In 1925, the union's general secretary, Joe Williams, resigned, and Dambman ran in the election to succeed him.
In 1931, Teale died, and Dambman was elected as his successor, beating William Batten, John Briggs, and a candidate named Whitaker.
[2][3] The union was in financial difficulty, and the combined impact of the Great Depression and the move to talkies meant that many members faced unemployment.
He reached agreements with the British Broadcasting Corporation and Phonographic Performance Limited on payments to musicians.
He also persuaded the union to affiliate to the Labour Party, and unsuccessfully campaigned for musicians to be exempted from enlistment during World War II.