Personnel Index - Detail
Our records show one operation for P/O L C Deane on 21st December 1939 when he flew with S/L R S Allen in the navigator position on a "Shipping" mission.
Additional information kindly provided by his son, Michael Deane:
I have all his log books and they show he flew Hampdens with 49Sqn including being the navigator/bomb aimer on the Flight Commander's aircraft for a North Sea search for 'Deutschland' on the 21st December 1939 with another Hampden squadron, No 50 -- they did not find it!
He was posted into 49Sqn from 76 Squadron on the 1st November 1939 (still in 5 Group) until I believe April 16th 1940 when he went to 185 Squadron.
He subsequently had a distinguished career in the war and became an acting Group Captain and was a 'Pathfinder'. He was decorated with the DSO, DFC and American Silver Star.
Laurence Deane, Lancaster pilot.
Photograph displayed with the kind permission of Michael Deane.
Michael Deane continues:
He wrote a book before he died called 'A Pathfinder's War and Peace'.
'The Lifestory of Group Captain Laurence Deane'.
Copies of this can be found on the net.
Click this link to view the sleeve notes of the book (in a new window).
Extracts are reproduced with the kind permission of Micheal Deane.......
The Hunt for the Deutschland
The Road to Kinloss
There are some excellent WW2 images of Laurence Deane on his son's website.