere led a section of three Spitfires which attempted to take off during the raid. A bomb destroyed all three aircraft. Deere's Spitfire was blown on its back, trapping him. Pilot Officer Eric Edsall, though badly injured when his own Spitfire had been destroyed, crawled to Deere's aircraft and freed him. Seeing Edsall's injuries, Deere then carried his rescuer to the sick bay.
While training new replacement pilots in January 1941, Deere collided with one of them, losing most of his tail to the Sergeant Pilot's propellor. When bailing out, Deere was trapped against part of his aircraft, and his damaged parachute failed to fully open. Deere landed in an area of open sewerage which broke much of his fall. As a result of this incident he was rested from active flying, but granted the acting rank of squadron leader and tasked as Operations Room Controller at Catterick. An unusual honour was having his portrait painted by official war artist Cuthbert Orde that February.
On 7 May 1941 he was posted to RAF Ayr as a flight commander in No. 602 Squadron. On 5 June he suffered engine failure over the North Sea and glided back to another forced landing on the coast, crawling out the small side door after the Spitfire flipped on to its back, destroying the canopy and temporarily trapping him. At the end of July he took over as Officer Commanding No. 602 Squadron, and on 1 August it moved back to RAF Kenley. On the same day he shot down another Bf 109.
He was promoted to the war substantive rank of flight lieutenant on 28 July 1941,[7] and to the permanent rank on 28 October 1941.[8]
In January 1942 he was sent on a lecturing and public relations trip to America teaching American pilots fighter tactics learnt in the Battle of Britain.
Deere returned to action on 1 May, taking command of a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron, No. 403 Squadron, at RAF North Weald. In August he went on a course at RAF Staff College and was subsequently posted to Headquarters No. 13 Group on staff duties.
He engineered a return to operations, somewhat unofficially, as a supernumerary with No. 611 Squadron at RAF Biggin Hill. He shot down an Fw 190 soon after, but wrote of his great respect for the type and its pilots.
He was given command of the Kenley fighter wing, but this was changed at the last minute to keep him as wing leader at Biggin Hill. While there, Deere was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.
On 15 September 1943 he went to RAF Sutton Bridge to command the Fighter Wing of the Central Gunnery School. On 14 January 1944 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by the United States.[11] He received a staff job in March 1944 at No. 11 Group but at the request of General Valin, abandoned this to take command of the Free French fighter wing, leading it over the beaches on D-Day, and subsequently in its pilots' return to France. When the fighter wing moved further into Europe, he was posted to HQ 84 Group Control Centre as Wing Commander Plans until July 1945 when he became Station Commander at Biggin Hill. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire on 1 June 1945.
At the end of the war Deere was given command of the Polish P-51 Mustang Wing at RAF Andrews Field, Essex, presiding over its disbandment in October, before becoming Commanding Officer at RAF Duxford. Deere received a permanent commission as a squadron leader on 1 September 1945.[13] In 1947 he was on the staff of AHQ Malta, subsequently joining the headquarters of No. 61 Group before becoming Operations Officer, North-Eastern Sector, RAF Linton-on-Ouse.
Deere was promoted to wing commander on 1 July 1951,[14] and became Commanding Officer of RAF North Weald the following year. In 1955 he was on the directing staff of the RAF Staff College. He was promoted to group captain on 1 January 1958.[15] Deere published his autobiography Nine Lives in 1959.[16] He served as Aide-de-camp to the Queen from 22 March 1961[17][18] to 30 June 1964,[19] and was appointed Assistant Commandant of the RAF College, Cranwell, on 3 February 1963.[20] Deere took command of 12 (East Anglian) Sector of Fighter Command on 25 March 1964,[21] and was promoted to air commodore on 1 July.Map[1] ContributorFacebook page Rarity Colour
Photograph taken at the Air Ministry Studios, London.
IWM - CH13619
Colorized by Daniel Rarity
Wikipedia:
Deere was born in Auckland, the third son of Terrence (known as Joe) and Teresa (née Curtin) Deere, while his father was employed in the Post Office. The family returned soon after Alan's birth to the family's home town of Westport, where Joe took up a position with the New Zealand Railways.[1]
Deere attended St Canices School in Westport before the family moved to Wanganui where the family established a home at 43 Plymouth Street, which allowed Deere to grow up in a semi-rural environment while he attended Marist Brothers' School and Wanganui Technical College. At the age of eight he saw an aircraft fly overhead and sprinted to see it land on a nearby beach. The pilot allowed him to sit in the cockpit and Deere determined to become a pilot.
After a school career dominated by success in sports, representing his school in rugby, cricket and boxing, Deere spent two years as a law clerk. Encouraged by his family doctor to follow his chosen career, Deere persuaded his mother to sign the under 21 application for entry into the Royal Air Force. He passed selection under Wing Commander Ralph Cochrane in April 1937 and sailed for England on the Rangitane in September, but was admitted to hospital with high blood pressure.
Deere was temporarily posted to No. 74 Squadron on 20 August, before joining No. 54 Squadron in September where he was joined by Colin Gray, who was to become New Zealand's top scoring pilot of World War II. Both squadrons operated Gloster Gladiators, the RAF's last biplane fighter.
On 23 May 1940, during the closing phases of the Battle of France, Deere and Pilot Officer J. Allen flew Spitfires escorting Flight Lieutenant James Leathart across the channel in a Miles Magister to rescue No. 74 Squadron's commanding officer, who had made a forced landing. In sight of Leathart and White, Deere claimed his first combat victories, shooting down two Bf 109s. Later the same day he shot down a third Bf 109. On 24 May he added a Bf 110 over Dunkirk and on the 26th claimed two more in the same area.
