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Create new listThe outstanding and important Second World War fighter operations D.S.O., O.B.E., “double” D.F.C. group of ten awarded to Air Commodore A. C. “Al” Deere, Royal Air Force, the uncompromising 21-victory New Zealander ace who so famously used up “Nine Lives” during an extraordinary operational career that encompassed the desperate air combats of 1940 over France and England, through to the Normandy invasion, and command of the legendary Biggin Hill Wing: he had at least another 4 “Probable” and 8 “Damaged” enemy aircraft to his credit
Distinguished Service Order, G.VI.R., the reverse of the lower suspension bar officially dated ‘1943’; The Order of the British Empire, O.B.E. (Military) 2nd type; Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., with Second Award Bar, the reverse of the Cross and the Bar both officially dated ‘1940’; 1939-45 Star, clasp, Battle of Britain; Air Crew Europe Star, clasp, France and Germany; Defence and War Medals; Coronation 1953; American Distinguished Flying Cross, officially numbered on left of lower arm ‘12149’; French Croix de Guerre, undated, with palm, mounted court-style as worn, generally good very fine (10) £80,000-100,000
See Colour Plate V.
The Announcements and Recommendations for the Honours and Awards
D.F.C. London Gazette 14 June 1940. The recommendation states:
‘During the period 21 May to 28 May 1940 inclusive, Pilot Officer Deere has, in company with his Squadron [No. 54], taken part in a large number of offensive patrols over Northern France, and has been engaged in seven combats, in some of which his Squadron was outnumbered by as many as six to one. In the course of these combats he has shot down two Me. 110s, two Me. 109s and one Ju. 88 himself, and one Me. 109 and one Ju. 88 in conjunction with other members of his section, all of which are confirmed. In addition he has to his credit one Me. 109 which is not confirmed, and a further unconfirmed Me. 109 and Ju. 88 in conjunction with other pilots.
On one occasion, in company with one other pilot, he acted as escort to a Miles Master which was proceeding to Calais to rescue a Squadron Commander who had been shot down there. When taking off from Calais, the Master was attacked by 12 Me. 109s and Pilot Officer Deere, in company with the other pilot, unhesitatingly engaged these much superior forces, successfully driving them off, and between them shooting down three of the enemy and badly damaging a further three.
Throughout these engagements this Officer has shown great courage and determination in pressing home his attacks in the face of great odds, and his skill and offensive spirit has enabled him to destroy or damage seven enemy aircraft. Pilot Officer Deere is reported as ‘missing’ after taking part in an offensive patrol on the morning of 28 May 1940, when his aircraft was shot down in the neighbourhood of Dunkirk. He was uninjured and reported by R./T. that he had landed safely.’
Bar to D.F.C. London Gazette 6 September 1940. The recommendation states:
‘Flight Lieutenant Deere was awarded the D.F.C. on 14 June 1940 for the conspicuous gallantry he displayed in the Dunkirk operations. Since then he has been promoted to the command of a Flight, and his gallantry and determination, coupled with his skilful leadership, have contributed largely to the outstanding success achieved by this Squadron [No. 54].
From the date of award of the D.F.C. on 14 June 1940, this Officer has shot down a further four Me. 109s, one He. 113 and one Me. 110, and, in conjunction with another pilot, probably destroyed a Ju. 88.
Since the beginning of the War, Flight Lieutenant Deere has, himself, destroyed 11 enemy aircraft, and a further four in conjunction with other pilots. In addition, he has probably destroyed a further one enemy aircraft himself and shared with other pilots in the destruction of two more.
In addition to the skill and gallantry he has shown in leading his Flight, and in many cases, his Squadron, into the attack, Flight Lieutenant Deere has displayed conspicuous bravery and determination in pressing home his attacks against superior numbers, in many instances pursuing the enemy across the Channel to France in order to shoot them down.’
D.S.O. London Gazette 15 July 1943. The recommendation states:
‘Since being awarded the Bar to his D.F.C. in September 1940, this Officer has destroyed seven enemy aircraft, probably destroyed two and damaged four others. He has taken part in approximately 120 sweeps and led the Kenley or Biggin Hill Wings approximately 50 times. His total operational hours stand at over 500 hours.
