112 Squadron Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk signed Squadron Leader Neville Duke CBE DSO DFC** AFC

£15.00

Product may vary slightly from image representation.
This cover started back in 2003 having had a conversation about the RAF in the Western Desert with Neville Duke when comparing the amount of items to relating the various theatres of war during WWII. Always being inspired by Neville Duke, and also a childhood obsession with aircraft with shark?s teeth, something had to be done. This cover shows a Kittyhawk of No 112 Squadron, one of the RAF versions of the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk.

The cover bears BFPS 2847 postmark for the 65th Anniversary of the flight of the production Curtiss P-40 Warhawk 14 April 2005. The postmark shows a No 112 Squadron aircraft GA-F (also on the cover and an aircraft Duke flew).

Hand signed by Squadron Leader Neville Duke OBE DSO DFC** AFC
203 Signed, Numbered and Certified

In October 1941 Duke was posted to the Middle East, where he joined 112 Squadron in November. On 30 November he was shot down and on 5 December was shot down again. By the end of February 1942 Duke had achieved 8 confirmed and 3 probable victories. He was awarded a DFC in March and then served at the Fighter School at El Ballal in the Canal Zone as an instructor until 18 November, when he rejoined 92 Squadron, which was now also in the Desert. He became a flight commander in January 1943 and was awarded a DSO in March and by the end of his second tour had added a further 14 victories to his total.