page_title: John Dundas (RAF officer)
section_title: Battle of Britain
hierarchical_section_title: John Dundas (RAF officer) / Second World War / Battle of Britain
caption_attribution_description: English: Spitfire at the London Imperial War Museum Français&#160;: Spitfire exposé à l'Imperial War Museum de Londres
context_page_description: John Charles Dundas, DFC & Bar 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. After two years, Dundas tired of life as a reporter and joined the Royal Auxiliary Air Force in July 1938, being commissioned as pilot officer in No. 609 Squadron and trained as a pilot at his own expense.
  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 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.
context_section_description: Over the next few weeks 609 Squadron had moved from RAF Northolt to RAF Middle Wallop. It was from here Dundas gained his first victory of the Battle of Britain, in a phase known as the Kanalkampf. On 13 July, as section leader, Dundas led a patrol over a convoy. Failing to find the convoy the Spitfires engaged German aircraft at 15,000 feet (4,600 m) near Portland, England. Flying in R6634 Dundas led a diving attack out of the sun against Messerschmitt Bf 110s. Dundas claimed a Bf 110 destroyed though the damaged aircraft and its wounded pilot, Leutnant Krebitz, made it back to France, where the Bf 110 was severely damaged in a crash-landing. In late July while night-flying Dundas narrowly escaped with his life; coming into land, his wing struck an artillery emplacement. He landed without injury.
  Over the next few days, Dundas fought continuous battles with German formations. He noted the growing intensity of the air battles and assumed responsibility for the unit's war diary in August. In this diary he remarked;
  So far as 609 was concerned, the Nazi blitz began on the 8th August...Four pilots engaged and accounted for five huns.
  On 11 August 1940 Dundas flew R6769. Taking off at 09:45 am he led yellow section out to sea near the Isle of Wight at 24,000 feet (7,300 m). Dundas and two other Spitfires (including his wingman) lost contact with his squadron. He saw nine Hawker Hurricanes below and in mid-Channel but also noticed contrails above and climbed up to investigate. The aircraft were Bf 110s, with Messerschmitt Bf 109s providing top cover. Dundas led an attack, but lost the other Spitfires and attacked alone. He shot down a Bf 110 but received hits from German rear gunners. It is likely that the Bf 110 was from I./Zerstörergeschwader 2 ("destroyer wing 2").
  On 12 August the battle was repeated against Bf 109s and Bf 110s over the same area. Dundas shot down another Bf 110. Shaking off a Bf 109, he damaged another but was forced to disengage as more German fighters closed in and fuel and ammunition had run low. His fifth victory now made him a flying ace.
  A major effort was made by the Luftwaffe on 13 August 1940. Christened Adlertag ("eagle day"), the Germans began a series of heavy air attacks. At 15:30 NO. 609 Squadron was scrambled, with Dundas flying in R6690 as number four in red section. At 10,000 feet (3,000 m) he spotted German fighters. Red leader could not see the enemy and instructed Dundas to take the lead. Climbing into the sun at 18,000 feet (5,500 m), Dundas saw Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers below him. Attacking he shot down one of the Ju 87s from Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 ("dive bombing wing 2"). Dundas damaged another before being hit. He made a "dead-stick" landing at RAF Warmwell. The German unit that 609 attacked was badly hit. One Staffel ("squadron") of II./StG 2 lost six out of nine Ju 87s.
  The following day, 14 August 609 was patrolling Boscombe Down at 15,000 feet (4,600 m). Flying Spitfire R6961, Dundas damaged a Bf 110 before it escaped into cloud. Directed onto a formation of Do 17s soon after he damaged one bomber before taking hits from defensive fire. Returning to base, Dundas spotted a He 111 with its wheels down and made a brief attack that caused it to crash 5 miles (8 km) south-west of his airfield. The machine belonged to the Stabsstaffel from Kampfgeschwader 55 ("bomber wing 55").
  Dundas did not make another claim until 15 September, a date known as Battle of Britain Day. In the morning, piloting R6922, he damaged a Do 17, knocking out one of its engines. Flying another Spitfire, X4107, he shared a Do 17 with his wingmen, Pilot Officer Mike Appleby, and the American pilot Vernon Keogh. On 24 September, he damaged a Do 17 while destroying a Bf 110 in X4472. In the same Spitfire Dundas claimed a Bf 109 shot down on 26 September and damaged another Do 17. The following day he claimed a Bf 110 destroyed near Bristol.
  Eleven days later Dundas claimed a probable victory against a Bf 110, after a battle with German aircraft six miles north of RAF Warmwell at 16:30. Despite firing a 12–
caption: Spitfire R6915, Imperial War Museum (2005). Dundas made a probable claim against a Bf 110 on 9 October 1940 in this machine.
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