On 28 May Deere was shot down by a Dornier Do 17 he was attacking near Dunkirk. He was knocked unconscious when making a forced landing on a Belgian beach. Rescued by a soldier, Deere made his way on foot to Oost-Dunkerke where his head injuries were dressed. He hitched a ride on a British Army lorry to Dunkirk, and (after receiving some criticism from soldiers about the effectiveness of the RAF's fighter cover), boarded a boat to Dover from where he took a train back to London, 19 hours after taking off from RAF Hornchurch with his squadron.
Deere being presented with his DFC by King George VI, 27 June 1940
Together with Leathart and Allen, Deere was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 12 June 1940. The medal was presented at Hornchurch by King George VI on 27 June.
On 28 July Deere was promoted to the rank of flying officer.[5] After Adlertag (Eagle Day) on 11 August he shot down a Bf 109, two more plus a Bf 110 the next day, and on the 15th added another Bf 109 over the Channel. However he was then trapped in an unequal dogfight with Bf 109s which attempted to block his return to England. Deere made the coast but was forced to bail out at low altitude, and was admitted to Victoria Hospital with minor injuries. He discharged himself the following day. Deere was shot down again on 28 August - this time by a Spitfire - but parachuted to safety. A frustrating combat on the 30th saw him claim a probable Do 17.
The following day the Luftwaffe raided Hornchurch. Deere led a section of three Spitfires which attempted to take off during the raid. A bomb destroyed all three aircraft. Deere's Spitfire was blown on its back, trapping him. Pilot Officer Eric Edsall, though badly injured when his own Spitfire had been destroyed, crawled to Deere's aircraft and freed him. Seeing Edsall's injuries, Deere then carried his rescuer to the sick bay.
While training new replacement pilots in January 1941, Deere collided with one of them, losing most of his tail to the Sergeant Pilot's propellor. When bailing out, Deere was trapped against part of his aircraft, and his damaged parachute failed to fully open. Deere landed in an area of open sewerage which broke much of his fall. As a result of this incident he was rested from active flying, but granted the acting rank of squadron leader and tasked as Operations Room Controller at Catterick. An unusual honour was having his portrait painted by official war artist Cuthbert Orde that February.
On 7 May 1941 he was posted to RAF Ayr as a flight commander in No. 602 Squadron. On 5 June he suffered engine failure over the North Sea and glided back to another forced landing on the coast, crawling out the small side door after the Spitfire flipped on to its back, destroying the canopy and temporarily trapping him. At the end of July he took over as Officer Commanding No. 602 Squadron, and on 1 August it moved back to RAF Kenley. On the same day he shot down another Bf 109.
He was promoted to the war substantive rank of flight lieutenant on 28 July 1941,[7] and to the permanent rank on 28 October 1941.[8]
In January 1942 he was sent on a lecturing and public relations trip to America teaching American pilots fighter tactics learnt in the Battle of Britain.
Deere returned to action on 1 May, taking command of a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron, No. 403 Squadron, at RAF North Weald. In August he went on a course at RAF Staff College and was subsequently posted to Headquarters No. 13 Group on staff duties.
He engineered a return to operations, somewhat unofficially, as a supernumerary with No. 611 Squadron at RAF Biggin Hill. He shot down an Fw 190 soon after, but wrote of his great respect for the type and its pilots.
He was given command of the Kenley fighter wing, but this was changed at the last minute to keep him as wing leader at Biggin Hill. While there, Deere was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.
On 15 September 1943 he went to RAF Sutton Bridge to command the Fighter Wing of the Central Gunnery School. On 14 January 1944 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by the United States.[11] He received a staff job in March 1944 at No. 11 Group but at the request of General Valin, abandoned this to take command of the Free French fighter wing, leading it over the beaches on D-Day, and subsequently in its pilots' return to France. When the fighter wing moved further into Europe, he was posted to HQ 84 Group Control Centre as Wing Commander Plans until July 1945 when he became Station Commander at Biggin Hill. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire on 1 June 1945.
At the end of the war Deere was given command of the Polish P-51 Mustang Wing at RAF Andrews Field, Essex, presiding over its disbandment in October, before becoming Commanding Officer at RAF Duxford. Deere received a permanent commission as a squadron leader on 1 September 1945.[13] In 1947 he was on the staff of AHQ Malta, subsequently joining the headquarters of No. 61 Group before becoming Operations Officer, North-Eastern Sector, RAF Linton-on-Ouse.
Deere was promoted to wing commander on 1 July 1951,[14] and became Commanding Officer of RAF North Weald the following year. In 1955 he was on the directing staff of the RAF Staff College. He was promoted to group captain on 1 January 1958.[15] Deere published his autobiography Nine Lives in 1959.[16] He served as Aide-de-camp to the Queen from 22 March 1961[17][18] to 30 June 1964,[19] and was appointed Assistant Commandant of the RAF College, Cranwell, on 3 February 1963.[20] Deere took command of 12 (East Anglian) Sector of Fighter Command on 25 March 1964,[21] and was promoted to air commodore on 1 July.Map[1] ContributorFacebook page Rarity Colour
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Date Created30th May 2019
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West Coast New Zealand History (30th May 2019). Wing Commander Alan Christopher 'Al' Deere. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 29th Apr 2026 21:50, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/25402