Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Francis Vivian Dunn, born on December 24, 1908 in Jabalpur, British India, was a conductor and composer. He studied piano with his mother and later attended the Royal Academy of Music. In 1931, Dunn joined the Royal Marines as director of music for the Portsmouth Division. His career included directing the Royal Marines Band on the Royal Yacht and participating in royal tours. Dunn composed and arranged over 60 pieces of music, many connected to the Royal Marines, such as "The Globe and Laurel" (1935) and "Cockleshell Heroes" (1955). He was knighted in 1969 and received numerous honors, including the Sudler Medal fof the Order of Merit from the John Philip Sousa Foundation in 1987. Dunn retired from the military in December 1968 and continued his musical career as a guest conductor with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. He passed away on April 3, 1995 at the age of 86.
