Charles William Dixon

Charles William Dixon was born at 6 Ripon Terrace, Kingston upon Hull on 5 February 1909.

He was the son of John Henry and Ada Louisa Dixon (nee Borrill). John Henry Dixon was a Cargo Tallyman. The following is from a letter received by Maurice Charles and Ada Dixon in 1999 from the daughter of Charles's sister, Gerturde 'Auntie Gertie':

Grandma Dixon's maiden name was Borrill. When the Borrill's arrived in Hull they were involved in a coal business. Time went by and her father went to America to train horses (trotting like the Duke of Edinburgh with those 2 wheeled buggies). Grandma used to get letters from him occassionally. Uncle Ted, who was your Grandma's brother, said he remembered him coming over, and he thought he died in the early 1940's in a nursing home in Meridon, Connecticut. Apparently he married three times. Grandma Dixon had a brother who was killed in the first World War. His wife, Aunt Lucy, used to come over from Liecestershire for two weeks holiday once a year.

In December 1931, Charles Dixon married Kate Fenton. They had five children together.

Charles was employed by timber company Hollis Brothers of Craven Street, Hull for all of his working life. The company is no longer trading. He started work as a deal carrier and worked his way up to be a saw mill manager which involved converting timber logs from all over the world and British forests.

The working life of Charles Dixon was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II (1939-1945). On 16 July 1940, at age 31, Charles joined the Army (No. 1087770). His height is recorded a 5ft 77/8ins, his eyes blue and his hair colour brown. His address given as 81 Jalland Street, Hull.

Charles served in the Royal Artillery (field) and saw action in the African and Italian campaigns. On 12 May 1944, Charles was injured in Italy during the Battle of Monte Cassino. He was one of a group of five soldiers. Their officer was killed and Charlie shot in the left arm. He nearly lost his life due to his injuries and was subsequently discharged from the army. Shrapnel remained in his left shoulder for the rest of his life.

According to Barbara Turner he was a 'very nice character' who 'favoured his left arm due an injury received in the war'.

Charles retired in 1974, after working for 51 years. His wife, Kate, died in 1980, one year short of their golden wedding anniversary.

Charles moved from Jalland Street to the then new area of sheltered housing at Sutton Court. He was stubbornly independent, wanting to look after himself rather than be a burden on any of his family. His address was 32 Sutton Court, Howdale Road, Hull. For the last ten years of his life his next door neighbour, Dorothy, was his close friend, sharing much of life together at the Court and holidays at the Grand at Scarborough. Dorothy meant a great deal to him in his latter years and provided a lot of care and support to him. At Christmas 2001, his son Maurice along with his wife Ada discovered that Charles was keen to see Paris. They took Charles and Dorothy away to Paris for a long weekend which fulfilled this ambition.

Charles William Dixon died of pneumonia on 7 August 2002 at the Hull Royal Infirmary. The informant listed on his death certificate was his son, Maurice Charles Dixon, of 369 Saltshouse Road, Hull.

Source: Biography by Debbie McCauley, Charles was her husband's great uncle http://tauranga.kete.net.nz/remembering_war/topics/show/963