An excerpt from a statement by the O.C. Kenley in October 1941 reads as follows:
“The splendid example set by this Officer and his exceptional qualities of leadership are largely responsible for the well being, high morale and operational efficiency of his Squadron.
His thought and consideration for the well being of the Wing has proved that, apart from being a brilliant individual fighter pilot, he has curbed personal ambition when leading the Wing and accepted the more serious and exacting role and responsibilities of leading.”
Since taking over the Biggin Hill Wing, Wing Commander Deere has been an outstanding example of selfless devotion to duty, tenacity of purpose and fearlessness in the face of the enemy and of understatement of his personal combat claims. It is no exaggeration to say that this Officer has been an inspiration to the whole of Fighter Command and that this decoration had never been more richly deserved.’
O.B.E. London Gazette 1 June 1946.
American D.F.C. H.Q. Eighth Air Force, General Order 183 13 October 1943. The recommendation states:
‘For extraordinary achievement while leading his Wing as fighter escort for medium bombers of the Eighth Air Force on more than 15 missions over enemy occupied Europe. Wing Commander Deere devoted untiring energy assisting in the development of new, untried tactics for medium bombardment aircraft. In order to observe the effectiveness of the new tactics, he personally led his Wing as cover for the bombers on the first mission. The successful bombing of a heavily defended target without the loss of an airplane is in a large measure due to the planning, skill and leadership of Wing Commander Deere. His actions reflect the highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of His Majesty’s Government.’
French Croix de Guerre Notified by Free French Air Forces H.Q., March 1944. The recommendation states:
‘Wing Commander Deere took part in protective operations covering the Dunkirk evacuation, securing four victories and, two days later, two new victories. He participated in the Battle of Britain. And on 53 occasions he led the French fighter groups “Ile de France” and “Alsace” in operations over occupied territory. His total victories are 21 with an addition of seven probables.’
A Brief Summary of the Life and Times of Air Commodore “Al” Deere
Born Alan Christopher Deere in Auckland on 12 December 1917, he was educated at St. Carrie’s School, Wanganui, and worked briefly as a solicitor’s clerk before joining the R.A.F. on a short service commission in the Winter of 1937. Following his arrival in the U.K., he commenced basic training at 13 E. & R.F.T.S., White Waltham, before proceeding to 6 F.T.S., Netheravon, where he won the R.A.F. middleweight boxing championship, received his Wings and was selected to fly fighters. For three weeks in September 1938 he was temporarily attached to 74 “Tiger” Squadron’s ‘A’ Flight, commanded by the irrepressible “Sailor” Malan, whilst awaiting the return to Hornchurch of his new squadron, No. 54, from block leave. In early 1939 he made his mark as a rugby player, with notable performances as inside centre to the famous Prince Oblensky at Rosslyn Park. After a guest appearance for Leicester Tigers he was selected by Squadron Leader George Beamish, a well known Irish International and the principal R.A.F. selector, to play for the Service side.
In March 1939, No. 54 Squadron exchanged its Gloster Gladiators for Spitfire Mk. Is, and in May of the same year Deere used up the first of his “Nine Lives” when he was overcome with anoxia during a height climb through cloud. The oxygen system required the pilot to adjust flow with increasing height but being preoccupied with flying on instruments, Deere overlooked the necessity. At 27,000 feet, just as he broke through the cloud into dazzling sunlight, he lost consciousness. In his classic 1959 autobiographical account Deere recalled, ‘When I came to I was still, as I thought momentarily, pointing at the blue sky above. In fact, as I very quickly realised, I was diving at the sea in a patch of sky completely clear of cloud, and at tremendous speed ...’ A fierce battle with the controls brought his Mk. I level but at the price of a burst ear drum which kept him off flying for three months.
