Malan, who was the station's commander and had been helpful when Deere was first posted to No. 54 Squadron in 1938. By this stage of the war, Fighter Command's daytime operations were increasingly focused on escorting bombers on raids into France, often operating as two-squadron wings. This meant the fighter pilots needed to learn new operational techniques, which Deere had to impart in his role as wing leader. Malan supported Deere as he introduced new tactics for escorting bombers; in particular, he emphasized the need for independence for squadrons and sections when flying as a wing and to not be tied too closely to the speed of the bombers. The latter had been an issue during the Battle of Britain, for the Luftwaffe's tactics of providing a close escort to bombers meant that fighters lost their advantage of speed. His first operation as wing leader was on 4 April 1943, escorting bombers to Abbeville, but he had to return prematurely when his Spitfire developed engine trouble. Similar missions followed in April and May, during which time the Biggin Hill wing claimed its 1000th victory, on 15 May. On 4 June, Deere's award of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) was announced, the published citation reading: Later in June, Deere claimed a damaged Fw 190 during a melee with 50 German fighters as his wing escorted a bombing raid to France. On 23 June he claimed a Fw 190 as destroyed when he forced it into an unrecoverable spin over the Pas de Calais. At the start of July, No. 485 Squadron, which had mainly New Zealand flying personnel, joined the Biggin Hill wing. It was commanded by Squadron Leader Johnny Checketts, who Deere had recommended for the post. Checketts had to twice take over command of the wing as Deere encountered further reliability issues with his aircraft, having to turn back early on two occasions in early July. On 14 July, Deere shot down a Fw 190, claiming it as a probable. By late September 1943, Deere had become fatigued, not helped by a bout of dysentery. He had lost close friends in recent months; René Mouchotte, the commander of the Free French No. 341 Squadron, which was part of the Biggin Hill wing, had been killed in late August and Checketts was shot down over France in early September although he was to make it back to England seven weeks