208581 Sig. Arthur Johnson Dixon British Army 15th Btn. Durham Light Infantry from:8, William St., Auckland Park, Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham. (d.25th Sep 1915) Arthur Dixon was the son of William and Mary Dixon, he was a coal miner when he enlisted aged 19 on the 8th of September 1914 and is described as being 5'4" with light brown hair and blue eyes. He went to France on the 11th of September 1915. He was wounded in action on the 25th of September 1915 and was then listed as missing. In November the Vicar of Eldon received a letter from a friend of Arthur's telling them that he had heard from James Wilson of the 15th DLI that he and Arthur had both been wounded at the Battle of Loos and had been crawling for about 4 days when Arthur had been shot and killed. The Vicar C J Gray wrote from Eldon Vicarage on behalf of Arthur's family, requesting confirmation of this information as James Wilson was in hospital, at Lady Shadbrook's Hospital, Henham Hall in Suffolk. The reply came back that Arthur and James had both been wounded on the 26th September and unable to walk had been crawling for about four days, and were approaching a house when Arthur had been shot. James had stayed with him, talking to him for about an hour. Arthur had fainted due to bloodloss and then his heart stopped beating. James stated that he was quite sure Arthur was dead when he had to leave him. He had crawled for another 6 hours before being picked up and taken for medcal treatment. Rev Gray also enquires about his own's son's effects in the same letter, he had been a 2nd Lt with the 15th DLI and had been killed on the 22nd October.
Arthur had no known grave and is remembered on the Loos Memorial
|