Thomas Dundas (Royal Navy officer) facts for kids

Sir Thomas Dundas (born around 1765 – died 29 March 1841) was a brave officer in the Royal Navy. He served during important wars like the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars.

Dundas was a skilled captain of frigates, which are fast warships. He captured several enemy ships. He also played a key role at the famous Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. There, he helped send signals and rescued damaged British ships. He continued to serve in the navy, rising through the ranks, and became a Vice-Admiral before he passed away.

Early Naval Career

Thomas Dundas joined the navy in 1778, when he was about 13 years old. This was during the American War of Independence. He became a lieutenant in 1793, right when the French Revolutionary War began.

Later, he was promoted to commander in 1795 and then to post-captain in 1798. He took command of the warship HMS Prompte. In 1799, he captured a valuable Spanish whaling ship. He also captured a Spanish warship called Urca Cargadora. After this, he commanded HMS Solebay and safely guided merchant ships to the Mediterranean Sea.

Leading a Frigate

When peace ended in 1803, Dundas returned to sea. In 1804, he took command of the 36-gun frigate HMS Naiad. He patrolled off the coast of Spain and in the English Channel. During this time, he captured several enemy ships.

In late 1804, he captured a Spanish ship carrying a lot of money. He also helped capture two privateer ships named Fanny and Superb. The Naiad also fought against Spanish gunboats in the Bay of Gibraltar.

A Close Call at Sea

In August 1805, Dundas had a very close call. He met a large fleet of ships off northern Spain. These ships used British codes to challenge the Naiad. However, it was actually the combined French and Spanish fleet, led by Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve.

The Naiad managed to escape, avoiding fire from the French frigates. On August 20, Dundas met Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Calder's squadron. Calder's ships were on their way to block the enemy fleet at Ferrol.

Watching the Enemy Fleet

Calder's force then joined the British ships blocking the enemy fleet in Cadiz. This fleet was led by Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood. Dundas used this time to bother enemy supply ships.

On September 28, Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson arrived to take command. The main British fleet then moved out of sight. Nelson used his frigates, including Dundas's Naiad, to watch the enemy fleet. These frigates also sent signals back to Nelson.

When the combined fleet sailed out on October 19, Naiad was third in the line of British frigates. As the enemy fleet approached over the next two days, Naiad and the other frigates followed them closely. They kept reporting on the enemy's movements.

Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar

On the morning of October 21, 1805, the two fleets were in sight of each other. Nelson called the four frigate captains to his flagship, HMS Victory. These captains included Dundas of the Naiad, Prowse of the Sirius, Blackwood of the Euryalus, and Capel of the Phoebe.

Orders for Battle

Nelson gave them their orders for the battle. They were to stay upwind of the Victory and repeat his signals to the rest of the fleet. They also had to watch the battle, report any escaping enemy ships, and take over surrendered enemy ships. Most importantly, they were to tow any damaged British ships or their captured prizes to safety.

After receiving their orders, the captains went below deck. There, they witnessed Nelson's will. The Naiad stayed out of the main fighting. It did not fire its guns and had no casualties. After the battle, the Naiad took the badly damaged HMS Belleisle in tow. The Belleisle had lost its masts.

Rescuing the Belleisle

Naiad tows the Belleisle towards Gibraltar, 23 October 1805. A jury rig is visible on the battered Belleisle, while Naiad carries a full spread of canvas.

Dundas's biggest challenge after the battle was guiding both the Naiad and the crippled Belleisle to safety. A strong storm was rising, and they needed to reach Gibraltar. By October 22, they had lost contact with most of the fleet. Dundas kept going, often having to pull the ships away from the coast. Strong winds threatened to push them onto the shore.

Better weather on the morning of October 23 allowed Dundas to set more sails. But the gale returned in the afternoon, putting both ships in danger. During the afternoon, the crews were startled when a large warship appeared from the south. At first, they thought it might be an enemy ship that had escaped Trafalgar. But after exchanging signals, it was revealed to be HMS Donegal, rushing north to join the fleet.

Naiad and Belleisle fought the storm for the rest of the day. The tow rope snapped several times. But the Naiad sailed close enough to the damaged Belleisle for a new rope to be thrown across. The sea was too rough to launch small boats. Later that evening, the two ships collided. This damaged the Naiad's small boat and smashed part of its side.

Reaching Safety

Dundas was eventually forced to pull away from the Belleisle as night fell. He had to try and save his own ship. During the night, the Naiad's sails were damaged by the strong winds. The Belleisle was also in a terrible situation. It was almost blown onto the Spanish coast before its crew managed to turn it around.

The Belleisle survived the night with difficulty. When daylight came, Dundas found it and reattached the tow line. He steered straight for Gibraltar. They saw the rock by midday, even though a Spanish battery at Tarifa had fired on them. Dundas took Naiad in and anchored that afternoon. The Belleisle was then pulled into the mole, a harbor wall.

For his brave actions at Trafalgar, Dundas was later given a special sword from the Lloyd's Patriotic Fund.

Later Life and Achievements

Dundas remained in command of the Naiad until 1808. He served in the blockade of Rochefort, a French port. After that, Dundas commanded other warships, including the 64-gun HMS Africa (another ship that fought at Trafalgar) and the 74-gun HMS Vengeur.

In 1822, he took command of HMS Bulwark and was stationed at Plymouth. During his career, Dundas is said to have invented a special type of fire-starting ball. This ball was light and could be thrown a great distance. It would catch fire in a unique way, spreading a strong flame that could reach a yard long.

Dundas was promoted to rear-admiral in 1825. He became a vice-admiral in 1837. In 1831, he was honored as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. This is a very important award. He passed away in Reading, Berkshire, on March 29, 1841. The sword he received for his service at Trafalgar is now kept in the National Maritime Museum.