World War Two Veterans of the Name

 Captain Robert H. Dunlap On December 18, 1945, Major Robert H. Dunlap, USMCR, then a captain, was awarded the America's highest military decoration. President Harry S. Truman presented him the Medal of Honor in ceremonies at the White House.

As Commanding Officer, Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Marines, 5th Marine Division, during the Iwo Jima campaign, Major Dunlap led his company through a hail of artillery, mortar, rifle and machine gun fire in a determined advance from low ground uphill toward the steep cliffs from where the enemy poured a devastating rain of bullets and shrapnel. It was the day following the original landing in February 19, 1945.

When finally the volume of enemy fire became too intense to advance any further toward the caves located high to the front, Major Dunlap held up his company and crawled alone approximately 200 yards forward of his front lines, while his men watched in fear and admiration.

From this position at the base of the cliff, about 50 yards from the Japanese lines, the major spotted the enemy gun positions, and, returning to his own lines, relayed the vital information to the supporting artillery and naval gunfire units. Persistently disregarding his own safety, he then placed himself in an exposed vantage point to direct a more accurate supporting fire.

Major Dunlap worked without respite for two days and two nights under constant enemy fire, skillfully directing a smashing bombardment against the almost impregnable enemy positions. During this critical phase of the battle, his company suffered heavy casualties, but by his inspiring leadership and indomitable fighting spirit Major Dunlap spurred his men on to heroic efforts which resulted in the final decisive defeat of Japanese countermeasures in that sector.

On February 26, 1945, Major Dunlap was felled by a bullet wound in the left hip. He was evacuated from Iwo Jima and subsequently was a patient at the U.S. Naval Hospitals at Guam, Pearl Harbor, San Francisco, and Great Lakes, Illinois. Hospitalized for nearly 14 months, Major Dunlap was discharged from the Great Lakes Naval Hospital on April 20, 1946. 

In addition to the Medal of Honor and Letter of Commendation with Ribbon, Major Dunlap holds the Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation with one Star, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four Bronze Stars, and the World II Victory Medal.

Robert Dunlap passed away Friday, 24 March 2000. He was 79.

 Major Alastair HJ Dunlop, who has died aged 85, was awarded the MC and Bar while serving with the Bombay Grenadiers in the Burma campaign.

On February 1 1945, A Company 3rd Battalion 4th Bombay Grenadiers, commanded by Dunlop, then a major, dug in across the Irrawaddy from Kyaukmyaung and held the bridgehead. During the subsequent advance to relieve Yeshin, the company was protecting a squadron of the 150th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps when the Japanese managed to get within range of the tanks and inflicted heavy casualties..

At one point, Dunlop seized a Bren gun from a wounded man and, without any regard for his own safety, engaged the enemy while the casualties were evacuated; not a single Japanese was able to close with the tanks and destroy them. For his gallantry and skilful handling of his company, he was awarded an immediate MC.  Alastair Henry Johnstone Dunlop was born at Greenock, Clydebank, on October 30 1917 and educated at Sedbergh and Sandhurst. He was commissioned into the Indian Army and spent his first year on attachment to the 1st Battalion Wiltshire Regiment. In 1939, he was posted to the 1st Battalion (101st) 4th Bombay Grenadiers, but transferred to the 3rd Battalion the following year and accompanied them to Burma in September 1943. 

  Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop (1908-1993) An Australian Army Surgeon who was famous for treating soldiers in Japanese POW camps in Indonesia during WWII. His care for soldiers in Burma building a 420 kilometer railway under extreme conditions made him a legend in Australia. He was Knighted in 1969 for his contributions to medicine. More than 10,000 people lined the streets of Melbourne for the State funeral of the "Surgeon of the Railway" in 1993. 

 F/Lt. John Dunlop-Urie flew with No 602 Squadron during the Battle of Britain.   

