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Alan Deere
| Air Commodore Alan Deere DSO DFC* (deceased) Top scoring New Zealand Ace with 22 victories, Deere was born in Auckland on December 12th 1917. Alan Deere would become one of the RAFs finest pilots. Joining the RAF in 1937, in September 1938 Al Deere was posted to No.54 Sqn at the time flying Gloster Gladiators, then in early 1940 the Squadron converted to Spitfires. His first brush with death happened when his oxygen failed while at altitude and ke blacked out, coming to only in time to pull his aircraft out of a dive and certain death. At the beginning of May 1940 Deere took part in the intensive air war over Dunkirk and on 23rd May 1940 Deere took part in a daring rescue operation. He and Pilot Officer Allen escorted their flight commander, James Leathart, to France where he was to land a Miles Master trainer and pick up the CO of 74 Squadron who had made a forced landing on the airfield at Calais-Marck. While the pick up was made, Alan Deere was at low level with Pilot Officer Allen at 8000 feet. As Flight Commander James Leathart prepared for take off in the Master, Pilot Offcier Allen spotted a flight o Bf109s coming their way. Deere scored his first victory, as a strafing Bf109 pulled out of its dive, presenting a perfect target. Deere fired a short burst and the aircraft stalled and then crashed into the sea. Deere, climbing to help Allen, crossed the path of two 109s, one of which turned towards him. Deere also turned, firing at the second one, which rolled over and dived away. Pursuing the first one, he caught up at treetop height and pursued him, firing off his remaining ammunition before the German headed for home. During the whole event Deere and Allen accoutned for three Bf109s shot down and three damaged. All three aircraft returned to their base at RAF Hornchurch. During four days - 23rd to 29th May - Deere shot down three Bf109s and three Bf110s but his luck ran out and he was shot down over Dunkirk while attacking a Dornier Do17 and luckily managed a forced landing in Belgium where he optained a bicycle and cycled to Dunkirk where he managed to get on a destroyer and returned to Hornchurch within 30 hours of taking off. In June he was decorated with the DFC by the King at a special ceremony at Hornchurch. Alan Deere destroyed seven more enemy fighters and one bomber during the Battle of Britian and was awarded a Bar to the DFC. In January 1941 became an Operations Room Controller. He returned to operations on 7th May 1941, joining 602 Squadron in Scotland as a Flight Commander. On August 1st 1941 Alan Deere took command of 602 Squadron and on that day destroyed a Bf109. When his second operational tour ended in January 1942 Deere went to the USA to lecture on fighter tactics. In May 1942, he took command of 403 Squadron, commanding the squadron until August before being posted to staff duties. During a temporary attachment to 611 Squadron in February 1943 Deere destroyed an Fw190. Some days later he was appointed Wing Leader at Biggin Hill. He flew 121 sorties during his six months leadership and by this time his tally was twenty-two confirmed victories, ten probables and eighteen damaged. He was also awarded the DSO and a bar to his DFC. Alan Deere was also awarded the Croix de Guerre and the DFC (USA) and in May 1945 He was awarded an OBE. In December 1977 Air Commodore Deere retired form the Royal Air Force. Iin 1959 Air Commodore Alan Deere wrote of his experiences in his book, 'Nine Lives'. Sadly, he passed away on 21st September 1995. |
Items Signed by Air Commodore Alan Deere DSO DFC* (deceased) |
  | Clipped Signature - Alan Deere Price : £80.00 | Joining the RAF in 1937, he posted to No.54 Sqn. At the beginning of May 1940 he took part in the intensive air war over Dunkirk and on 23rd May 1940 participated in a daring rescue operation and accounted for 3 Bfl 09 shot down. 23rd to 29th May Dee...... | |
  | Those Valiant Few by Robert Taylor. (AP) SOLD OUT | The Battle of Britain commenced at the beginning of June 1940, and for the next two and a half gruelling months the young men of Royal Air Force Fighter Command, duelled with the cream of Goerings Luftwaffe over the skies of southern England. It wa...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
| | Those Valiant Few by Robert Taylor. (B) SOLD OUT | The Battle of Britain commenced at the beginning of June 1940, and for the next two and a half gruelling months the young men of Royal Air Force Fighter Command, duelled with the cream of Goerings Luftwaffe over the skies of southern England. It wa...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
  | September Victory by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) Price : £490.00 | Spitfires pass above a downed Me110 as they return to base at Biggin Hill in September 1940, the most intense and crucial phase of the Battle of Britain. ...... | |
| | September Victory by Nicolas Trudgian. (Y) Price : £450.00 | Spitfires pass above a downed Me110 as they return to base at Biggin Hill in September 1940, the most intense and crucial phase of the Battle of Britain. ...... |
  | Victory over Kent by Geoff Nutkins Price : £120.00 | A Spitfire circles his victim, a Messerschmitt Bf109E in Kent, 1940. Signed by Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris, GCB, DSO, OBE Flight Lieutenant M E Croskell Marshall of the Royal Air Force Sir John Grandy, GCB, G...... | |
  | Return of the Few by Robert Taylor. SOLD OUT | SOLD OUT. ...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
  | Summer Victory by Robert Taylor. SOLD OUT | SOLD OUT. ...... | NOT AVAILABLE |
Packs with at least one item featuring the signature of Air Commodore Alan Deere DSO DFC* (deceased) |
    | Trudgian RAF Fighter Print Pack. Pack Price : £1040.00 Saving : £724 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Their Finest Hour by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) September Victory by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) Victory Over the Rhine by Nicolas Trudgian. Operation Bodenplatte by Nicolas Trudgian. Where Thoroughbreds Play by Ivan Berryman. | |
