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John Charles Dundas, DFC & Bar (19 August 1915 – 28 November 1940) was a British Second World War fighter pilot and flying ace (a title awarded to a pilot credited with shooting down at least five enemy aircraft in aerial combat) with 12 victories. Born in West Yorkshire in 1915, the son of an aristocrat, Dundas was an able student and academic. After his graduation at the age of 21, and the completion of his studies, he became a journalist and joined a newspaper in his home county. After two years, Dundas tired with life as a reporter, Dundas joined the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) in July 1938 being commissioned as pilot officer in No. 609 (West Riding) Squadron 〔https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34544/page/5420〕 and trained as a pilot at his own expense. His pilot training was complete in 1939. In May 1940 his unit, No. 609 Squadron RAF, 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.〔https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34976/page/6134〕 At the time of his last battle Dundas had been credited with 12 aircraft destroyed, two shared destroyed, four probably destroyed and five damaged.〔Franks 1980, p. 193–195.〕 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. ==Early life== 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.〔Bishop 2004, p.76.〕 Dundas was also related to the House of Halifax.〔Franks 1980, p. 178.〕〔Franks 1980, p. 178.〕 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.〔〔Wynn 1999, p.143〕 Dundas subsequently became a journalist for the ''Yorkshire Post'' and its editorial staff. Another who worked on the paper at the time, Richard Pape,〔Pape later served in RAF Bomber Command. He was taken prisoner by the Germans, but escaped by feigning illness and being repatriated during a prisoner exchange. His post-war account of his wartime career, '' Boldness Be My Friend'' (1953), was very successful.〕 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.〔〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=A Letter From Richard Pape )〕 The newspaper sent him to Czechoslovakia during the Munich Crisis as apart 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.〔Bungat 2000, p. 246.〕 At that time, the squadron was manned by part-time civilians and was equipped with Hawker Hind bombers. It was converted from a bomber to a fighter aircraft squadron and later, in August 1939, re-equipped with the Supermarine Spitfire. John Dundas was well respected by his peers and he frequently flew his commanding officer's Hind.〔Ziegler 1971, p. 63.〕 Dundas' younger brother Hugh Dundas was also a fighter pilot. Hugh was wounded in August 1940 but recovered and eventually rose to the rank of group captain. Hugh survived the war and died in 1995.〔Franks 1980, pp. 184.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「John Dundas (RAF officer)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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