A/C A. C. Deere was born in New Zealand on 12th December, 1917.
He was determined to become a pilot at the age of eight, when he got the opportunity to sit in a biplane which force landed on the beach near his home. He had heard of aeroplanes but had never seen one. Looking into the cockpit, he was within easy reach of the 'joystick', "the very sound of the word conjuring up dreams of looping and rolling in the blue heavens." As he studied the instruments "there gradually grew within me a resolve that one day I would fly a machine like this."
Encouraged by their family doctor Alan applied to join the RAF in 1937.
He was selected for the RAF, and left Auckland in September, 1937, arriving in London five or six weeks later.
Alan's flying training at the De Havilland Civil School of Flying at White Waltham was delayed due his admission to Halford for observation owing to high blood pressure. His ab initio training complete, he attended a two week officer training course at RAF Uxbridge before arriving at No 6 FTS, Netheravon to undertake his service flying training.

Alan's first posting was to 54 Squadron at Hornchurch, but on arrival his unit being on block leave, he found himself attached to 74 Squadron. Initially flying Gladiators, he quickly settled into the life on a typical peacetime fighter squadron. In March, 1939, he flew his first Spitfire as 54 Squadron started the transition from biplane to monoplane.

With the real onset of the Battle of Britain, he and 54 Squadron found themselves in the thick of things. Alan soon started building a reputation, although not purely on based on his prowess as a fighter pilot and leader. He was plagued by incidents which whilst often life threatening he somehow managed to escape from with little or no injury.

A move from Ayr to Kenley eventually brought his first command when he took over 602 Squadron. 

Alan was posted to the USA to lecture on tactics to fighter units of the USAAF. Cutting short this duty, he returned to Britain and was given command of 403 (RCAF) Squadron. A not too successful period in command of 403 was followed by a more successful period as Wing Leader of the Biggin Hill Wing during which the Wing claimed it's 1000th confirmed victory.

Eventually taken off operations after destroying 22 enemy aircraft, Alan was firstly appointed to command the Fighter Wing of the Central Gunnery School before moving to a Staff job at 11 Group.

Alan retired from the Royal Air Force in December, 1977, with the rank of Air Commodore.

Alan Deere passed away on 20th September, 1995.
His last wish was that his ashes were to be scattered over the River Thames from a Spitfire of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

On 23rd May, 1940, Wing Commander ‘Boy’ Bouchier asked Leathart to fly over in a two-seater Miles Master trainer, keep the engine running while a marooned Squadron Leader White hopped in, then return at sea-level.
Alan Deere and Johnny Allen were asked to fly escort.

They reached Calais without any trouble. Deere sent Allen up to stand guard at 8,000 feet, where Germans might be lurking in the broken cloud. The bright yellow Master landed and taxied over to a hangar, where White was presumed to be waiting. Then Deere heard ‘an excited yell from the usually placid Johnny’. Allen had seen a dozen Me109s heading for the airfield. He attacked, and found himself in the middle of a frantic mêlée, shooting and being shot at.

Deere dropped down to try and alert the Master, which had no R/T by waggling his wings. As he did so a Me109 flashed across his path. He latched on to it and reefed his Spitfire hard over in an attempt to turn inside the Me 109, the crucial manoeuvre in air fighting. If the chasing pilot succeeded in turning tighter, getting inside his opponent, he had the chance to fire a deflection burst, aimed in front for the enemy to fly into. If he failed, the target was always a little ahead, leaving the tracer twinkling harmlessly in his wake. Deer turned inside. He was preparing to fire when Allen’s voice again filed his headphones, calling for help. Deere asked Allen to ‘hang on while I kill this bastard’, and stayed clamped into the turn. Then, ‘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.’

Now he went to look for Allen. As he climbed, he was seen by two 109s, which swung round steeply and started after him. Again Deere found that he could comfortably turn inside the pursuers, so that very quickly the roles were reversed and he was chasing them. Alan opened fire on the second 109, causing ‘bits to fly off’. Then he and the lead 109 went into an extended dogfight, chasing each other round at high speeds in tighter and tighter circles. Before the end, Alan ran out of ammunition, but for reasons he could not later explain he continued the engagement until the German abruptly straightened out and headed east for home.

Buzzing with adrenaline, Deere and Allen, whose Spitfire was by now ventilated with bullet holes, did the same. Alan indulged himself with a victory roll over the aerodrome as they came in.