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. [7] Duke's books included Sound Barrier, Test Pilot, The Crowded Sky and The War Diaries of Neville Duke. George Neville, the son of John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu, created Duke of Bedford in the Peerage of England in 1470. Deprived by Act of Parliament in 1478. Many witnesses believe to this day that it was the loss of the tailplane that caused the disaster, but a cine film taken by a spectator shows very clearly what happened - in fact a sequence of stills from this film was used in the book. But the break-up, which was witnessed by John's wife Eve, happened in less than a second - too fast for the mind to recall with any accuracy. GA-F,note only two wing mounted guns with the British radio mast Tomahawk Mk II B of 112 Squadron, that crash landed after a mission. 112 Sqn RAF/Pilot F.O. Duke - AK402 GA-F was a Tomahawk IIB (P-40C) flown by Flying Officer Neville Duke of 112 Sqn RAF in November 1941. While flying this aircraft, Duke was credited with three kills in nine days. (a CR.42, a Me 109F, and a G.50) On 30 November, the aircraft was lost when Duke was shot down by Otto Schultz of JG27. Duke bellied in and survived the crash, and became the Allies' highest scoring ace in the Mediterranean theatre. After the war, Duke (DSO, OBE, DFC with two bars, AFC, Czech Military Cross) flew as a test pilot and at one time held the world speed record.

Created by writ in the Peerage of England in 1295 when Ralph Neville was summoned to Parliament. Attainted in 1571. Neville Duke was a quiet, modest man, reluctant to talk about his achievements but always available to discuss other people's interests and aviation projects.He gave great support to the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum where he was honorary president and where his record-breaking Hunter is on permanent display. The parting from Southampton, Was tragic comedy, For “Stinker” Strong was shouting out“Wave, boys, that’s my Betty” Neville Duke would live until the age of 85, having gained many awards including the Gold Medal of the Royal Aero Club and a Queen’s Commendation. He would also write several popular books, with Sound Barrier, Test Pilot and The Crowded Sky among the best known.After completing his flying training, Duke was commissioned and posted to Biggin Hill in April 1941 to join No 92 Squadron, flying Spitfires on sweeps over northern France.He scored his first victory over Dunkirk in June when he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109, followed by his second a few weeks later.With No 92 moving north and away from the action, in November Duke was posted to the Middle East, joining No 112 Squadron, equipped with the Tomahawk. The family's wealth and power grew steadily over the following centuries. Their regional power benefited greatly from frequent appointment to such royal offices as sheriff, castellan, justice of the forest, and justice of the peace in various parts of northern England. [16] This prominent office-holding began with Geoffrey de Neville's son Robert, in the reign of Henry III, whom Robert supported against the barons under Simon de Montfort. [17] The Nevilles also held administrative office under the prince-bishops of Durham. [18] Robert's grandson Ralph Neville was one of the founding members of the Peerage of England, being summoned to sit in the House of Lords at its establishment in 1295, and thus initiating the line of Barons Neville de Raby. [19] Collins, Arthur (1982). Peerage of England, Volume 5. F. C. and J. Rivington. p. 151. crinan neville. Neville Duke was one of the first men to fly an aircraft at a speed greater than the speed of sound.

But it is his air speed record for which he is best remembered. On 7th September 1953, an excited crowd gathered over the shingle beach at Littlehampton as Neville Duke attempted to break the record set by American Lt Col WF Barnes in an F-86D Sabre. Flying a red Hawker Hunter, he achieved a speed of 727.48mph in a timed run offshore, beating the record by just 12mph and falling only 33mph short of the sound barrier on that occasion. The great Neville family traces its origins to Geoffrey "de Neville" (d.circa 1242), the son of Robert FitzMaldred and Isabel de Neville, who adopted the family name of his mother. My father had an interest in John Derry as he had a special small framed painting given to him of Derry breaking the sound barrier in 1948. I had the urge to move, a decision that saved our lives as the engine landed where we were standing previously. Dreadful memory. Thousands of spectators watched as a De Havilland 110 aircraft broke the sound barrier and then disintegrated in the sky above them and fell to earth.Geoffrey de Neville's eldest son and heir was Robert de Neville, Sheriff of Yorkshire and Sheriff of Northumberland (1258). Other children include Geoffrey—who was to start a cadet branch of the family in Hornby, Lancashire [12]—John, [12] and Hugh. [13] The identity of the mother, however, is disputed among scholars. A. F. Pollard, for example, writing in the Dictionary of National Biography in 1894 suggested that she was Margaret, daughter of Sir John de Longvillers. However, this Margaret was married until 1285, and there is evidence from a Lincolnshire fine of 1247 which refers to one Robert de Neville, knight, and his mother, Joan. [12] [note 1] Rise to power [ edit ]

Thought to be F. T. D. or Percy Drinkwater Strong, (42277) not confirmed as the right Strong for RAF 112 Sqdn At the end of this hectic period he was promoted to squadron leader and returned to the fighter school as the chief instructor.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] While other recollections of the day are few, I can still see one of the engines from John Derry's aircraft careering towards and over the top of us (it came down in the crowd on the embankment some way behind). John Derry was renowned for 'splitting the hill' flying on his wing tips in the Vampires and Venoms.