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John Charles Dundas, of Yorkshire, was born on 19th August 1915 and attended Stowe School on a scholarship. He was awarded another scholarship to Christ College, Oxford where he gained a First in Modern History. He also won an award which took him to study at the Sorbonne and Heidelberg.
Dundas subsequently became a journalist on the Yorkshire Post and was sent to Czechoslovakia in 1938 to cover the Munich Crisis. He also covered a subsequent conference in Rome where Mussolini met Prime Minister Chamberlain and Lord Halifax, the Foreign Secretary.
Dundas joined 609 Squadron, Auxiliary Air Force in 1938. He was called to full-time service on 24th August 1939. In operations over Dunkirk Dundas destroyed a He111 and shared a Do17 on 31st May 1940 and damaged a He111 on 1st June.
He claimed a Me110 destroyed on 13th July, another on the 19th, two more Me110's on 11th August and 12th August, a Ju87 and another shared on the 13th, a Do17 destroyed and a He111 shared on the 14th, a probable Me110 on the 25th, a Do17 shared and another damaged on 15th September, a Me110 destroyed and a Do17 damaged on the 24th, a Do17 destroyed on the 25th, a Me109 destroyed and a Do17 damaged on the 26th, a Me110 destroyed on the 27th, a shared Me110 on 7th October and a Me110 on the 15th.
Dundas was awarded the DFC (gazetted 22nd October 1940).
On 27th November he probably destroyed a Ju88 and on the 28th he destroyed a Me109 flown by Major Helmut Wick off the Isle of Wight. Almost immediately Dundas was himself attacked by Wick's No. 2 and shot down after being chased out to sea. He was not seen again.
Dundas was 24. He is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 4.
Son of Frederick James Dundas, and of Silvia Mary Dundas, of Blair Drummond, Perthsire. 1st Cl. Hons. Mod. Hist. at Christ Church, Oxford.
He was awarded a Bar to the DFC (gazetted 7th January 1941).
His portrait was made by Cuthbert Orde.
His younger brother, Hugh Dundas, also served in 609 Squadron and survived the war.
Ref
Battle of Britain Monument London
CWGC
