Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.121 | |
| 2. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 26A GQS | |
| 3. Memorial: | Liverpool Masonic Hall War Memorial | Col.1. Hope St. | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Early Life :
George was born in approx 1881 to George Edward Dixon and Mary (nee East) who had married at Liverpool in 1870, and the couple are found on the 1871 census return at 16 Bright Place, Birkenhead, living with Mary’s parents. Just prior to George’s birth the 1881 census shows George and Mary at 60 Exmouth Street, Birkenhead with two children Walter age 4 and Beatrice age 2.The following census of 1891 shows the family now living at 25 Ivanhoe St Bootle-cum-Linacre. George and his wife Mary with four children, Walter 14, George 10, Florence 6 and William 3. When the next census is taken in 1901 Mary is now shown as a 46 year old widow at 130 County Road Bootle and running a tobacconist shop. With her are shown George, a 19 year old shipping clerk, Florence 16 and William 13. In 1911 Mary is shown on the census back on the other side of the River Mersey with Florence and William at 45 Percy Road, Seacombe, Wirral. The Liverpool Echo shows her demise, as Mary widow of George Dixon, died 5 May 1915, 45 Percy Road, internment at St Mary's Bootle, approx age 70)
In 1908 George had married Edith Mary Payne, the marriage recorded in the West Derby Registration District, Liverpool, in the June to September Quarter. The couple would have one child, a daughter Marjorie Edith Dixon born on 7 June 1909, and baptised at Egremont St John Church. (Marjorie married on 5 July 1937 to Hardman Fraser Phillips at St Andrews, Toxteth )
On the 1914 return sheet for Kirkdale Lodge, George is given as being in Cape Palmas, Liberia, and at some time resident at Sarsandia (probably meaning Sassanda), Cote-de-Ivorie, West Africa, later changing to 16 Trinity Road, Bootle.
African Merchant, Seacombe (1906)
Birkdale (1913)
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: Royal Field Artillery |
| Action : The Battle of Messines 1917 and associated actions |
7 June - 11 July 1917. The plan at Messines was to blow up 19 mines in what was the largest man made explosion before Hiroshima, and utterly destroy the German front line along the Messines Ridge. The effect was to "liquify" the ground and create a mini earthquake, which coupled with the largest artillery preparation thus far of over 3 million shells would stun the defenders into submission. The plan largely worked and was initially very successful although the Germans did re-group and opportunities to develop the attack were lost. Casualties in this victory were 25,000.
The Liverpool Echo of 11 June 1917 reports that George Dixon was killed in action on 1 June while serving with the Royal Field Artillery. It says he was the beloved husband of Edith M Dixon of 16 Trinity Road, Bootle, and previous to this was of the French Ivory Coast and Liberia, West Africa.
Military records have George Dixon, Private/Bombardier, 105645, “D Battery”, 113 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, who was born in Bootle, but enlisted at Preston, and was killed in action on Friday, 1st June, 1917. He is buried in Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery in grave H.44. This cemetery lies eight kilometres south of Ypres, (Ieper), on the road to Kemmel.
His widow and child awarded pension of twenty shillings a week from 29 December 1917 while living at 16 Trinity Road, later removing to 31 Edmunds Road, Bootle.
George is commemorated on St John’s Church of England School Memorial, Bootle, the Bootle War Memorial, column 1 on the Liverpool Masonic Hall Memorial, Hope Street, and the Roll of Honour Book, United Grand Lodge, 1921.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Kirkdale No. 1756 E.C. | West Lancashire |
| Joined : | Liverpool No. 1547 E.C. | West Lancashire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
25th April 1906 | 23rd May 1906 | 9th June 1908 |
George Dixon was initiated into KIRKDALE LODGE No.1756 on 25 April 1906, and registered as No 729 in the lodge declaration book, after being proposed on 28 March. He is described as age 25 years, a Manager for African merchants, residing at 45 Percy Road, Seacombe, Wallasey. George was proposed, by note, by Charles W. Hayes and seconded by the lodge secretary David Williams. He was passed to the Second Degree on 23 May 1906 at a meeting of Derby Lodge No.724, and raised to the degree of a Master Mason on 9 June 1906, this time at a meeting of Wilbraham Lodge No.1713. George’s Grand Lodge Certificate was issued on 7 July 1908. In the members address book for 1918 George is recorded as killed in action 1917, residing 16 Trinity Road, Bootle, Manager, initiated 25.04.06. number 729.
He became a joining member of LIVERPOOL LODGE No.1547, on 7 May 1913, an African Merchant and resident at 20 Stanley Road, Birkdale. In 1914 he is down as residing at Halls Road, Waterloo, and on the 1915 return as living at Trinity Street, Bootle. In this return it records “serving with His Majesties Forces” as it is written in red ink below his name.
Two separate entries recorded in the 1921 Roll of Honour. George Dixon joined Liverpool Lodge No. 1547 from Kirkdale Lodge No. 1756 on 7th May 1913. The records of Liverpool Lodge at United Grand Lodge show two years of War Service and then "Killed in Action" whereas Kirkdale show 3 years of arrears and then "Believed killed 1917" . Passed in Lodge No. 724 and Raised in Lodge No. 1713
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley