204535 Sergeant Frederick Charles Dixon British Army 12th Btn. The Rifle Brigade from:25 Wingfield Place, Sidcup, Kent (d.9th Sep 1915) Frederick Charles Dixon was born on January 7th 1882 at 18 Bramley Terrace, Wells Lane, Streatham. The 1891 census puts him as a scholar living at 135 Wellfield Road, Wandsworth. 1901 has him living at 116, Wellfield Road, Streatham employed as a Tramway Employment, Night Washer.
By 1915, he is Head gardener at Avery Hill Park in South London.
It is not surprising that he became a gardener. His father Peter Dixon, is described as a gardener all through his life from 1861 as an 18 year old to 1901 when he was working as a gardener ‘on his own account’. He is described as a retired gardener on the marriage certificate of Florence and Frederick. Frederick’s mother was Eliza Roberts who was born in Bangor, North Wales.
Florence was known to everybody as Fiddy - she was born on 28th May 1889 and would have been just 19 when she & Frederick got married on 2nd July 1908 in The Registry Office of Dartford District, although her age is given as 21 on the certificate.
Frederick must have been amongst the first volunteers to answer Kitcheners call on August 7th 1914 for ‘100,000 men to join your Army’. Up to 33,000 men per day volunteered; 3 million in the first 2 years of the war, which caused major shortages of guns, ammunition and equipment.
The 12th Rifle Brigade was formed at Winchester in September 1914, moved to Blackgang, going on in February to Witley and then in April to Larkhill.
On July 21st 1915 they landed in France at Boulogne. On this date Frederick had two daughters at home – Violet aged 6 years and Doris who would have been 5 years old later that week.
On 5th Sep 1915, Frederick was wounded near Laventie. He must have been moved through casualty clearing to the rear, as on 9th Sep, he died of his wounds and is buried in Boulogne Eastern Commonwealth War Graves cemetery.
S/123 Sergeant Frederick Charles Dixon,
12th Battalion Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own),
Born - Streatham, Surrey,
Enlisted - Marylebone, Middx.
Residence - Sidcup, Kent.
Son of Peter and Elizabeth Dixon, of 112 Wellfield Rd, Streatham, London
Husband of Florence Catherine Dixon, of 25 Wingfield Place, Halfway Street, Sidcup, Kent.
Died of wounds 09/09/1915
Buried, Boulogne Eastern Cemetery - Grave Reference: VIII.B.77
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