Neville Frederick Duke
Cover from Test Pilot, Neville Duke's autobiography
Born(1922-01-11)11 January 1922
Tonbridge,
KentDied7 April 2007(2007-04-07) (aged 85)
St Peter's Hospital, ChertseyAllegiance
United KingdomService/branch
Royal Air ForceYears of service1939–1964Rank
Squadron leaderUnit
No. 92 Squadron RAF
No. 112 Squadron RAF
No. 37 Squadron RAFCommands held
No. 615 Squadron RAF
No. 145 Squadron RAFBattles/wars
Second World WarAwards
Distinguished Service Order
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Flying Cross &
Two Bars
Air Force Cross
Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air
War Cross (Czechoslovakia)Other workTest pilot
Squadron Leader Neville Frederick Duke DSO, OBE, DFC & Two Bars, AFC, FRAeS (11 January 1922 – 7 April 2007) was a British test pilot and fighter ace of the Second World War. 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 world's foremost test pilots. In 1953, he became holder of the world air speed record when he flew a Hawker Hunter at 727.63 mph (1,171.01 km/h) over Littlehampton.[1] He became a well-known celebrity in the Coronation year of Queen Elizabeth II, alongside footballer Stanley Matthews, actor Dirk Bogarde and mountaineer Edmund Hillary.
After a very distinguished military career, Duke took up freelance aviation consultancy work until 1960, when he formed Duke Aviation Limited. He was Sir George Dowty's personal pilot for most of the 1960s and 1970s. He sold the company in 1982. He also became a test pilot for Edgley Aircraft and later Brooklands Aircraft on the Edgley Optica and Brooklands Firemaster 65.
Duke wrote several books based on his experiences. His autobiography, Test Pilot, was published in 1953 and reprinted in 1992. His other books include The Sound Barrier (1953), The Crowded Sky (1959) and The War Diaries of Neville Duke (1995). He was awarded the Royal Aero Club's Gold Medal, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 1993. In 2002, he received the Air League's Jeffrey Quill Medal and the Award of Honour from the Guild of Air Pilots and Navigators for "his unique and incomparable record".
Duke became one of the vice presidents of the Eagle Club, formed by the Eagle magazine, in 1950, and many schoolboys from that era came to know of Duke through this association. It is speculated that "Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future" may have been inspired by Duke's achievements.[6]
Duke was honorary president of Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, where his record-breaking Hunter is displayed