Alan Christopher Deere
Born 12 Dec 1917 - Died 21 Sept 1995
- Service number
- 40370 AWMM
- Also known as
- Al AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Last rank
- Air Commodore/Military AWMM Royal Air Force AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
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- Forenames
- Alan Christopher AWMM
- Surname
- Deere AWMM
- Ingoa
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- Also known as
- Al AWMM
- Service number
- 40370 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
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- Religion
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 12 Dec 1917 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
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- Post war occupation
- Military Service/Civilian AWMM
- Next of kin
- Mr T.J. Deere, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
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Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- 1940 AWMM Battle of Britain AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Service number
- 40370 AWMM
- Military service
- Royal Air Force, No. 54 Squadron AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 602 Squadron AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 403 Squadron AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 611 Squadron AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 2 Tactical Air Force, 145 (French) Wing AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 84 Group AWMM
- Royal Air Force, Polish Wing AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 74 Squadron AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
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Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) AWMM
DSO: London Gazette, 3 June 1943. Citation: "This officer has displayed exceptional qualities of skill, which has played a large part in the success of the formations he has led. His fearlessness, tenacity and unswerving devotion to duty have inspired all with whom he has flown. Wing Commander Deere has destroyed 18 enemy aircraft." (Haigh & Polaschek, p313) AWMM - Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) AWMM
- Distinguished Flying Cross and bar (DFC*) AWMM
- 1939-45 Star (Battle of Britain clasp) AWMM
- Air Crew Europe Star (France and Germany clasp) AWMM
- Defence Medal AWMM
- War Medal 1939-1945 AWMM
- Distinguished Flying Cross (USA) AWMM
- Croix de Guerre 1914-1918 (France) AWMM
- Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- 13 Elementary & Reserve Flying Training School, UK, November 1937 AWMM
- 6 Flight Training School, UK, January 1938 AWMM
- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- WW2 Unknown AWMM
Age 19 AWMM
Law Clerk/Civilian AWMM - Age on enlistment
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- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- Inter War Pilot Officer AWMM
- WW2 Vessel was Rangitane AWMM Royal Air Force, No. 54 Squadron AWMM Royal Air Force AWMM
2nd Embarkation AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
Wounded 5 times AWMM - Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
Admitted to Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, after baling out of his Spitfire and fracturing his wrist. AWMM
- Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Air Commodore/Military AWMM
Royal Air Force AWMM - Last rank
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Biographical information
- Married Joan Fenton on 18 September 1945. She had served during the war as a driver with the American Ambulance Unit and they had been introduced by a mutual friend at Catterick in March 1941.
Acting Flight Lieutenant, 26 May 1940.
On the 10 May 1941, he was scrambled to investigate a Bf 110 flying westwards into British air space. He did not sight the enemy aircraft but after landing was told it had crashed near Glasgow. The pilot, on this ill-fated mission to the British Government, was Rudolf Hess.
Squadron Leader, 1 August 1941.
Wing Commander, 1943.
Wing Leader at Biggin Hill, 1943.
Wing Commander, 84 Group, RAF, 1944 - 1945.
Permanent commission with RAF, August 1945. Commanded Polish Mustang Wing.
Commanded RAF Station Luxford, 1945 - 1946.
Instructor at RAF College, Bracknell, UK, 1957.
Group Director of RAF College, Bracknell, October 1957.
Received the George Cross on 1 January 1958.
Director of Postings, Air Ministry, October 1959.
Aide-de-camp (ADC) to the Queen, 1962.
Assistant Commandant, Cranwell, UK, January 1963.
Air Commodore and Commander of East Anglia Fighter Section, October - November 1963.
Led the funeral cortege for Winston Churchill, 30 January 1965.
Commandant at RAF Halton, UK, November 1965 - October 1967.
Officially retired, October 1967.
Director of Sport for RAF (a civilian position) to December 1977.
During his World War II Flying career he had 22 confirmed victories, 10 probables, and a further 18 enemy aircraft damaged.
Received Order of British Empire (O.B.E) 1 June 1945
Portrait in Wynn, K. (1981). The Battle of Britain: 10 July- 31 October 1940 AWMM - When Alan Christopher Deere first applied for the army, due to having over 9 siblings, he could not afford to get in. One of his close friends Ivan Thomas Ernest Maney had also applied for the airforce at the same time. Due to poor eyesight he was rejected. Ivan and wife, Margret paid the fees for Alan to be accepted into the War.
