Major-General Sir David Dawnay KCVO CB DSO (10 July 1903 – 9 October 1971) was a British Army officer who became Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Hugh Dawnay, son of the 8th Viscount Downe and Lady Susan de la Poer Beresford, daughter of the 5th Marquess of Waterford and educated at Eton and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst,[2] Dawnay was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in January 1924[3] before transferring to the 10th Hussars later that year.

[4] He was part of the British polo team which won the silver medal in the 1936 Summer Olympics: he played both matches in the tournament, the first against Mexico and the final against Argentina.

[10][9] In 1926 Dawnay married his cousin Lady Katharine Nora de la Poer Beresford, daughter of Henry de la Poer Beresford, 6th Marquess of Waterford and Lady Beatrix Frances Petty-FitzMaurice; they had two daughters and two sons.

Hugh's twin, Peter, married Caroline, daughter of Group Captain Nicolas Tindal-Carill-Worsley.