Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John Dixon was born at Heworth, Gateshead, County Durham in 1894 the eldest of 8 surviving children, 5 sons and 3 daughters, 2 deceased gender unknown born to coal miner Charles Cummings Dixon born 1869 at Penshaw and his wife Margaret Bannister born that same year at Usworth, both in the district of County Durham. They were married in 1891 at St James, Heworth and initially lived with Margaret’s parents at 38, Reservoir Street, ten years later Charles was a deputy overman at the colliery and they had moved with their children to 25, First Street, Heworth. Aged 17 John was also employed at the colliery as a driver, he and his father were the only breadwinners. He married in spring 1914 to Gertrude Berlison born 1896 in the district of Chester le Street, County Durham.
John Dixon enlisted at Felling, Gateshead, exact date unknown and was firstly assigned as Private 11132 to the Welsh Fusiliers and later transferred to the 14th Battalion Durham Light Infantry as Private 26149. Although the main body of the battalion landed at Boulogne, France, September 11th 1915 as part of the 21st Division he did not join the regiment in the field until 1916 on the Belgian salient near Ypres where the 14th Battalion was now attached to the 18th Brigade, 6th Division. Early August 1916 they were transferred to the Somme where they were involved with the 2nd Battalion in the attack that took the Quadrilateral strong point near Ginchy in mid-September.
His family were informed that he had been reported missing as of September 18th 1916 and later that he was presumed dead. It was not until after Armistice that his body was found along with several others on the battlefield, marked with a cross bearing his military details as Lance Corporal 26149 J Dixon Durham Light Infantry. August 21st 1919 his body was exhumed by the 3rd Labour Corps and brought into Guards’ Cemetery, Lesboeufs, Somme, France where he was buried with all honour and reverence grave V. Z. 6. At the time of his demise he was 22 years old.
His widow Gertrude received all monies due to him, a pension and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Gertrude remarried in 1919 in the district of Gateshead to Daniel Borthwick, her second marriage also appears to have been childless.
CWGC has Lance Corporal Dixon listed as a Private, however concentration documents and register of soldiers' effects state the contrary.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
John Dixon is remembered at Heworth on H92.03, H92.04 and H92.07