In September 1939, Deere greeted the outbreak of war as a ‘glorious adventure’, but the only immediate action was a tragic shambles, hushed up at the time, involving every squadron east of London in which raw nerves and technical imperfections resulted in the shooting down of two 151 Squadron Hurricanes and the death of a pilot. The German attack in the West in May 1940 finally signalled the start of the shooting war for Al Deere. Patrols of the northern French and Belgian coasts were stepped up and, on the morning of 23 May, No. 74 Squadron returned from their first contact with the enemy minus their Commanding Officer, Squadron Leader White, who had been forced down at Calais/Marck airfield. German ground forces were reported to be closing in and the airfield was under intermittent shell fire. White hiked into Calais, and in spite of the fact that Germans were known to be masquerading in all sorts of uniforms, managed to persuade the military authorities to contact Fighter Command Headquarters in England. 11 Group H.Q. immediately approved Hornchurch’s plan to mount a rescue mission, and shortly before midday No. 54 Squadron’s Miles Master trainer took off, flown by Flight Lieutenant “Prof” Leathart, with Deere and Flying Officer Allen providing the Spitfire escort.
The trip out was uneventful and the Master had just landed when Allen, above the clouds, alerted Deere to the rapid approach of a dozen Messerschmitt Bf.109s. Deere’s first thought was to warn Leathart who was taxiing for take-off. Leathart instantly realised the danger and seeing a 109 shoot past banged the Master back on to the ground and evacuated the cockpit for the perimeter ditch. Meantime the same 109 flashed before Deere - ‘My throttle was fully open and with the stick hard back to turn inside the Me. 109 I was in range to fire ... In a last desperate attempt to avoid my fire, the Hun pilot straightened from his turn and pulled vertically upwards, thus writing his own death warrant, he presented me with a perfect no-deflection shot from dead below and I made no mistake. Smoke began to pour from his engine as the aircraft, now at the top of its climb, heeled slowly over in an uncontrolled stall and plunged vertically into the water’s edge from about 3,000 feet.’
Above the cloud Allen was heavily outnumbered and fighting for his life. Deere raced to his assistance and for the next ten minutes was engaged in an epic fight, witnessed by Leathart and White on the ground, who saw the two Spitfires account for two more 109s destroyed and three probably destroyed - one of the former and one of the latter being further ascribed to Deere’s guns. When the remainder of the enemy had dispersed, Leathart and White made a hasty take-off in the Magister and ran for home. Deere fell in with Allen’s damaged machine in mid-Channel and in high spirits they made a safe return to Hornchurch where Deere put his newly-blooded Spitfire N3180 (a.k.a. “KIWI”), which had been personalised with his distinctive kiwi emblem, into an celebratory victory roll. Whilst preparing for the next patrol that afternoon Deere was handed a congratulatory signal from the C.O. of 11 Group, Sir Keith Park: ‘Air Officer Commanding sends congratulations to No. 54 Squadron on the magnificent fight put up by Flying Officers Deere and Allen who so severely punished superior numbers this morning.’
Over the next few days Deere added significantly to his opening account, speedily abandoning obsolete text book attack methods practised so assiduously in peacetime. On 24 May he shot down a Bf. 109 20 miles north-east of St. Omer, and next day destroyed another in the Gravelines area. Between the 25th and 27th he was accredited with the destruction of three Bf.110s and a Junkers 88. But five days of fierce fighting left his squadron with just eight serviceable Spitfires in the line. Nos. 65 and 74 Squadrons had already been ordered into the 12 Group area to rest and refit and on the evening of the 27th a weary Deere, now a Flight Commander, and “Prof” Leathart, found themselves being grilled by the indomitable Douglas Bader - then a Flight Lieutenant with newly arrived 222 Squadron. Deere afterwards wondered whether he was one of those pilots referred to in “Reach for the Sky” who ‘gazed in mild derision’ upon the great man’s arrival.
