John Charles Dundas, DFC & Bar (19 August 1915 – 28 November 1940) was a Royal Air Force fighter pilot and flying ace of the Second World War credited with 12 victories.

After two years, Dundas tired of life as a reporter and joined the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) in July 1938, being commissioned as pilot officer in No.

[3] 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.

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.

Another who worked on the paper at the time, Richard Pape,[Note 1] 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.

In the next patrol, flying L1096, Dundas engaged a German bomber formation and destroyed a Heinkel He 111 and a Dornier Do 17.

[14] On 11 June, Dundas flew one of nine Spitfires that escorted a plane flying Winston Churchill to France, on a mission to try and convince the French to keep fighting.

In late July while night-flying Dundas narrowly escaped with his life; coming into land, his wing struck an artillery emplacement.

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.

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.

[17] Christened Adlertag ("eagle day"), the Germans began a series of heavy air attacks.

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.

[21] 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.

During the battle Dundas was hit in the leg when a cannon round exploded in his cockpit, but flew again the next day.

[Note 3] By now Dundas was recognised as the highest scoring pilot of the unit, he was highly regarded by his comrades and was well-liked.

He passed on experience to younger pilots and was always willing to discuss tactics, particularly with Squadron Leader Michael Robinson.

Approaching his squadron leader, Dundas asked to take his section up for a practice flight; Robinson did not expect anything untoward and gave permission.

At 22,000 feet (6,700 m) Dundas' section made contact, chasing the German over the Isle of Wight at full throttle – reaching 2,600 revs.

Minutes after contact had been made and the battle joined, Flight Lieutenant Fieldsend heard the familiar voice of Dundas shout "I've finished a 109—Whoopee!".

[30] Dundas fired a short burst, hitting Wick's Bf 109 at around 17:00 German time, over the sea near the Isle of Wight.

[29] It has also been suggested that Wick fell victim to Pilot Officer Eric Marrs, who also made a claim in the battle.

[32] Moments later Dundas was probably shot down by Wick's wingman, Rudolf Pflanz who claimed a victory and saw the Spitfire crash into the sea with the pilot still inside.

[35] It was announced on 7 January 1941 in the London Gazette with the citation:[36] Flight Lieutenant Dundas has continued to engage the enemy with outstanding success and has now destroyed at least twelve of their aircraft and damaged many more.

He has shown a magnificent fighting spirit which has inspired the other members of his flight.As an airman who has no known grave, he is commemorated on the Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede (Panel 4).

[37] A small memorial to Dundas is on a cliff-top path east of Freshwater Bay on the Isle of Wight,[34] close to the point where his final battle took place.

One of the aircraft Dundas flew in combat, Supermarine Spitfire number R6915, still exists and is preserved in the Imperial War Museum in London.