John Dunlop Urie was born on 12th October 1915, he came from Glasgow and attended the Kelvinside Academy there. He was working for his father's company, City Bakeries, when he joined 602 Squadron, Auxiliary Air Force in June 1935.

Urie was called to full-time service on 25th August 1939. He shared in the destruction of a He111 fifteen miles east of May Isle on 22nd December. The enemy aircraft was on a mine-laying operation. In April 1940 Urie was appointed a Flight Commander. He damaged a Ju88 on 9th July, ten miles east of Fifeness. On 1st August Urie tore a wing off Spitfire P9461, landing at Drem in heavy ground mist, unhurt.

On the 18th he landed back at Westhampnett minus flaps and with one burst tyre after his Spitfire, X4110, was severely damaged in combat with Me109's over Ford. Urie was wounded in both legs.

On 13th November he shared in the destruction of a Ju88. In December 1940 he was posted to 52 OTU Aston Down. Urie later commanded 151 Wing in Russia. He was released from the RAF in 1945 as a Wing Commander and rejoined the Auxiliary Air Force in 1946.

 Private John Edmund (Jock) Dunlop b24 July 1920 Originally from Ayr, John enlisted into the British Army in 1942, even though protected by his occupation: shipyard welder. Married to Janet Patterson, he joined 3rd Parachute Battalion "B" Company, 1st Airborne Division after training with the King's Own Scottish Borderers. After only two weeks training he made his first jump into Bone, North Africa and marched and fought through that campaign. During the Battle for Sicily in 1943, he jumped at Pegasus Bridge. At the Battle of Arnhem, Holland on sept 9, 1944 he jumped in with the 1st Airborne to hold the bridge until the Allies caught up and took over. The detail was supposed to last 48 hours, but the relieving tanks never came. After eight days and thousands lost, very few of his company were still alive, and only 28 made it back over the Rhine. John, although being wounded, did make it back only to be captured by the Germans. (Pic of them marching with German guards) He was placed in Stalag 11B, then at Salzgitter Work Camp, then at Stalag 21 outside of Hanover, where he was finally liberated after eight months in captivity by Americans. A true Scot, he kept a book of Robert Burns songs during his ordeal. John spent six weeks in hospital recovering from his wounds before coming home to a loving wife and the admiration of fellow Brits. (submitted along with letters and telegrams by his proud daughter, Georgina Dunlop Doherty) 

 As the 357th Fighter Group pilot "Lt. W.R. Dunlop, spare on mission separated from group on West Frisian Islands. With his gyro out, Lt. Dunlop got lost in the clouds and when he finally found his bearings, he was over Christiansen harbor in Norway. He strafed three seaplanes at 1045 anchored in the harbor, damaged a DO 24. He then took heading for nearest land and landed at Crail, Scotland at 1630." Two days later, he was aloft with the rest of the group over the airborne landing at Arnhem. Here he shot down an ME 109 and another the next day. He scored a total of four victories before he was shot down on "The Big Day" - 14 January, 1945, and spent the remaining few months of the war in a Stalag Luft.  Bill says he flew P-51D, 44-15370, named Sally Anne III, Red Letters with Yellow trim just below the exhaust stacks. As best he recalls, his code letters were B6-X.  (from Jim Anderson and Merle Olmstead)

  On 30th March 1942, the crew of Halifax W1015 TL-P from 35 Squadron took off at 1902 hrs from RAF Kinloss on the North East Coast of Scotland to participate in an attack on the German Battleship Tirpitz which was moored at the time in Fættenfjord in Norway. Lighthouse operators in Norway observed flashes of light and the sound of aircraft engines coming from the direction of Kristiansund, heavy bombers then flew over them travelling in a northerly direction. Ole said that the aircraft were fired at by the German defences on Edøy. A large bomber had crashed on a skerry during the night. The skerry was almost covered with the hull of the aircraft, which appeared as if it had been coming from the south. All four engines were there, along with machine guns and lots of ammunition. Some of the bodies were recovered.  The bodies of F/Sgt Goodrum, Sgt Campbell and Sgt Dunlop were never found. Photo-Flight Sergeant George Steinhauer, Pilot, (centre, back row), Flight Sergeant Lewis Goodrum (far right back row), Pilot Officer Peter Brown (3rd right front row), Sergeant James 'Hamish' Dunlop (seated front row 2nd left) see site here.