Deere and the surviving pilots of No. 54 were relieved to learn that they too were to move north following day after day of dawn patrols. Crossing over Gravelines and turning north-east on the assigned patrol route, Deere spotted a lone Dornier 17 a thousand yards out to sea, and gave chase with his Flight. As he closed the the range to 500 yards the Dornier’s Rear-Gunner woke up and his pilot took evasive action. Deere went in pursuit and opened fire at 300 yards producing a flash of flame on the Dornier’s port engine. The enemy Rear-Gunner, however, succeeded in puncturing KIWI’s header tank. Deere knew there was no chance of making it home, and giving orders for the rest of the Flight to finish off the Dornier, he made towards the French shore, pulling back the hood to be engulfed by clouds of black smoke pouring from a punctured oil tank. Moments later he crashed on to the beach, striking his head violently on the windscreen and knocking himself unconscious. His Spitfire began to burn but in the nick of time he came round and fought his way clear. A Belgian soldier appeared and helped dress his bleeding head and with the help of a group of local civilians he was set on the road to Ostend. But the weight of refugee traffic in the opposite direction soon persuaded him to try for Dunkirk instead. He found a bicycle and later hitched a lift in a British truck which brought him into the confusion of the town and the mole where he experienced first hand Army hostility towards the R.A.F. He finally got a lift on a destroyer to Dover, caught a train to London and took the Underground to Hornchurch to rejoin his squadron just 19 hours after take off.
On 4 June 1940, Deere returned to Hornchurch from No. 54’s rest station at Catterick, and on the 27th of the same month was decorated with the D.F.C., alongside with “Sailor” Malan and Bob Standford-Tuck, by the King at a small ceremony held ‘in the field of action’. Having shared in the unconfirmed destruction of Ju. 88 on 17 June, his next decisive action was fought on 9 July when again he had a miraculous escape. It was his fourth trip of the day, and having shot down a Bf. 109, one of a gaggle sneaking in towards the Kent coast in the wake of a Dornier Red Cross seaplane, a general melee ensued. With the fight moving inland Deere selected his next target: ‘About 3,000 yards directly ahead of me, and at the same level, a Hun was just completing a turn preparatory to re-entering the fray. He saw me almost immediately and rolled out of his turn towards me so that a head-on attack became inevitable. Using both hands on the control column to steady the aircraft and thus keep my aim steady, I peered through the reflector sight at the rapidly closing enemy aircraft. We opened fire together, and immediately a hail of lead thudded into my Spitfire. One moment the Messerschmitt was a clearly defined shape, its wingspan nicely enclosed within the circle of my reflector sight, and the next it was on top of me, a terrifying blur which blotted out the sky ahead. Then we hit ...’ Deere crash landed into a cornfield and fought his way clear, his Spitfire, N3183, KIWI II, bursting into flames and crackling with the explosions of unused ammunition.
Returning immediately to his squadron and operating by turns from Hornchurch, Manston or the forward base at Rochford, he continued to fly four or five sorties a day, being credited with a Bf. 109 over the Thames Estuary on the 24th before severe casualties dictated the Squadron being rotated north again to Catterick.
Returning to the fray to face the German all out assault of Adler Tag, Deere accounted for two of the 31 Luftwaffe aircraft lost on 12 August. On the 15th, when the Luftwaffe threw two thousand aircraft into the attack, he flew six times shooting down a Bf. 109 and an He. 113, damaging another and claiming a second 109 as a probable.
On the last sortie of the day he was involved in an interception of a raid between Dover and Dungeness, and selecting a target from amongst the escort fighters chased it all the way to Calais/Marck where the tables were suddenly turned. Two 109s detached themselves from the airfield circuit and set off in pursuit. Deere raced for England, turning and twisting as he went, but at length was overhauled and shot down. Instantly making the decision to bale out he increased his height to 1500 feet but when partially out of the aircraft found that his parachute had snagged on some part of the cockpit. He struggled to free himself but the increasing airflow forced him back against the fuselage as the Spitfire hurtled earthward. With seconds to spare he broke loose but in so doing was hurled against the tailplane injuring his arm. His parachute deployed instantly and seconds later he hit the ground less than a hundred yards from where his aircraft exploded. Somewhat surreally, two R.A.F. ambulance men happened to be passing and picked him up, delivering him several painful hours later to the Queen Victoria Hospital at East Grinstead, where it was noticed that the face of his wristwatch had been shot off during the combat.
