John Arthur Dixon
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
John Arthur was born on 1st January 1891 and was the son of John a fixed engine driver and Elizabeth who lived at Moorgate, Retford. In the both the 1901 census and 1911 census John is known by his middle name Arthur in the 1901 census he is living with his parents and siblings Edward 17 yrs Ethel, Gertrude , William 5 years , and Dorothy 10 months, Arthur is 10 years of age. on the 1911 census he has left home and is a boarder living with Arthur and Ethel Booth at 47 Church Gate Retford , he is 20 years of age and is working as a wash house man. In 1912 he married his wife Elizabeth Parkin at Retford and they go on to have a daughter Lois in 1913. prior to the war he moved to work in the laundry at Hull and lived at 4 Glencoe Villas At his time of death his wife Elizabeth is living at 20 London Road,Retford.
John served with the Howe battalion Royal Naval Division ,He enlisted in July 1915 and went to the Crystal Palace, London, for training. He went to Egypt and then to Gallipoli for seven months. He went to France in November 1916 he was wounded and died from these wounds on 19th February 1917 and he is buried in Dernancourt Communal cemetery extension, Somme, France grave reference V C 6 John Arthur Dixon Retford Times 9 March 1917 Another Retford hero has laid down his life for King and country in the person of Able Seaman John Arthur Dixon of the Royal Naval Division. He was the son of Mrs Dixon of 41 Moorgate and four years ago, married Miss Parkin of West Street, Retford. For a number of years he was employed at the Laundry, Grove Street but shortly before the war went to work in a laundry at Hull and lived at 4 Glencoe Villas, Hull. He and his wife and child were in the first air raid at Hull. He enlisted in July 1915 and went to the Crystal Palace, London, for training. In November 1915 he was sent out to Egypt and after being in the Dardanelles for seven months was invalided home with a fever and a weak heart. He was in Greenwich Hospital a month and afterwards spent a short time in August 1916, at Retford on leave. He went to France in November 1916 and had seen a lot of hard fighting. His death occurred on 19th February in a Casualty Station in France from gunshot wounds in the abdomen. His wife received a letter from him on February 18th which was written on February 13th and he was then all right. The deceased was a native of Retford and his many friends will be sorry to hear of his death. He leaves a wife and one child, four years old. He has two brothers and two brothers in law serving. His brothers are Pte Edward Dixon who enlisted in the Notts and Derbys, and has since been transferred to the Royal Scots: and Able Seaman Gunner, William Dixon who has been in the Royal Navy nearly six years. His brothers in law are Arthur Booth, saddler in the Royal Engineers and Cpl Herbert Fisher, Sherwood Foresters.
His two brothers both served during the 'Great War' Pte Edward Dixon with the Sherwood Foresters (later the Royal Scots ) Able Seaman, Gunner William Dixon with the Royal Navy, both survived the war.