James "Hamish" B. Dunlop was from Callander, Perthshire, Scotland. RIP, Cousin.

 Ottis Dunlap served 7 years in the US Navy during World War II in the Atlantic and Pacific theatres of war. He was involved in the invasion at Normandy and numerous amphibious Pacific Island assaults. He was also a "Plank Member" of the USS Coral Sea. His ship was anchored in Tokyo Bay, as he observed from a distance the surrender of Japan upon the deck of the USS Missouri. On his return trip to the US, his ship was re-directed to a remote part of the South Pacific where he observed an Atomic test. We are also in possession of a military (officially date stamped by the US) photo of the Enola Gay as it sat on an airstrip on one of the islands in the Pacific where my dad was granted shore leave. (submitted by his son, Jerry L. Dunlap of Tampa) 

 Lawrence H. Dunlop at 23. Old 9th Division area, Fort Bragg, N.C. mid May 1942. Original member H-co, 3rd bat. 504 para. inf. reg., 82nd airborne div. Combat jumps, "Sicily, Salerno, and Holland". Made the "suicide" crossing of the Waal river as a member of Julian Cook's daylight assault to take the Nijmegen bridge, A Bridge Too Far. Sicily, Anzio, Salerno, Holland, Belgium, Germany. 

 Austin Dunlap, Pilot, 350th 100th Bomber group . He flew multiple bomber missions over Germany and France in June, July and Sept 1944.  The 100th Bomb Group (H), flying the B-17 "Flying Fortress", would become combat operational beginning June 25, 1943. Any sense of adventure and bravado came to a halt on that first mission; three planes and 30 men were lost over Bremen. The average life of an 8th Air Force B-17 crewman in 1943 was eleven missions!   The 100th BG from June 1943 to January 1944 concentrated its efforts against airfields, submarine facilities and aircraft industries in France and Germany. During this time the Group was involved in the epic air battles over Regensburg-Aug.17, 1943 (for which it received it first Presidential Unit Citation) and Black Week-October 8-14, 1943 (Bremen, Munster, Marienburg and Schweinfurt-nicknamed "Black Thursday" because the 8th Air Force lost 60 bombers).  Although the 100th did not have had the highest over-all loss rate of any group in the Eighth Air Force, it did have heavy losses during eight missions to Germany. Thus earning the nickname "The Bloody Hundredth". 

"Sgt. Dunlop came overseas with this Force, and has not missed one day's combat, or even one day's duty. During all this time he has consistently put forth his most conscientious efforts to do his work in the best way he knew how. On the Mount Majo operation Sgt. Dunlop spent long hours maintaining communications for his headquarters, manning the telephone and radio, and taking charge when his senior N.C.O.  was evacuated. This all took place in snow and extreme cold weather, and under considerable heavy enemy mortar and artillery fire, on a rocky hill where there was little available cover.

On the Anzio Beachhead, Sgt. Dunlop was N.C.O. in charge of communications. The Battalion had a large number of long telephones to maintain, and they were being constantly cut by the heavy enemy artillery fire. During our stay of ninety-nine consecutive days on the beachhead, Sgt. Dunlop did this work very often under difficult conditions, during all times of the day and night, usually in heavy rain, and muddy terrain. On the push to Rome, Sgt. Dunlop continued his excellent work, taking it upon himself to remain at his post for long hours, sometimes for 24 hours or more at a stretch. On all operations, Sgt. Dunlop had done more than his share of work, and has always carried more than his share of the heavy loads our men carry. He has always been fully aware of his responsibilities, and has worked unceasingly to discharge them cheerfully. He has always been a source of extreme satisfaction to his officers, and has earned their utmost confidence ......"

