Captain John Francis Dunstan TD Royal Signals
The Man John Francis Dunstan was born in 1921 in Wandsworth, Surrey, son of John Arthur Dunstan and Lilian Mildred Rose nee Benson. He had one brother Henry Walter born in 1911.
No detail is known of John’s early life but during the late 1930s he enlisted into the Territorial Army (TA), Royal Corps of Signals with service number 2579139. At the outbreak of World War II on 3rd September 1939, he was embodied and served ‘at home’ for the duration of the war, being promoted to Corporal and awarded the Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45 and Efficiency Medal ‘Territorial’, the latter being notified in Army Order 69 of 1946.
During the second quarter of 1945 John married Rene Maud Bennion, a Stationery Shop Assistant, in Shardlow, Derbyshire. They had three sons, Clive Howard born on 1946, John Nevis 1947, Richard Ewart 1951
During 1953 John re-enlisted into the TA Royal Signals, with a new service number 22569622 (the TA numbering system having changed to bring it into sequential numbering rather than regimental batching) and promoted to Sergeant. He was subsequently Commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant 1st March 1954 with a new number 434807 and promoted to Lieutenant the same day, likely on account of his Senior NCO status.
On 1st May 1959 he was promoted to Captain and in 1965 awarded the Efficiency Decoration ‘Territorial’ appearing in the London Gazette of 17th September. In 1965 the family were living at 46 Beddington Gardens, Mitcham, Surrey and during 1967 John was transferred to the Territorial Army & Volunteer Reserve, resigning his Commission on 28th June 1968 aged 47 retaining the rank of Captain.
In later life John and Rene lived at 4 Kingates Court, 43 Wickham Road, Beckenham, Kent and Rene passed away on 9th August 1983. John re-married in April 1986 to Janet Thompson C Durbin in Wandsworth.
It is possible that John and Janet emigrated to Australia as the only subsequent records available are in that country and at the time of Rene’s death their son John was living in Worrnambool, Victoria.
No detail is known of John’s early life but during the late 1930s he enlisted into the Territorial Army (TA), Royal Corps of Signals with service number 2579139. At the outbreak of World War II on 3rd September 1939, he was embodied and served ‘at home’ for the duration of the war, being promoted to Corporal and awarded the Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45 and Efficiency Medal ‘Territorial’, the latter being notified in Army Order 69 of 1946.
During the second quarter of 1945 John married Rene Maud Bennion, a Stationery Shop Assistant, in Shardlow, Derbyshire. They had three sons, Clive Howard born on 1946, John Nevis 1947, Richard Ewart 1951
During 1953 John re-enlisted into the TA Royal Signals, with a new service number 22569622 (the TA numbering system having changed to bring it into sequential numbering rather than regimental batching) and promoted to Sergeant. He was subsequently Commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant 1st March 1954 with a new number 434807 and promoted to Lieutenant the same day, likely on account of his Senior NCO status.
On 1st May 1959 he was promoted to Captain and in 1965 awarded the Efficiency Decoration ‘Territorial’ appearing in the London Gazette of 17th September. In 1965 the family were living at 46 Beddington Gardens, Mitcham, Surrey and during 1967 John was transferred to the Territorial Army & Volunteer Reserve, resigning his Commission on 28th June 1968 aged 47 retaining the rank of Captain.
In later life John and Rene lived at 4 Kingates Court, 43 Wickham Road, Beckenham, Kent and Rene passed away on 9th August 1983. John re-married in April 1986 to Janet Thompson C Durbin in Wandsworth.
It is possible that John and Janet emigrated to Australia as the only subsequent records available are in that country and at the time of Rene’s death their son John was living in Worrnambool, Victoria.
The Story The medals awarded to John Francis Dunstan were acquired from dealer Johnny Sparrow, via Facebook on 26th July 2022 and as part of a larger deal.
They were of interest because of the EIIR Efficiency Decoration and George VI Efficiency Medal ‘Ind Imp’ combination, the first such in this collection, others being the later ‘Fid Def’.
Ancestry.UK and the London Gazette enabled a very brief biography to be compiled.
They were of interest because of the EIIR Efficiency Decoration and George VI Efficiency Medal ‘Ind Imp’ combination, the first such in this collection, others being the later ‘Fid Def’.
Ancestry.UK and the London Gazette enabled a very brief biography to be compiled.
Medal Details:
- Defence Medal: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939045: Unnamed as awarded.
- Efficiency Decoration: CAPTAIN J.F.DUNSTAN 1965
- Efficiency Medal: 2579139. CPL.J.F.DUNSTAN. R.SIGS.
This page last updated 25 Sep 22
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