BORN HULL 1896. SON OF JOHN ROBERT DIXON (1853-1921) & CHRISTIANA WATSON (1854-1931), AT 78, MANCHESTER STREET, HULL (CWGC ADDRESS). SON OF A RAILWAY WORKER. HE HAD THREE BROTHERS AND SIX SISTERS. WORKED AS A SHOP LAD IN A DRAPERY STORE AND AS A LABOURER. DESCRIBED AS 5 FOOT, 7.5 INCHES TALL, 34-36 INCH CHEST, 133 LBS WEIGH, WESLYAN RELIGION.
HE ENLISTED IN HULL, ON 08/12/1915. SERVED WITH THE 10TH EYR (HULL COMMERCIALS). POSTED TO FRANCE, ON 03/06/1916. WOUNDED IN THE LEFT ARM, ON 02/08/1916. REJOINED THE 10TH EYR, ON 05/10/1916. SURVIVED THE ATTACKS AT SERRE (NOVEMBER 1916) AND AT OPPY WOOD IN MAY 1917. HE WAS HIT BY HIGH EXPLOSIVE SHELL FRAGMENTS & DIED OF WOUNDS, AT THE 17TH CASUALTY CLEARING STATION, ON 25/06/1917, AGED 20.
UNMARRIED, HIS ARMY EFFECTS WERE LEFT TO HIS MOTHER, CHRISTIANA. HE IS BURIED AT LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY, BELGIUM. HIS GRAVE INSCRIPTION, READS, “TIME ALTERS THINGS THOUGH MEMORY CLINGS”
HIS BROTHER, PRIVATE, HAROLD DIXON, 13957, 6TH EYR, WAS KILLED IN ACTION, ON 26/09/1916, AGED 23 AND IS COMMEMORATED ON THE THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, SOMME, FRANCE. BOTH BROTHERS ARE RECORDED ON THE FAMILY GRAVE AT HULL SPRINGBANK CEMETERY.
HIS BROTHER, ARTHUR DIXON, SERVED WITH THE NORTHUMBERLAND FUSILIERS AND YORKS AND LANCS, AND IN 1918 WAS SEVERELY WOUNDED (BOTH THIGHS & TESTICLES). HE HAD MARRIED PHOEBE MEYERS, ON 20/02/1916 AND ENLISTED IN HULL THE FOLLOWING DAY. HE WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY AND LIVED AT 7, HUMBER AVENUE, RUGBY STREET, DYING IN 1965. (SEE ARMY RECORDS)
HE LEFT BROTHERS JOHN ROBERT DIXON AT 3, WALLER STREET, HOLDERNESS ROAD, HULL AND ARTHUR DIXON AT 7, HUMBER AVENUE, RUGBY STREET, HULL. ALSO SIX SISTERS, MARY ELIZABETH TAYLOR (STAMFORD BRIDGE, YORK); BERTHA ALBRIGHT & ELIZA ANN DIXON (BURTON PIDSEA); CHRISTIANA BLUNDELL (74, MANCHESTER STREET, HULL); FLORENCE SMITH (1, CLAREMONT AVENUE, SCARBOROUGH STREET, HULL); ETHEL MUNSDEN, 35 MANVERS STREET, HULL AND ROSE ANNA DIXON (78, MANCHESTER STREET, HULL).
Hull Pals Memorial Post. PRIVATE ERNEST DIXON 21098. Born 1896, the youngest of eleven children, to John and Christiana Watson of 78 Manchester Street, Hessle Road, Hull. Ernest was employed as a Labourer prior to enlistment on 8th December 1916. He was injured during the fighting for Oppy Wood and evacuated to a Casualty Clearing Station in Belgium where he died of wounds on 25th June 1917. He is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery. He was 20 years old. More men died of wounds sustained on the attack of 3rd May than were killed in action for the rest of 1917. It is impossible to imagine their suffering as they tried to cling to life surrounded by comrades who one by one succumbed to death.