    | Nicolas Trudgian Trade Price Spitfire Pack. Pack Price : £1550.00 Saving : £909 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Their Finest Hour by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) September Victory by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) Victory Over the Rhine by Nicolas Trudgian. Operation Bodenplatte by Nicolas Trudgian. Head to Head by Nicolas Trudgian Combat Over Beachy Head by Nicolas Trudgian. Normandy Fighter Sweep by Nicolas Trudgian. Victory Over Gold by Nicolas Trudgian. Where Thoroughbreds Play by Ivan Berryman. | |
 | Pack 717. Pack of two Spitfire prints by Robert Taylor and Nicolas Trudgian. Pack Price : £585.00 Saving : £344 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Eagle Force by Robert Taylor. (B) September Victory by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) Where Thoroughbreds Play by Ivan Berryman. | |
 | Battle of Britain Aviation Art Prints. Pack Price : £650.00 Saving : £379 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Hornchurch Scramble by Robert Taylor. (B) September Victory by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) Where Thoroughbreds Play by Ivan Berryman. | |
| | Battle of Britain Spitfire Prints. Pack Price : £680.00 Saving : £349 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Hornchurch Scramble by Robert Taylor. (B) September Victory by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) Where Thoroughbreds Play by Ivan Berryman. |
 | Spitfire Battle of Britain Aviation Art. Pack Price : £540.00 Saving : £324 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Battle of Britain, Manston, 12th August 1940 by Gerald Coulson. September Victory by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) Where Thoroughbreds Play by Ivan Berryman. | |
  | Nicolas Trudgian Battle of Britain Print Pack With THREE FREE PRINTS! Pack Price : £540.00 Saving : £344 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : September Victory by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) Where Thoroughbreds Play by Ivan Berryman. High Patrol by Ivan Berryman. (E) Hurricane Mk.IIC by Ivan Berryman. | |
    | Special Sale Pack of 5 Prints - 4 FREE! Pack Price : £500.00 Saving : £280 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : September Victory by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) The Struggle for Malta by Ivan Berryman. (F) LCT 312 by Ivan Berryman. (D) Typhoons Over Normandy by Ivan Berryman. (D) Dinah Might by Ivan Berryman. | |
| | Rare Spitfire Prints by Nicolas Trudgian. Pack Price : £880.00 Saving : £420 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : Their Finest Hour by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) September Victory by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) | |
 | Spitfire Aviation Prints by Nicolas Trudgian. Pack Price : £560.00 Saving : £200 | Aviation Print Pack. ...... Titles in this pack : September Victory by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) Fighter Legend - Johnnie Johnson by Nicolas Trudgian. |
| Air Commodore Alan Deere DSO DFC* Squadron details |
| Air Commodore Alan Deere DSO DFC* Aircraft details |
 Gladiator Manufacturer : Gloster Built : 746 | Gladiator GLOSTER GLADIATOR: A continuation form the Gloster Gauntlet aircraft the Gloster Gladiator (SS37) becoming designated the F.7/30 was named Gladiator on the 1st July 1935. The first 70 Gladiators had Under wing machine guns (Vickers or Lewis) before the browning became standard The first aircraft arrived at Tangmere airfield on in February 1937 to no. 72 squadron. at the outbreak of world war two a total of 218 Gladiators had been received by the Royal air force with a total of 76 on active service. They served also in the Middle eats and in 1940 when Italy joined the war was nearly the only front line fighter in the middle east. Between 1939 and 1941. the Gloster Gladiator flew in many war zones. flying in France, Greece, Norway, Crete Egypt Malta and Aden. The Aircraft claimed nearly 250 air victories. It stayed in front line duties until 1942, then becoming fighter trainer, and other sundry roles. It continued in these roles until the end of world war two. The Naval equivalent the Sea Gladiator a short service in the Middle east and European waters. A Total of 746 aircraft were built of these 98 were Sea Gladiators.. Performance. speed: 250mph at 17,500 feet, 257 mph at 14,600 Range 430 miles. Armament: Two fixed .3-03 browning machine guns |
 Spitfire Manufacturer : Supermarine Built : 20351 | Spitfire Royal Air Force fighter aircraft, maximum speed for mark I Supermarine Spitfire, 362mph up to The Seafire 47 with a top speed of 452mph. maximum ceiling for Mk I 34,000feet up to 44,500 for the mark XIV. Maximum range for MK I 575 miles . up to 1475 miles for the Seafire 47. Armament for the various Marks of Spitfire. for MK I, and II . eight fixed .303 browning Machine guns, for MKs V-IX and XVI two 20mm Hispano cannons and four .303 browning machine guns. and on later Marks, six to eight Rockets under the wings or a maximum bomb load of 1,000 lbs. Designed by R J Mitchell, The proto type Spitfire first flew on the 5th March 1936. and entered service with the Royal Air Force in August 1938, with 19 squadron based and RAF Duxford. by the outbreak of World war two, there were twelve squadrons with a total of 187 spitfires, with another 83 in store. Between 1939 and 1945, a large variety of modifications and developments produced a variety of MK,s from I to XVI. The mark II came into service in late 1940, and in March 1941, the Mk,V came into service. To counter the Improvements in fighters of the Luftwaffe especially the FW190, the MK,XII was introduced with its Griffin engine. The Fleet Air Arm used the Mk,I and II and were named Seafires. By the end of production in 1948 a total of 20,351 spitfires had been made and 2408 Seafires. The most produced variant was the Spitfire Mark V, with a total of 6479 spitfires produced. The Royal Air Force kept Spitfires in front line use until April 1954. |
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This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com
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