During the war, Alan got shot out of one of his spitfires 8 times over germany, but lived.Public - Allie - Other relative - 8 August 2017 - Great Grandfather, Ivan Manley, was close friends with Alan and has told the story to my grandmother who had passed it onto me.
- Married Joan Fenton on 18 September 1945. She had served during the war as a driver with the American Ambulance Unit and they had been introduced by a mutual friend at Catterick in March 1941.
About death
- Death
- 21 Sept 1995 AWMM
Age 77 AWMM - Date of death
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- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
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- Death notes
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- Cemetery
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- Cemetery name
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- Grave reference
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- Obituary
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- Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
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Sources
- External links
- National Archives of New Zealand, National Collection of War Art. Portrait.
http://warart.archives.govt.nz/node/240
Further Reference - Brodie, I. Air Commodore Alan Christopher Deere. New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum.
http://www.nzfpm.co.nz/article.asp?id=deere (accessed May 2009)
Further Reference - Battle of Britain Website.
http://www.battle-of-britain.com/BoB2/Battle_personnel/Profiles/RAF/deere.htm
Further Reference - The RAF Hornchurch Project. Air Commodore Alan Deere. Biography.
http://www.rafhornchurch.thehumanjourney.net/pilot_pages/deere.htm
Further Reference - Website: Air of Authority - A history of RAF organisation.
http://www.rafweb.org/index.html
Further Reference - Wikipedia. Non-British personnel in the RAF during the Battle of Britain.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-British_personnel_in_the_RAF_during_the_Battle_of_Britain#New_Zealand_contribution
Further Reference - Battle of Britain Historical Society website.
http://www.battleofbritain1940.net/
Further Reference - Encyclopedia of New Zealand (1966). Armed services, expatriates biographies.
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/expatriates-biographies/32
Further Reference - 'Meet Al Deere, the real Kiwi hero of Dunkirk' New Zealand Herald, 27 July 2017
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11895657
Further Reference - Wikidata Entity
http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2905297
Further Reference - Romano, Gail. 'So what the hell'. Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira. First published: 10 September 2021
https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/features/so-what-the-hell
Further Reference - See a list of New Zealanders awarded the Battle of Britain Clasp here (PDF). Compiled with the assistance of Errol Martyn and linked from the NZHistory page produced by Manatū Taonga, Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/sites/default/files/documents/nz-battle-of-britain-list.pdf
Further Reference - Battle of Britain: Allied Pilots, Aircrew Remembered
https://aircrewremembered.com/BattleOfBritainDatabase/battlebritain-alpha-list.html
Further Reference - Wikipedia contributors. (2025, November 15). List of World War II aces from New Zealand. In Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_War_II_aces_from_New_Zealand
Further Reference
- National Archives of New Zealand, National Collection of War Art. Portrait.
- References
- Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1942). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 5 (Embarkations from 1st July, 1941 to 30 September, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
- Wynn, K. (1981). A clasp for "The Few". Auckland. N.Z.: Author.
p.106-117 - Wynn, K. (1989). Men of the Battle of Britain. Norwich, England: Gliddon Books.
- Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
Vol. 3 p. 588 ref 3 - Deere, Alan. Papers, 1937 - 1996. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-2007-64.
- Deere, A.C. (1959). Nine lives. London, England: Quality Book Club.
- Ministry for Culture and Heritage. (2012). New Zealanders serving with RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, 10 July – 31 October 1940. [A list compiled by Ministry for Culture and Heritage with Errol Martyn].
- RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] - Historical Items - List of New Zealand Fighter aces with their Scores (Unofficial) December 1944. Archives New Zealand, Wellington (R17845799).
- Royal New Zealand Air Force. (1941–1945). Contact: National magazine of the R.N.Z.A.F.; the official organ of the Air Force Association (Inc.). Levin, New Zealand: Royal New Zealand Air Force.
V4,n6,p58 v1,n1,p21 v1,n2,p37 v1,n3,p17, V5,n2,p21, V7,n3,p56 v7,n5,p16 v4,n1,p75 v4,n5,p70
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