Biography

Family background

Arthur Dixon was born on the 21st January 1909 in Middlesbrough, the fourth son of William Thomas Dixon and his wife, Christiana. In total, William and Christiana had five sons, all of whom lived to reach adulthood. In 1911, at the time of the 1911 census, the family were living at The Evergreens, Cambridge Road, Linthorpe in Middlesbrough, and William is recorded as being the secretary in a limited company engaged in iron ore manufacturing. The Dixon Family were all present in the house on census night and they were looked after by two live-in servants, a cook and a housemaid.

By 1921, William and Christiana were still living in Linthorpe but had moved to live at Redlands in Orchard Road, Linthorpe but Arthur and his younger brother, Clive, were away from home at Glenhow School in Saltburn. Arthur was also educated at St. Peter's, York.

We do not know where Arthur went when he left school, but between the 7th December 1933 and 1937, Arthur was a member of the British Territorial Army with the Northern Riding (Fortress) Company of the Royal Engineers. We next find Arthur in the 1939 National Register, now living with the Fletcher family, Frank and Dorothy, at Lyngarth, Linton Road, Collingham. Frank Fletcher was a garage proprietor and Arthur is described as a secretary to a garage proprietor. Along with Frank, Dorothy and Arthur at Lyngarth were two other people, but their records are still redacted [in October 2024]. Not long after registration, Arthur joined the army.

Service record

Arthur Dixon enlisted in Leeds on the 13th November 1939. He was 30 years 9 months old. He was almost immediately posted to 186 Transport Construction company of the Royal Engineers at Longmoor. Longmoor Camp is close to the A3 and A325 roads in, and around, the settlements of Longmoor, Liss and Liphook in Hampshire, England.

On the 20th December 1939, Arthur and his unit embarked to serve as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France where he arrived on the 22nd December. 186 Transportation Construction (186 T.C. Coy.) Company RE was part of No. 3 Base Sub-Area, the northern base area around the French city of Rouen.

Between their arrival in France and May 1940 the unit was involved in maintaining and building transport links including heavy ground construction works. On Friday 10th May 1940, the German forces invaded Holland and Belgium. In France, Arthur Dixon's unit experienced a growing number of daily air raids and by the 19th the unit had been given orders to start moving back. Orders were also given to start evacuating equipment which could be saved or to scrap and destroy anything else. The unit was spilt into a number of smaller groups to carry out this work as the situation became more chaotic in France as the Germans advanced. By the 17th June 1940 the majority of 186 Transportation Construction Company was in the port of Brest and embarked on the ship Staithaird which evacuated them to the UK. Other groups of the company came back to other south coast ports but eventually they regrouped and set up a base at Elstead in Surrey by the end of June 1940.

Arthur served in the UK with 186 Transportation Construction Company of the Royal Engineers until the last day of 1941 when he transferred to No 8 Railway Motor transport company Royal Engineers at Longmoor, but this must have been a temporary posting as he rejoined 186 T.C. Coy. on the 5th February. Around this date, his unit was redesignated, now becoming 186th Mechanical Equipment TM company, Royal Engineers.

In the next few months, Arthur continued his service but had about a weeks leave from the 13th to the 21st March 1942 during which time Arthur married Laura Doreen Groves in Collingham church.

Arthur was back in service by the middle of June and had been posted to the Glasgow area in a transit camp. Eventually he was posted to Walsall to join 713 Artisan works Company of the Royal Engineers with the rank of Acting Company Quartermaster Sergeant. On about the 5th February 1943, 713 Artisan Works Company, including Arthur, embarked for the Middle East, landing in North Africa on the 16th February. He served with that unit through until October 1943. Artisan Works Companies were formed to carry out building works far behind the front line for developing the lines of communications and support for front line troops. Many men in such companies had specific building trades, recruited from building sites, local councils and building firms, but Arthur's record shows he worked as a clerk and storeman.

By September, it had been recognised that Arthur had the qualities and skills needed to be an Officer, and he embarked from North Africa and returned to the UK in October 1943 joining the Pre-Officer Cadet Training Unit in Wrotham in November and 160 Officer Cadet Training Unit (OCTU) (Support) in Alton on the 23rd December 1943. Arthur stayed with 160 OCTU until the 22nd June 1944, when he was posted as a 2nd Lieutenant to 379 company of the Pioneer Corps in Ludlow, part of 23 group Pioneer Corps. By December 1944, his unit was at Fleet and Arthur was promoted to Lieutenant. Through the whole of 1945, Arthur was posted through a wide range of Pioneer Corps units. When war ended, Arthur stayed in service and in March 1946 he became Adjutant of 92 Group Pioneer Corps. Two months later, on the 14th May 1946, Arthur was posted to Burn, to 1007 German Prisoner of War Company, guarding prisoners of war. 1007 Prisoner of War Camp was at Burn near Selby, and housed a German Working Company in the location that had previously been RAF Burn and later became a vehicle storage depot as No. 14 Armoured Fighting Vehicle Depot. During 1946 Arthur had risen from the rank of Acting Captain to be Acting Major.

Arthur Dixon was finally discharged from the army on the 29th December 1946.

After the war

The 1945 electoral roll for Collingham shows that Arthur Dixon was registered as living at 14 Garth End, Collingham, although he was still away from home in the services. When he was discharged, Arthur returned to Collingham and continued to live at the same address, appearing in electoral rolls through the 1950s and 60s.

Arthur Dixon, of 14 Garth End, Collingham, died in Cookridge Hospital Leeds on the 2nd October 1970.

Biography last updated 28 January 2025 11:38:50.