Dixon, W. A.
William Alfred Dixon was a Lieutenant in the Suffolk Regiment. He was a Dover resident, and professional soldier, having enlisted in 1905. He served throughout the Great War, being wounded in the first battle of Ypres, and for three years at Salonika, and also in Russia. He gained a rapid promotion for an invention in trench warfare.  In November 1915 his commanding officer wrote, "I can thoroughly recommend him. He is a very superior type of NCO with good manners and well-fitted for a commission. I understand that his wife is also well-educated and has nice manners. He was wounded with the Expeditionary Force and did really well out there."

He died in Ireland on 22nd October 1920, when he was 39, having returned there just two days before, after ten days leave in Dover. He had been travelling in the second of two military motors, and on a secluded stretch of road between the villages of Innishannon and Ballinhassig, Ireland, some half an hour after they had left at 09.30, the cars were fired upon by people concealed by fences. The first of the cars had important dispatches, which may have been the motive. This car escaped, and a Corporal from it leapt out and gave covering fire  until he fell with a wounded knee after some four of the attackers advanced upon him, firing in return.

The second car, however, in which Lieutenant Dixon was travelling, came under heavier fire. Lieutenant Dixon leapt out when shots immobilised the engine and/or wounded the driver, and was immediately hit in the shoulder by a rifle bullet. He ordered his men to line the road, and had lain down when a second shot hit him in the left nostril, penetrated upwards into his brain, and killed him instantly. (The examining medical officer later stated that this shot had come from a revolver, and that in his opinion it had been "fired at close range". The verdict of the military court of enquiry, which sat at Cork Barracks, and the inquest was that Lieutenant Dixon had been killed by an act of "wilful murder".) Private Reid of the Essex regiment was also killed, and five others wounded, Sergeant Bennett later dying. A number of the attackers then took away all arms and weapons, and searched the pockets of the officer,  leaving untouched the only uninjured person, a Private of seventeen years, save for taking his rifle. .

Lieutenant Dixon's funeral service began at St Paul's, where he had lain in state the night before. Father Grady officiated, and the coffin, with the Union Flag draped over it, was then carried on a gun carriage to St James. The pall bearers were from the Essex regiment, and it was a funeral with full military honours, with a band from the 2nd battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, and a party from the 1st battalion of the Royal Sussex firing three volleys over the grave. The Last Post was sounded. There were many mourners, including his wife and child, his sister, Mrs Hatton, and his brother, Alfred Dixon, who was musical director at the Lord Warden Hotel. The funeral expenses amounted to £14 15s. with an additional £20 for the coffin, which were paid by the Military as "the estate is very small".

In 1924 his widow, staying in Folkestone with the family of his brother, Ernest Dixon, a casualty in the Great War, requested that William's name should go on the Dover Town Memorial. This request was turned down, because, although Lieutenant Dixon had served through the Great War, and had died in service, his death was not attributable to that War.  

For his family tree see Faded Genes, and for further information see biography, both by Dave Dixon

right: in memoriam announcement from 1942

with thanks to Neil Clark and Kyle Tallet for the service papers of Lieutenant Dixon

Note: the family lived at several addresses in Dover including 7 Priory Gate Road, 65 Clarendon Street, 64 Clarendon Street.

February 2008 - some good news. The CWGC have agreed that Lieutenant Dixon may be placed on their records. He will eventually receive a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone, and his grave will be cared for in perpetuity.