John Dundas (Royal Navy officer)

Born on 3 November 1893, Dundas was the son of the Hon. Cospatrick Thomas Dundas, DL, JP (1862–1906) and his wife Maud FitzWilliam (1871–1949), a daughter of the Hon. George Wentworth-FitzWilliam and a granddaughter of the 5th Earl FitzWilliam. Dundas's father was a grandson of the 1st Earl of Zetland and, when his elder brother inherited the earldom in 1873, Cospatrick was afforded the style of a peer's younger son. After his death in 1906, Maud remarried (in 1912) to the army officer and colonial administrator Major Sir Harry Edward Spiller Cordeaux.[1]

Dundas entered the Royal Navy in 1907 as a cadet.[2] He was commissioned as a full Sub-Lieutenant in December 1914[3] and promoted to Lieutenant a year later.[4] During the First World War, Dundas served in torpedo boats and in HMS Hercules.[2] Promoted to Lieutenant-Commander in December 1923,[5] He completed training at the Naval Staff College in 1924 and served as the gunnery officer for the 2nd Cruiser Squadron.[2] In 1928, he was promoted to Commander.[2] Between 1930 and 1932, he was gunnery officer to the Mediterranean Fleet; after serving on Valiant, he attended staff training at Camberley in 1935 and was promoted to captain. In 1936, he studied at the Imperial Defence College.[2] He commanded the sloop Folkestone in 1936–1937[6] and in 1938 was appointed assistant director of Plans at the Admiralty. Several months into the Second World War, he was given command of the light cruiser Nigeria (1940–1942),[6] and was involved in escorting the Russian convoys.[2] He created a new manoeuvre called the "Dundas zig-zag".[2]

Dundas was Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet from 1942 to 1943, when was appointed Chief of Staff, Levant.[2] Promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1944, he was Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff from 1944 to 1945. He retired in 1946 and afforded the rank of Vice-Admiral in 1948.[2] He died on 26 March 1952.[7]