John Dundas (RAF officer)

John Charles Dundas, (19 August 1915 – 28 November 1940) was a Royal Air Force fighter pilot and flying ace of the Second World War credited with 12 victories.

Born in West Yorkshire as the son of an aristocrat, Dundas was an able student and academic.

After graduating from Christ Church, Oxford, he became a journalist and joined a newspaper in his home county.

John Charles Dundas was born in West Yorkshire in 1915.

He was related to two aristocratic families in the region; he was the grandson of the Scottish Liberal politician John Dundas and the great-grandson of Lawrence Dundas, 1st Earl of Zetland.

Dundas was also related to the House of Halifax.

Dundas won a scholarship to Stowe School at the age of 12.

At the age of 17 he won a second scholarship to Christ Church, Oxford.

Dundas graduated with a first class degree in Modern History before winning a further award that allowed him to study at both Sorbonne and the University of Heidelberg.

Dundas subsequently became a journalist for the Yorkshire Post and its editorial staff.

Another who worked on the paper at the time, Richard Pape, recalled him as a man indifferent to his personal appearance, who wore frayed trousers, frequently had ink-stained hands and would spill beer over himself when drinking, yet who was also popular with the newspaper's younger, female staff members.

After two years, Dundas tired of life as a reporter and joined the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) in July 1938, being commissioned as pilot officer in No. 609 (West Riding) Squadron and trained as a pilot at his own expense.

The newspaper sent him to Czechoslovakia during the Munich Crisis as a part of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's entourage in 1938 before travelling to Rome to report on a meeting between Benito Mussolini, Chamberlain and Lord Halifax, the Foreign Secretary, to whom Dundas was related.

In July 1938, at the age of 23, Dundas was commissioned as a pilot officer in No. 609 Squadron RAF, a Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron.

Hugh and John's godfather had set up the unit.

At that time, the squadron was manned by part-time civilians and was equipped with Hawker Hind bombers.

John Dundas was well respected by his peers and he frequently flew his commanding officer's Hind.

However, on 18 June 1939, Dundas was flying this aircraft when it suffered an engine failure on take-off.

Without the power to get airborne, it crashed through the airfield fence and finished up in the garden of a neighbouring house.

It was subsequently written off.

The squadron was converted from a bomber to a fighter aircraft squadron and later, in August 1939, re-equipped with the Supermarine Spitfire.

Dundas' younger brother Hugh was also a fighter pilot.

In May 1940 his squadron took part in the Battle of France, during which Dundas claimed his first two victories.

Dundas remained with his squadron throughout the Battle of Britain, claiming nine German aircraft shot down.

On 9 October he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for 10 victories.

At the time of his last battle Dundas had been credited with 12 aircraft destroyed, two shared destroyed, four probably destroyed and five damaged.

During a battle over the English Channel on 28 November 1940, Dundas is believed to have engaged and shot down Helmut Wick, the highest-scoring ace of the Luftwaffe at that time.

Moments later Dundas was also shot down into the sea.

Both pilots vanished and remain missing in action.

Hugh was wounded in August 1940 but recovered and eventually rose to the rank of group captain.

Dundas was promoted to the rank of flying officer in January 1940.

609 Squadron was positioned on the south coast of England in May 1940, and was part of RAF Fighter Command operations to provide air cover for the Royal Navy and civilian vessels that were taking part in the Dunkirk evacuation.

On 30 May, he flew his first patrol.

The following day his squadron was put on 30 minutes readiness at RAF North Weald from 12:30 pm.

He survived the war and died in 1995.

At 14:00 His squadron took off, headed for Dunkirk at 20000 ft and engaged the enemy for the first time.

In the next patrol, flying L1096, Dundas engaged a German bomber formation and destroyed a Heinkel He 111 and a Dornier Do 17.

Dundas did not score again during the Battle of France.

On 11 June, Dundas flew one of nine Spitfires that escorted a plane flying Winston Churchill to France, on a mission to try and convince the French to keep fighting.

Over the next few weeks 609 Squadron had moved from RAF Northolt to RAF Middle Wallop.