On 28 August, he claimed another Bf. 109 as a probable but the same day used up another life when shot down by an over zealous Spitfire pilot, forcing him to bale out over Kent and take his chances with an irate shotgun-toting farmer. Three days later life number six was expended when his section was bombed during a take off from Hornchurch. ‘KIWI III’ was thrown upside down and totally destroyed leaving Deere briefly suspended in his harness before making good an escape spurred on by the overpowering smell of petrol fumes and the din of falling bombs. Notwithstanding an arm still in plaster from the evacuation of Spitfire R6981 on the 15th, and his tennis ball-sized scalping in this latest scrap, he was in action again next day, his Flight being jumped by a large formation of 109s escorting a bomber force which eventually attacked Hornchurch. On the penultimate day of August, he brought his Battle of Britain tally up towards the double figure mark, by claiming a Dornier 17 probably destroyed over Thameshaven.
By the first weeks of September No. 54 Squadron was so depleted that it was pulled from the line, sent north and reduced to a ‘C’ Class Training Squadron. A Bar to Deere’s D.F.C. was announced on 6 September. Yet here at Catterick Deere’s duties were to prove no less perilous. He was putting a Sergeant Pilot through his final combat test when his pupil flew into his tailplane - ‘For a split second I caught a glimpse of the nose of his aircraft right on top of me and the next second he had flown into me. His airscrew chewed clean through my tailplane and immediately my Spitfire whipped into a vicious spin, completely out of control.’ Again unable initially to break free, he inched his way out of the cockpit only to be blown back and caught on the stump of the tail. After kicking, twisting and turning for several frantic seconds, he broke free only to find that his parachute had been partially torn from his back. Finally, and when dangerously close to the ground, it partly opened of its own accord, his fall being broken by a soft landing in a farmyard cesspool.
In January 1941 Deere was appointed Operations Controller at Catterick and remained in that post until May when he joined No. 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron at Ayr as a Flight Commander. On his first “scramble” with his new squadron he was ordered to investigate an aircraft flying west towards Glasgow. Unfortunately for Deere the plots on the “bandit” were intermittent and not very reliable, and so it was that he missed an opportunity to shoot down Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess on his famous flight over Scotland. Deere’s luck held, however, on a more crucial occasion, for on 5 June he crash landed on the Heads of Ayr with a seized engine, ending up once more inverted. July 1941 saw Deere’s return to 11 Group when No. 602 was ordered South to join the Kenley Wing, where the work was largely escorting the bombers of 2 Group to northern French targets interspersed with “Rhubarbs”. On 1 August he was given command of No. 602 and the same day flying a Spitfire Mk. Vb added a Bf. 109 to his tally, though this has subsequently been identified as a Hurricane of No. 242 Squadron, shot down into the Channel in error. On 9 August he was credited with damaging three Bf. 109s in the vicinity of Bethune during a close escort mission, but on or about the same date lost his wingman Sergeant Bell-Walker and was badly shot up, and narrowly missed ditching, with a cannon shell in his port wing root, 37 bullet holes in the fuselage and wings, a punctured petrol tank and severed glycol line. In October and November he damaged two more Bf. 109s inland from the French coast.
Most agreed that by this time Deere should have been dead for at least a year, and in January 1942 he was finally removed from the operational scene, albeit with a promise to return in the following Summer. He handed over command of No. 602 Squadron to Paddy Finucane and left for the United States to lecture U.S.A.A.F. pilots on fighter tactics. In May 1942, he returned to the U.K. to command the Canadians of No. 403 (“Wolf”) Squadron at North Weald but from August was employed on staff duties and attending courses. Finally, in February 1943, desperate to return to operations, he went as a supernumerary to No. 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron at Biggin Hill, and while there destroyed an Fw. 190 off Calais. He now received the wing appointment he had aimed for and was posted to the command of the Canadian Spitfire Wing at Kenley, but this was changed at the last minute due to the death in action of an opposite number and he was posted instead to the command of the Biggin Hill Wing (Nos. 611 Squadron and 341 (Alsace) Squadron), with his original posting going to another famous Wing Leader “Johnnie” Johnson.