 Lt Colonel John "Jack" Delap  completed a 30 mission combat tour as bombardier with the original Kinsinger crew of the 711th Squadron, 8th Air Force from December 1943, until May 1945. In 1955 he was Mission planner and Chief of Navigation for the original Training cadre of the U-2 Spy plane at Groom Lake, later known as Area 51.

 Brigadier General Lillian Dunlap Beginning her career as an Army nurse in 1942 as a second Lieutenant, Lillian retired in 1975 as a Brigadier General in the US Army. Ms Dunlap served as the Chief of the Army Nursing Corps in 1971 and is only the second woman to serve as a Brigadier General, receiving her stars from the legendary General William Westmoreland. Among her war time assignments, she served at the 59th Station Hospital, New Guinea, Admiralty Islands and Philippine Islands from 1943-1945. These were some of the 'hot spots' during World War II. Other overseas assignments were in Germany in 1954-57 and as Chief Nurse in Okinawa 1965-66.

 Captain David Kennedy Buchanon-Dunlop, pilot, Royal Navy. (1911-1985)  awarded the DSC. He was involved at Dunkirk evacuation and in the English Channel as senior observer. He took part in anti-submarine patrols and bombing strikes in Madagascar in May 1942. He survived the bombing of HMS Indomitable during Operation Pedastal to Malta in Aug 1942. He served on HMS Indefatigable against the German battleship Tirpitz July 17, 1944. Captain Dunlop also served on the British Delegation at the Nuremberg Trials .  Born in 1911; Sub Lt, 1932; Lt, 1934; served on HMS GLORIOUS (Photo), 1937-1939 and as a pilot, 812 and 831 Naval Air Sqns, 1940-1942; Cdr, 1948; Capt, 1955; retired, 1965; died in 1985. 

 Lt Col. George Dickson Dunlop, The Royal Scots OBE (MBE) MC  77th Indian Infantry in 1943 At the beginning of the Second World War, Dunlop was serving in Hong Kong with the 2nd Battalion Royal Scots. But he volunteered for a dangerous secret mission in Burma, leading a team of 9 men, with the intention of providing a distraction for the Japanese while other groups caused damage elsewhere. He linked up with Orde Wingate and he and his men became Chindits. 

George Dickson Dunlop was born in Calcutta on 6th April 1917. When his father died in 1926 he and his 5 siblings returned to Edinburgh with their mother and her new husband. He was commissioned into the Royal Scots in 1936 and posted to the 1st Battalion in Catterick. A year later they were in Palestine where George won the MC for protecting the village of Irtah from Arab attack.  He had a very extensive knowledge of Scotland and its history. He was popular with everyone who knew him, being kind natured and lacking pomposity.  He lived to the age of 83 and died in December 2000. (submitted by proud son Peter Dunlop) 

 Cpl. Harold "Hal" Anthony Dunlap, 1920-1973, of Parker, Pa. and Youngstown, Ohio, who with brothers John and James served during the war. Hal was attached to the US 1539th Army Air Corps and was in the occupation forces in Japan and the Philippines from June through November 1945. He received the Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon w two bronze stars and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon. He said that when he reached Tokyo, only two buildings were standing: the train station and the Imperial Palace! (submitted by his proud sons, Michael J and John R Dunlap)

 2nd Lt. John Francis Dunlap of Parker , Pa was a pilot trained at Randolph Field, Texas.  He was scheduled to go to Burma in 1943 before he was blinded in an accident. This accident caused him to lose an eye, grounding him before he could fly a mission. His daughter Nancy states that the accident probably saved his life! He was medically discharged. (submitted by Nancy Dunlap Collette) Brother of Harold A Dunlap (above).