Rear-Admiral John Foster Grant-Dalton (10 May, 1873 – 11 August, 1938) was an officer in the Royal Navy.
Grant-Dalton was awarded eight months time on passing out of Britannia in July, 1888. He proceeded to join the central battery ironclad Sultan in the Mediterranean, appointed 1 September, 1888. On 1 April, 1889, he moved briefly to Dreadnought. After spending the annual manoeuvres in Immortalité, he was sent to the Channel Squadron, appointed first to the battleship Monarch on 19 November, 1889 and then to Rodney on 14 May, 1890.
Grant-Dalton was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant from Canada on 31 December, 1894. He was next appointed to Galatea in April of 1895. In September, he was appointed to the Ringarooma on the Australia Station.
Grant-Dalton was appointed to the second class protected cruiser Magicienne on the Cape of Good Hope Station on 18 November, 1897. The Foreign Service relayed its thanks for the services Grant-Dalton rendered in operations against Ogadens, a tribe located in Somalia and Ethiopia, in 1900. He left Magicienne 19 June, 1901 and participated in the annual manoeuvres the following month, assigned to Ariadne.
After an inspection in September, 1902, Captain Dicken noted that Lieutenant Grant-Dalton's destroyer Snapper required more attention to "internal order & cleanliness." However, in December, Captain Barrow wrote that he "[s]trongly recommended [Grant-Dalton] for appointment for G(unnery) duties in 2nd class cruiser." This did not exactly occur, but Grant-Dalton was appointed to Europa as first Lieutenant on 3 March, 1903. THe following year, he would be first lieutenant in the monitor Mersey and then the second class protected cruiser Juno in the Home Fleet. His time in Juno was short, just over six weeks. This may have been a consequence of his attracting the "severe displeasure" of the Admiralty in an explosion of fireworks aboard the ship!
Grant-Dalton was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1906 while in the midst of a two year appointment in Diadem on the China Station. When she paid off on 11 April, 1907, Grant-Dalton proceeded to take a month attending gunnery and torpedo courses.
On 15 August, 1908, Grant-Dalton was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital with an ulcer as he was approaching the end of an appointment as executive officer in the battleship Britannia. He was released to a private nursing home and monitored. His condition remained poor even as a final inspection of Britannia showed that he'd greatly improved on the discipline he directed toward such matters. He was finally declared fit on 19 January, 1909.
Grant-Dalton attended the Royal Navy War College from 9 February through 28 May, 1909, placing sixth out of seven commanders. On 15 October, 1909, he was appointed to the battleship Hindustan of the Home Fleet, remaining in her until she paid off on 1 April, 1912 and receiving, once again, favourable inspection reports. Grant-Dalton would enjoy a very brief stint in command of Albion before being appointed to Pembroke Royal Naval Barracks on 1 August, 1912.
Grant-Dalton was still at Pembroke when he was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1914.