Squadron Leader Neville Frederick Duke DSO OBE DFC** AFC FRAeS RAF (11 January 1922–7 April 2007) was a British Second World War fighter ace. He was the most successful Western Allied ace in the Mediterranean Theatre, and was credited with the destruction of 27 enemy aircraft. After the end of the war, Duke was acknowledged as one of the worlds foremost test pilots. Duke joined Hawker as an assistant chief test pilot in 1948, and became Hawkers Chief Test Pilot in 1951, following the death of Wimpy Wade, his predecessor. He was particularly involved in the development of the highly successful Hawker Hunter, flying the Hawker P1067 in its trials in July 1951. He gave a display in the new fighter at the Farnborough Airshow on 6 September 1952, shortly after a prototype de Havilland DH 110, piloted by his friend John Derry, had broken up in flight, killing Derry and his observer Tony Richards, along with 28 spectators. My dear Duke, the Prime Minister wrote to him the next day, it was characteristic of you to go up yesterday after the shocking accident. Accept my salute. Yours, in grief, Winston Churchill.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 08:35:53 +0000
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