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When Harold Victor Dundas married Kathleen Joan
Farrington, he was still married to Sybil Alexa Yates and therefore married
bigamously. He altered his name slightly to Harold Victor Dundas - Dunbar to
avoid detection and moved to Malaya, where he took up the post as station
superintendent at the
Perak River Hydro
Electric Co in Ipoh. A deed of trust was drawn up in
1924 with his first wife. Unfortunately the original has gone missing
although there is still a reference to it in the solicitors papers. Family
legend suggests that this trust was an agreement between Harold Victor and
his first wife to agree to the separation although remaining married on
paper, thereby leaving Harold's estate intact for his son. (Frederick Victor
Leopold Dundas). When the Japanese invaded Malaya, it is believed that a
false death certificate was arranged to show Harold as having died in Wales.
No doubt no one believed that Harold would escape the Japanese and it was
therefore necessary to protect the estate of his first son in England.
(Kathleen Joan Farrington, his 2nd wife and the 2 sons returned to England
before the invasion of the Japanese). Harold
was taken a prisoner of war by the Japanese but survived his internment in
Changi. Due to the supposed death in Wales, he was unable to return home,,
but did eventually return in 1956, very sick and died shortly afterwards. His
death certificate gives his name as Harold Vincent Dunbar, which is
incorrect. Captain H. V. Dundas, was mentioned
in despatches and awarded the French Legion of Honour for his services as a
Destroyer C.O. at Jutland
1914-15 Star,; British War and Victory Medals, Coronation 1911, Spanish Order
of Naval Merit. Harold Victor Dundas entered
the training ship Britannia in July 1891. He was appointed Midshipman in
November 1893 and Lieutenant in December 1899, he was commended as a
‘particularly able Destroyer Officer’ and gained his first command of that
ship type, H.M.S. Albatross, in October 1905. In January 1906, he was
appointed Captain of the destroyer Locust, in which capacity he was awarded
the Spanish Order of Naval Merit - his service record states that an
application to wear the insignia was turned down by the Admiralty. He also
commanded torpedo boats in this period.
He was promoted to Commander in June 1912, served as commanding officer of
the destroyer Cameleon from October 1914 to November 1915 and transferred to
another destroyer, the Ossory, in the latter month. As part of the 11th
Flotilla, 2nd Battle Squadron, based at Invergordon, the Ossory was present
at Jutland in the following year, Dundas being commended for his services as
her C.O. in the action (London Gazette 15 September 1916) and awarded the
French Legion of Honour in the same month. He sustained a shrapnel injury
during the action at Jutland. His next command, which he held from September
1916 until March 1918, was the flotilla leader Grenville, where he faced a
court martial in 1918 after a collision in the Scapa Flow where he had left a
junior officer on watch. He ended the War with an appointment in the Convoy
Section at President. He also served as a coast guard prior to his retirement
at Great Yarmouth.
Harold Victor Dundas was placed on the Retired List at his own request, with
the rank of Captain, in November 1923. |
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