Deere took up the Wing Leader’s privilege of substituting his initials, ‘AL’, for the codes allocated to his new Spitfire Mk. IXB, regardless of the customary Intelligence Officer’s warning that they would attract undue enemy attention, and adopted the call sign “Brutus”. Regardless, too, of the impossible weather conditions of March and April, Deere found his Wing at the centre of considerable press and public interest. To this date pilots operating from Biggin Hill had destroyed 983 enemy aircraft. The destruction of the 1000th carried with it a cash prize of £300 for the victorious pilot. To this end Deere mounted and led a Wing operation against the Richtofen Geschwader based at Tricqueville just south of the Seine estuary and added significantly to the total. By the end of April the score stood at 990 and on 4 May he personally added the 995th victim to the total when escorting 80 B-17 Flying Fortresses of the Eighth Air Force to Antwerp. Ten days later, after a period of bad weather, two more were counted towards the total and on the 15th the victory target was finally met with extended celebrations at the Hyde Park Hotel and Grosvenor House.
Deere continued to lead the Wing until September 1943, adding several Fw.190’s destroyed, damaged and probably destroyed to his score before being taken ill with acute enteritis. On recovery he took command of the Fighter Wing of the Central Gunnery School until March 1944 when he joined the Staff of 11 Group. In May 1944 he became the Commanding Officer of 145 (French) Wing which he led over the Normandy bridgehead on D-Day and afterwards took to an advanced airfield in France. He then served as Wing Commander, Plans, at 84 Group to the War’s end when he returned to Biggin Hill as Station Commander.
Air Commodore Deere remained in the post-war R.A.F. holding a series of appointments and commands until his retirement in December 1967. In 1961 he was appointed an A.D.C. to H.M. the Queen. At Winston Churchill’s funeral in 1965, he led a contingent - no more than are dozen strong - representing the “Few”. He retired from the Service in 1967 and, passing up a better paid job with American aviation company Fairchild, spent the next ten years as the R.A.F.’s civilian director of sport.
Following his death in September 1995 his ashes were scattered from a Spitfire of the R.A.F. Memorial Flight over the Thames Estuary, in accordance with his last wish.
Sold with the following Artefacts and Archive:
Presentation silver tankard, hallmarks for Birmingham 1937, 11.5cm. high, the centre inscribed
‘To “Al” from 602 (F.) Squadron, Kenley & Redhill 1941/42’, and additionally inscribed with 35
facsimile signatures of leading Squadron personalities, good condition overall
Silver cigar box, hallmarks for Birmingham 1906, 23cm. by 13cm., the outer hinged lid
inscribed ‘Presented to Wing Commander Al Deere, D.S.O., D.F.C. by the Pilots of 485 (N.Z.)
and 341 (Lorraine) Squadrons, Biggin Hill, 11th Oct. 1943’, the interior retaining it’s original
gilding and wood lining, good condition overall
D.S.O. warrant in the name of ‘Acting Wing Commander A. C. Deere, D.F.C., Royal Air Force’,
signed by King George VI and Archibald Sinclair, and dated at the Court of St. James’s on 4 June
1943.
O.B.E. warrant in the name of ‘Acting Wing Commander Alan Christopher Deere, D.S.O.,
D.F.C., R.A.F.O.’, signed by King George VI and Queen Mary, and dated at the Court of St.
James’s on 1 January 1946.
Deere’s original hand written notes and working manuscript for his highly acclaimed wartime
memoir, Nine Lives, contained in three exercise books and on assorted A4 paper, together with
an autographed 1st edition of the finished product (Pubd. in association with Hodder &
Stoughton, London, 1959), and several other later editions, including one in Hebrew, some of
them inscribed by Deere.
A fine wartime period photograph album, comprising some 30pp. (with a few pictures since
removed), and approx. 160 captioned images remaining, covering Deere’s voyage to England in
1937 to join up with the R.A.F., through to training days (including an attractive watercolour of a
Gloster Gladiator, signed ‘C. G. C. Oliver, Hornchurch 1938’), the “Phoney War”, Dunkirk, the
Battle of Britain and beyond, with many evocative images of Nos. 54 and 602 Squadron
personnel and a few snapshots taken on leave, together with several pages devoted to Biggin
Hill’s much celebrated 1000th victory, and Deere’s subsequent investiture at Buckingham Palace
with the D.S.O., binding and covers distressed, contents good and a hitherto unseen and largely
unpublished archive of great interest
A wartime period photograph album, comprising some 19 pp. (with another 11 part pp. due to
being cut out), and approx. 100 captioned images remaining, covering pre-war subject matter
from about 1938 through to about 1942, once again with many evocative images of Nos. 54 and
602 Squadron personnel and some more precious leave, unless otherwise stated, a fairly sound
album and contents good
A large format wartime and late 1940’s photograph and scrap album, comprising some 45 pp.
