The day the world air speed record was broken on the Sussex coast

The rules stated that a pilot must better the existing air speed record by one per cent, in this case 715.69mph held by an American ace.

In his four preceding tries, famed test pilot Duke had averaged 722mph, just 1mph short of the record. But today was to be his day. On September 7, 1953, he set a new world air speed record when he flew his Hawker Hunter at 727.63 mph over the sea at Littlehampton.

Duke had been heavily involved in the development of the aircraft, as chief test pilot at Dunsfold, and was made an OBE for his contribution to supersonic flight and ground-breaking achievements at Hawker.

Witnesses to him breaking the sound barrier recalled two very loud supersonic bangs overhead and the whine of the Hunter pulling out of a dive, followed by it roaring back towards the airfield.

Duke was a very shy man, according to his wife, Gwendoline. But he made his name as a war hero, becoming the RAF's highest-scoring fighter pilot in the Mediterranean theatre during the Second World War.

Neville Duke was born in Tonbridge in 1922 and he loved flying from when he was a small boy. He joined the RAF in 1940 and after completing his flying training, he was commissioned and posted to Biggin Hill in April 1941 to join No.92 Squadron, flying Spitfires on operations over northern France.

His first victory was over Dunkirk in June 1941. He went on to complete a total of 486 sorties in 712 hours of operational flying and destroyed 27 enemy aircraft officially, plus probably three more. When he returned to England at the end of October 1944 after an absence of three years, he was still only 22 years old.

Duke was married in 1947 and in later years, was a great supporter of Tangmere Military Aviation Museum. It is here you can see the very Hawker Hunter in which he broke the record as he flew along the coast from Bognor to Worthing.

The prototype's paint scheme had been changed from the original duck egg green to red for the occasion, and it remains that colour to this day.

Duke inspired a generation of pilots and to mark his achievements, a Blue Plaque honouring him was unveiled in Horsham in June 2013. He lived in The Causeway in 1964, a lovely home but one of many as he moved around with his job.

Unveiling the plaque, Air Chief Marshal Sir David Cousins said: "It is impossible for today’s generation to realise but in the 1940s and 1950s, test pilots had the same standing as rock stars and footballers nowadays."

Duke was flying right up until his death in April 2007 at the age of 85. He was in his private plane with Gwendoline when he became ill. He landed safely at Popham Airfield in Hampshire but collapsed as he left the aircraft and died that night at St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey.

Duke was not the first to break world air speed record flying from RAF Tangmere. On September 7, 1946, Group Captain Teddy Donalson set a record of 615.78mph, flying Goster Meteor EE549 off the coast at Rustington.

The RAF High Speed Flight was reformed at Tangmere in late 1945 in order to make an attempt on the world air speed record and the actual aircraft that achieved it can be seen at the aviation museum, being on loan from the RAF Museum.

​​Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, where Duke was honorary president, is the epicentre of local military history, serving as a memorial for men and women in the air force for more than 40 years.

Located in what was once the Royal Air Force station, the museum was born out of a shared desire to honour the memory of Tangmere’s significant military involvement from 1917 to 1970.

It is run entirely by a team of knowledgeable and passionate volunteers, a team made up of aviation and history enthusiasts, including some with personal military experience, and local residents.

The museum honours Tangmere's involvement in the wars and remembers the sacrifices the armed forces made to defend the country.

Aircraft in the Merston Hall includes the record-holding Donaldson’s Meteor and Duke’s Hunter, as well as a replica Spitfire and Hurricane, and three flight simulators.