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on of Ernest and Alice Deverill, he was born in 1916 at Gillingham, Kent. On leaving school, he joined the Royal Air Force as a trainee apprentice. In 1938 he undertook pilot training, and in May 1940 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal for outstanding bravery whilst flying a Lockeed Hudson from Norway to RAF Bircham Newton. By then a Sergeant Pilot, on 25th July 1940 he married Joyce, daughter of Richard and Blanche Burgis of North Farm, Docking; she was 23 years old. In 1941 he joined 97 Squadron, on being commissioned, flying Lancaster bombers. By then a very experienced pilot, he was captain of one of twelve crews selected for the important and hazardous long range daylight attack on Augsburg, southern Germany. Despite heavy losses the target, a vital factory, was successfully bombed; the attack leader was awarded the Victoria Cross and he won his first Distinguished Flying Cross. Based at Bourn, Cambridgeshire, he continued his operational flying in Lancasters and in November 1942 was awarded a Bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross following a lengthy series of bombing raids in which the citation referred to his pressing home his attacks "with great vigour". In December 1943 he was captain of a 97 Sauadron Lancaster, one of a major force attacking Berlin. The raid was completed successfully, but on returning to base on 17th December, widespread very bad weather conditions and shortage of fuel prevented normal landing, and the aircraft crashed near Graveley, Cambridgeshire, killing him and six of his crew. This was one of twenty nine Lancaster bombers lost that night under the same circumstances. He was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross. He was 27 years old. He is buried in Docking Churchyard on the north western side. His widow, Joyce, did not remarry and died in 1992, aged 75.