info about
Sir James Michael DINGEMANS's father:
Rear-Admiral Peter Dingemans, who has died aged 80, commanded the landing ship Intrepid during the 1982 Falklands conflict.
...Peter George Valentin Dingemans was born at Steyning, West Sussex, where his father was a GP, and was educated at Brighton College. His love of the sea started in the Sea Scouts. He entered Dartmouth in 1953, within a few weeks finding himself in a street-lining party for the Coronation.
At Dartmouth he did well, but it was his younger brother, Norman, who later won the Queen’s Sword. Peter’s training included a circumnavigation of South America in the cruiser Superb and a visit to the Falkland Islands, which he would see again 28 years later. Peter Dingemans specialised in torpedo anti-submarine warfare while Norman became a submariner.
Peter’s career followed a conventional path through the 1960s and 1970s, alternating command of the minesweeper Maxton in 1967, the frigates Berwick and Lowestoft (1973–74), and the Fishery Protection Squadron (1977–78), with staff courses and appointments in the MoD.
In early 1982 he had been appointed to a job in PR, but the Falklands conflict changed his career. Instead, with his recent experience, he became Commodore, Amphibious Warfare (1983–85), and on promotion to admiral he was Flag Officer Gibraltar (1985–87) and then chief of staff to the Commander-in-Chief Fleet (1987–90), at which point he was made CB.
On leaving the Navy, Dingemans found ready employment in the City with Argosy Asset Management and then Ivory and Sime, before becoming head of remuneration at Slaughter and May. He also took on a number of charity positions, and, in 1984, became a liveryman of the Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers.
Dingemans was noted for his calmness in a crisis. He wrote an autobiography, My Incredible Journey (2013), and was motivated by his strong Christian conviction, which he described as the handrail of his life.
He married Faith Bristow in 1961, who survives him with their three sons, one of whom is the Hon Mr Justice Dingemans.
Rear-Admiral Peter Dingemans, born July 31 1935, died December 6 2015