(some photographs removed), and approx. 300 images remaining, in addition to a mass of
fascinating newspaper and magazine cuttings and other interesting memorabilia and
correspondence, signed menus, etc., mainly with direct mention of / association to Deere, and
some of a significant nature, including a fine charcoal portrait, captioned ‘Biggin Hill, Aug.
1943’, congratulatory letters for his D.S.O. from senior R.A.F. Officers and the Prime Minister of
New Zealand, via his Defence Minister, and a forwarding letter for his honorary French
“Wings”, with actual certificate of an “Honorary French Military Pilot”, this dated 15 June 1943,
binding collapsed and distressed covers, contents good
A mainly wartime scrap book, 32 pp., with a fine array of newspaper and magazine features
reporting on Deere’s continuing success as an ace and Wing Leader, together with family
telegrams (‘A seven and half pound fighter pilot. Both well. Love. Alan’) and other similar
memorabilia from the 1950s and 1960s, and assorted photographs; and another similar, with
cover inscription, “Scrap Book No. 2, July 1942 to ...”, and again largely wartime content,
including features on Biggin Hill’s 1000th victory, the first lacking paper covers, contents
generally good
A large format photograph album, 14 pp., and approx. 225 images, mainly dating from the
1950s, with some interesting R.A.F. scenes and V.I.P. visits, including Churchill, but also a wide
variety of less formal subject matter, mainly of family holiday origin,wooden covers, aluminium
binding, generally good condition overall
A large format photograph and scrap album, 97pp., and approx.160 images, once again with a
fascinating array of newspaper and magazine articles, these largely from the 1960s period,
including reviews and features for the publication of Nine Lives, a letter of invitation to the Royal
Gala Performance of the film “The Battle of Britain” in 1969, and assorted reunion invitations
and menus, in addition to continuing R.A.F. career subject matter, including a graduation
certificate from the Air War College, Alabama, dated 4 June 1947, and family snapshots, black
plastic binding, contents generally good
A commemorative photograph album marking the occasion of “The A.O.C’s Parade and
Inspection” at R.A.F. Bawdsey, 8 May 1964, 21 pp. and approx. 30 images, comprising a series
of amusingly captioned pictures of Deere making his away around the base, and closing with an
extract from his subsequent message to the staff concerned (‘I was most impressed by all I saw,
not least the prettiness of your W.R.A.F. I suggest an extra 48 hour pass for all ...’), excellent
condition overall
Six regional folding maps of England, all official Air Ministry issues from the late 1930s, and as
used by Deere during his pilot training days, good condition overall
A copy of The Evening Standard of Monday 17 June 1940, the headline reading “Petain Says
French Must Cease Fighting”; a feature from The Daily Mirror of 28 June 1940, covering the
King’s visit to Hornchurch, where Deere was invested with his D.F.C.; and one or two other
wartime magazines and papers.
A large wartime copy of a photograph depicting the King talking to Deere at Hornchurch in the
Summer of 1940, having pinned his D.F.C. to his tunic; together with other loose photographs
(approx. 20), including further wartime images.
Two cassette recordings of Deere’s interview with the Department of Sound Records at the
Imperial War Museum, London.
A copy of the script for “This is Your Life”, 2 March 1982, commemorating the life and times of
Sir Douglas Bader, together with two admittance tickets.
And a very large quantity of other more contemporary documentation, the whole named to, or
directly relating to Deere, including notes for speeches, articles on his experiences and discussion
of battle tactics, together with a mass of invitations, letters and cards, some from fellow Battle of
Britain personalities, and many relating to the events of 1990, the 50th Anniversary celebrations;
and a quantity of relatively recent publications dealing with the R.A.F. and the Battle, several of
them inscribed to Deere by their respective authors.
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