<i>Pilots of No. 112 Squadron RAF photographed on reaching the end of their tour of operations in North Africa, 1942: Flight Lieutenant D F "Jerry" Westenra, Flying Officer N F Duke and Flight Lieutenant P H "Hunk" Humphreys.</i><br><p>Three notable pilots of No. 112 Squadron RAF, photographed on reaching the end of their tour of operations with the Squadron in North Africa, (left to right): Flight Lieutenant D F "Jerry" Westenra, Flying Officer N F Duke and Flight Lieutenant P H "Hunk" Humphreys.  Each of them wears the top button of his dress tunic undone as the (unofficial) mark of the fighter pilot at the time.
Westenra was a New Zealander from Christchurch, who joined 112 Squadron early in 1941, flying with them in Greece, Crete, and in the Western Desert where he was made a flight commander.  He is reputed to have urged the adoption of the 'Sharkmouth' insignia by the Squadron in September 1941.  At the conclusion of his tour in March 1942, he received the DFC for shooting down five enemy aircraft.  In 1943 Westenra flew with No. 601 Squadron RAF in North Africa, and commanded No. 93 Squadron RAF in Italy.  In March 1944 he was appointed to command No. 65 Squadron RAF during the Normandy Invasion, returning to New Zealand in September 1944.
Duke was posted to 112 Squadron in February 1941 after serving with No. 92 Squadron RAF in the United Kingdom.  Despite being shot down twice, he achieved an impressive tally of eight confirmed victories in the Western Desert before leaving the Squadron in April 1942.  He was then posted to El Ballah as an instructor at the Fighter School before rejoining 92 Squadron in the Western Desert in November 1942 and a adding further 14 victories to his total.  In June 1943 he became Chief Flying Instructor at No. 73 Operational Training Unit at Abu Sueir, but returned to operations as Commanding Officer of No. 145 Squadron RAF in Italy in March 1944.  He returned to the United Kingdom in January 1945 with 28 victories to become a test pilot with Hawkers.
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Humphreys joined 112 Squadron as a flight commander in November 1941 after serving with Nos 152 and 92 Squadrons RAF.  Like Duke, he left the Squadron in April 1942 to instruct at the Fighter School at El Ballah before returning to operations with No. 92 Squadron RAF in early 1943.  He later took command of this Squadron and led it to Malta, Sicily and Italy before another rest from operations in November 1943.  In April 1944 Humphreys returned to Italy to command No. 111 Squadron RAF, and left for the United Kingdom in November 1944 on his appointment as Station Commander at RAF Castle Bromwich.  He was killed in a flying accident in 1947.
Royal Air Force official photographer
<p><a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//22/media-22786/large.jpg">http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//22/media-22786/large.jpg</a>
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<td>This photograph <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205126791">CM 2504</a> comes from the collections of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.iwm.org.uk/">Imperial War Museums</a>.
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