Albert Light Moody Dickins
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- Military History
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Albert Light Moody Dickins was born Nottingham in 1897 he was the son of the late Arthur William Dickins a solicitor and Amy Rosina Dickins of "Southfields" 13, Tavistock Drive, Mapperley Park, Nottingham, His father Arthur William was born in 1852 in Nottingham and his mother Amy Rosina Light was born in 1860 in Ipswich, they were married at St Johns the Evangelist church, Brixton, Lambeth, London, on 29th December 1883. They had two other children, Arthur George b1885 and Amy Muriel b1889; both were born in Nottingham. In the 1911 census he is shown as being 14 yrs of age and a boarder at Repton School, Willington Road, Repton, near Burton upon Trent. In the same census his family were living at 'Upland' Private Road, Sherwood, and were shown as Arthur William 58 yrs a solicitor, head of the family; he is living with his wife Amy Rosina 50 yrs and their two children, Arthur George 26 yrs single and a solicitor and Amy Muriel 22 yrs, single. The family is employing 2 servants; a housemaid and a cook, both living at the address with the family. His father Arthur William died in 1921 in Nottingham; he was 69 yrs of age. His probate was proven at Nottingham on 4th November 1919 and shows himn as Albert Light Moody Dickins of Hill Rise, Private Road, Sherwood, Nottingham Captain in HM Army died 21st March 1918 in France, effects of £278 10 shillings and 1 pence; Administration awarded to his father Arthur William Dickins, solicitor.
Was commissioned Second Lieutenant, 2/7th Battalion Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbys) Regiment, 4th March 1915 and went to France 24th August 1915. He joined D Company 1/7th Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbys) Regiment, at Canal Bank, Ypres, Belgium, on 30th August 1915. He was promoted to Lieutenant 1st June 1916. He was awarded the Military Cross “Lieutenant Acting Captain 1/7th (Robin Hood) Battalion: London Gazette 27th October 1917, For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in command of a patrol. Four of the enemy were met, and two were killed, the others making off. On returning to our lines a party of about twenty were encountered, and he ordered his men to charge, with the result that one of the enemies was killed, two wounded, and the remainder driven off. Killed in action, 21st March 1918, aged 21, on the first day of the German Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht (“Kaiser’s Battle”) whilst the battalion was in the line near Noreuil, north-east of Bapaume, France. Commemorated : Arras Memorial, France. Bay 7.
His citation was published in the 'London Gazette', 18th March 1918:-“Lt. (A. /Capt.) 'Albert Light Moody Dickins, Notts. & Derby. R.“For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in command of a patrol. Four of the enemy were met, and two were killed, the others making off. On returning to our lines a party of about twenty were encountered, and he ordered his men to charge, with the result that one of the enemy was killed, two wounded, and the remainder driven off.”Following is an article published in the Nottingham Evening Post on 27th January 1919 :- “CAPT. A. L. M., DICKINS, M.C., 7th Sherwood Foresters (Robin Hoods), who was reported missing on 21st March last, is now reported as having been killed in action on that date. He was 21 years of age, and the younger son of Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Dickins, off Private-road, Sherwood, Nottingham, and at Repton. He received a commission in the Robin Hoods in March, 1915, and proceeded to France in August of that year, taking part in the attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt in the October following. Capt. Dickins was in France continuously to the time of his death, and received the Military Cross in September, 1917, for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in command of a patrol near Cambrin. He was in command of a company of the battalion holding a very awkward position at Queant, near Bullecourt, on March 21st, and is reported as having been killed by shell fire while encouraging his men. Obituary published in the Nottingham Evening Post dated 21st MARCH 1919 :- “DICKINS. – In ever-loving and proud remembrance of Capt. A. L. M. Dickins, M.C., 7th Sherwood Foresters (Robin Hoods), who was killed at Bullecourt on March 21st, 1918, and of the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men who perished with him.” [Citation and newspaper article and obituary are courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918.His name is also commemorated on the Repton School war memorial, Willington Road, Repton, near Burton upon Trent.
