Naval Career
Born "James Deans", he joined the Royal Navy in 1799. In 1802 he saw action in combat with the French ship Duguay Trouin and was also involved with the capture of La Vautour. For a few weeks in 1806 he was flag-lieutenant to the Hon. George Cranfield Berkeley. Later that year he was given command of HMS Rosmond and was then injured while putting out a fire at Copenhagen Dockyard shortly after its capture. In October he took command pro tem of Cambrian while her captain was taking despatches to London reporting the capture of the city. Deans changed his name to "James Whitley Deans Dundas", following his marriage, in 1808.
He was given command of Stately, flagship of Rear Admiral Thomas Bertie, in 1809 and Venerable and then HMS Pyramus in 1812. It was in the latter ship that he captured several privateers. Then in 1815 he took command of HMS Tagus in the Mediterranean.
He was appointed flag captain to Sir William Parker in HMS Prince Regent in 1830 and flag captain to Sir Philip Durham on HMS Britannia in 1836.
In 1846 he joined the Board of the Admiralty (first as Fourth Naval Lord, then as Second Naval Lord and finally First Naval Lord).
In 1852 he was appointed commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean and led all naval operations in the Black Sea when the Crimean War broke out two years later. He returned to England in January 1855.
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