The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. D C Deuntzer

Derrick Canut Deuntzer was born in Greenford, Middlesex on 21st September 1919. His father had been born in Bangkok, Siam (now Thailand), with Danish nationality. He became a Doctor of Medicine. For the 1911 census he gave an address in Marylebone, London. On 22nd October 1915 he was granted British nationality.

DC Deuntzer joined the RAFVR about December 1937 as an Airman u/t Pilot. Called up on 1st September 1939, he did his elementary training at 4 EFTS Brough.

He completed his training at 10 FTS Ternhill on No. 21 Course, which ran from 10th June to 7th September 1940.

Deuntzer arrived at 6 OTU Sutton Bridge on 11th September 1940 and after converting to Hurricanes he joined 79 Squadron at Pembrey on the 30th. He moved to 247 Squadron at Roborough, operating Gladiators) on 26th October.

Still serving with 247 Squadron in September 1941, Deuntzer was flying as No. 2 to his Flight Commander, F/Lt. KW MacKenzie, when the latter was shot down and captured during a dusk attack on Lannion airfield, Brittany on the 29th.

Commissioned on 29th October 1941, Deuntzer went to 56 OTU Sutton Bridge as an instructor.

He joined 43 Squadron at Kirton-in-Lindsey on 28th September 1942. The squadron left for Gibraltar on 28th October, arriving there on 5th November and reaching Maison Blanche, Algeria on the 8th.

On 18th April he destroyed a Me210 off Bone.

On 16th September 1943 he damaged a Fw190, shared a Fw190 destroyed on the 17th over Salerno, damaged a Fw190 later that day, and destroyed a Me109 off Littoria on 2nd November.

He was posted away from 43 in December 1943. He was released from the RAF in 1946 as a Flight Lieutenant.

In 1959 he was living in Ealing, Middlesex. In 1964 his address was in Paraparaumu Beach, north of Wellington in the North Island of New Zealand.

Deuntzer died in Levin, New Zealand on 14th December 2010.