Memorial to Flt. Lt. John Dundas of 609 Sqn and Worsley Studio progress

John Dundas Memorial

If anyone would like a print of the montage below,
we can do them in 19" x 13" un-mounted rolled sheet complete with the write-up as below.
Please phone for details.

A gathering was held at 1400 hrs. on Tuesday the 28th November 2000, on the eastern cliffs overlooking
Freshwater Bay, Isle of Wight, to bless a memorial stone to honour the life and courage of Flt. Lt. John Dundas of
609 Squadron, who was lost in action exactly sixty years prior to the ceremony.

Flt. Lt. Dundas had been involved in an aerial dog-fight high above Freshwater in the late afternoon and had
chased the German Ace major Helmut Wick who was trying to return to his base in France.
Having despatched Major Wick, John Dundas was shot down by Wick's wing-man Rudolf Flanz. Both men were lost.

Attending the memorial ceremony were Lady Rosamond Dundas, sister in-law of John Dundas and
Christopher Bland, Lord Lieutenant of the island. The initial address was made by Graham Alderson and the
memorial blessing was by the Reverend Clive Burland. Officers, standard bearers and
cadets of 1024 Sqn. A.T.C. attended as did members of the Royal Air Force association, IOW and members of the
Royal Flying Corpse Association, British Legion, Girl's Venture Corpse and Laurie Moore, Secretary of
the R.A.F.A. Fareham. Others of note include:- Graham and Anne Alderson who initiated and donated the
memorial assisted by Diane and Ken lodge, Les Boxall who composed the memorial, Denis Smith and
Bob and Val Ottway owners of the land on which the memorial stone is sited.
The Sandpipers Hotel, Freshwater Bay kindly provided refreshments for the occasion.

I was honoured to meet Lady Dundas who features in the montage above, holding a photo of
her husband Hugh (Cocky) Dundas with his brother John taken whilst they were
on leave from the R.A.F. together in 1940.

See my painting and story-sheet of the incident:
"The Needles and the Ace of spades"