Neville Duke Military person

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. 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.

Personal facts

Birth date	January 11, 1922
Birth place	England , Kent , Tonbridge
Date of death	April 07, 2007
Place of death	England , Surrey , Chertsey

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Military person

award	Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order
military operations	World War II
military command	No. 145 Squadron RAF
military unit	No. 112 Squadron RAF No. 37 Squadron RAF No. 92 Squadron RAF
service start	1939
service end	1964