Richard Saunders Dundas
| Richard Saunders Dundas | |
|---|---|
 Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Dundas |
|
| Born | 11 April 1802 |
| Died | 3 June 1861 London, United Kingdom |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1817 - 1861 |
| Rank | Vice-Admiral |
| Commands held | First Naval Lord |
| Battles/wars | First Opium War |
| Awards | KCB |
Vice Admiral The Hon. Sir Richard Saunders Dundas, KCB (11 April 1802 – 3 June 1861) was a British naval officer and was the British First Sea Lord from 1857 to 1858 and again from 1859 until his death in 1861.
[edit] Early life
The son of Robert Dundas, 2nd Viscount Melville, he was born on 11 April 1802 and educated at Harrow School and joined the Royal Navy in 1817.[1]
He became a captain in the Royal Navy in 1824.[1] He commanded HMS Volage on the South American Station, 1825,[1] and HMS Warspite in Australia, 1827.[1] From 1828-1830 he was secretary to his father, who was serving a second term as First Sea Lord.[1] He later served in the Mediterranean, South Africa and the East Indies, including the First Opium War, for his services in which he was awarded a Companion of the Bath in 1841: ships he commanded at this time were HMS Belvidera[1] and HMS Melville.[1] He was then again (1845-6) Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty, this time Lord Haddington,[1] and from 1848 served in the Mediterranean as Captain of HMS Powerful.[1] He became a Rear Admiral in July 1853.[1]
[edit]
He was appointed Third Naval Lord in January 1853 and Second Naval Lord in June 1854.[2] On 19 February 1855 he was appointed to the command of the Fleet in the Baltic Sea in succession to Sir Charles Napier. Relations between Napier and the Admiralty had been strained to say the least, and in Dundas they were appointing one of their own, with the requisite diplomatic and management skills. As Napier had before him, Dundas enforced a blockade of Russian ports and his ships raided along the coast of Finland, co-operating also with a French Fleet under Admiral Penaud. Dundas knew he was expected to attack the fortress of Sveaborg, which Napier had declined to do, and duly did so in August. Although he inflicted heavy casualties and some material damage, the fortifications were virtually unaffected and the Anglo-French fleet exhausted its entire ammunition in the attempt. Nevertheless this was judged a success, and Dundas would have continued to command the fleet in 1856 had peace not been negotiated.
He was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1856 and was made a grand officer of the Legion of Honour and a Vice Admiral in 1858. He served as Second Naval Lord from April 1857 and as First Naval Lord from November 1857 until March 1858 when he was briefly Second Naval Lord again.[2] He served again as First Naval Lord from June 1859 until his death.[2] He died, unmarried, of a heart attack at 13 New Street, Spring Gardens, London, on the morning of 3 June 1861. Later that day, the Prime-Minister (Viscount Palmerston) described Vice Admiral Dundas as:
- "a most distinguished officer, who was for forty-five years in the service of his country, and who equally distinguished himself in every sphere in which he was called upon to act. He was eminent for the good discipline and order of the ships which he commanded, he was distinguished by the gallantry and good judgment with which he conducted every naval operation in which he was engaged, he was most valuable as a public servant in the direction of naval affairs at the Admiralty. Whether at the Council Board or on the quarter deck his merits were equally eminent, and his services were equally valuable to the country."[3]
[edit] References
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Thomas Herbert |
Third Naval Lord January 1853–June 1854 |
Succeeded by Sir Peter Richards |
| Preceded by Sir Maurice Berkeley |
Second Naval Lord June 1854—February 1855 |
Succeeded by Henry Eden |
| Preceded by Henry Eden |
Second Naval Lord April 1857—November 1857 |
Succeeded by Henry Eden |
| Preceded by Sir Maurice Berkeley |
First Naval Lord November 1857—March 1858 |
Succeeded by Sir William Martin |
| Preceded by Henry Eden |
Second Naval Lord March 1858—June 1859 |
Succeeded by Frederick Pelham |
| Preceded by Sir William Martin |
First Naval Lord June 1859—June 1861 |
Succeeded by Sir Frederick Grey |
