Micael Deakin

It is with sadness that Hawkeye has learned of the death of Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) Michael Francis Deakin (29 Jul 35 – 28 Oct 22) Queens Regt/AAC. Michael was conscripted for National Service in 1954 and went on to be selected for Officer training at MONS OCS in 1955. He commissioned into the Middlesex Regiment from RMAS in 1957. He served with the Regiment in Cyprus, BAOR and UK before qualifying as an Army Pilot and Light Aircraft Course No 155 in 1962. His first posting in the AAC was with 651 Light Aircraft Squadron. He converted to Scout in 1963 and was seconded to the Royal Malaysian Air Force, serving with them in Malaya and Borneo until 1966. He rejoined the Middlesex Regiment in Northern Ireland at the end of his tour where he commanded A Company and remained at Regimental Duty when the Regiment amalgamated to become 4 Battalion the Queen’s Regiment. He returned to flying duties in 1968 and transferred to the Army Air Corps, completing a Sioux conversion course as part of that transition and taking command of the Royal Scots Greys Air Troop based in Fallingbostel. Following a four year tour as an SO3 in Land Air Warfare and what was to become Personal Branch AAC he took command of 6 Aviation Flight at Netheravon and then as OC 659 Squadron in BAOR and Northern Ireland. In 1975/76 he was GSO 2 SD4/G Ops in HQ BAOR before attending the US Armed Forces Staff College as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1977. On return to UK later that year he converted to Gazelle and carried out Lynx familiarisation in preparation for Command of 3 Regiment AAC based in Soest. He completed his Command tour in the Spring of 1980 and took post at AG 14 Personnel Branch in Stanmore. That was followed by two years as the British Liaison Officer with 2 (French) Corps in France and Baden-Baden and then on to be the NORTHAG LO for 1 (German) Corps based in Munster. He returned to UK for his final tour in Bovington with the development group there.