11480 Mounted
NIXON, Roy Vere
| Service Numbers: | 347, 345 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 June 1941, Wayville, SA |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 43rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | North Adelaide, 8 February 1891 |
| Home Town: | North Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | North Adelaide Public School |
| Occupation: | Marble Polisher |
| Died: | North Adelaide, 10 August 1960, aged 69 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | North Adelaide Public School Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 9 Jun 1916: | Involvement Private, 347, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun 1916: | Embarked Private, 347, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Adelaide | |
| 4 Jun 1917: | Wounded 347, 43rd Infantry Battalion | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Corporal, 347, 43rd Infantry Battalion | |
| 17 Apr 1919: | Discharged Australian Army (Post WW2), 345 |
World War 2 Service
| 24 Jun 1941: | Enlisted Wayville, SA |
|---|
Help us honour Roy Vere Nixon's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College
Life Before the War
Roy Vere Nixon was a single 24-year-old marble polisher in North Adelaide, Australia before he enlisted for the war on the 31st of December 1915.
He was born on the 8th February 1891, he was the youngest in his family. Roy had a large family with 15 members all born across the years 1871-1891. In total, he had 4 brothers (Alec, Albert, Horace, Leslie, and Cyril) and 7 sisters (Ethelwin, Mabel, Olive, Mary, Esther, Olive, and Effie). This large family was overseen by his mother and father, Annie and Thomas Nixon.
Roy had a high school education and studied at North Adelaide Public School. Roy was also a footballer playing at the North Adelaide Roosters for 2-3 years competing in a total of 12 games for his division before departing for the war on 9th June 1916.
It is unclear for what initial reason Roy signed up for the army, although it was known that the main reason that most men signed up was to fight for their country. Roy Vere Nixon, just like countless other men, went to one of the many recruitment stations around Adelaide and signed up to participate the World War.
Life During the War
Each person involved in the war was sorted into battalions/units/divisions depending on their role in the army. Roy was placed into the 43rd Infantry Battalion, with the role of a soldier (seen as private in many records). This battalion consisted of approximately 3000 men at the start of the war and by the end of the war only 386 soldiers were killed and 1,321 wounded in his battalion.
He was sent to train in Morphettville Camp before traveling to England to assist in the war. Roy fought in multiple battles in the First World War, most battles consisted of him travelling back and forth from England and France. His battalion participated in a total of 6 battles on the Hindenburg Line, which was the defensive action line (the Battle of Messines, Third Battle of Ypres, German Spring Offensive, Battle of Villers Bretonneux). Although Roy Vere Nixon only participated in two battles during his time in the World War (Third Battle of Ypres and the Battle of Hamel).
Roy had suffered an injury before one of the battles (Battle of Messines) on the 4th of June 1917. He was severely wounded on his ankle, although it is unclear what caused this injury and it was mentioned too, later on, re-joined the battalion on the 8th of October 1917. Following his recovery, he was then found to be quite sick on the 24th of January 1918, possibly from the gases used or from a passing illness throughout the Western Front. He was later hospitalised until the 24th of June 1918 and was seen to be cured of the unknown illness.
However, in the 3rd of August of 1918, he was diagnosed with another illness causing him to be hospitalised again until they decided to send him back home to North Adelaide after the war on the 25th of January 1919, considering the end of the war was later that year (11th November). He may have served in a small number of battles, but he fought his hardest and gave it is all making him an honourable soldier participating in this major war
Life after the War
From being medically unfit as of his injury and recurring illness, Roy Vere Nixon received an early discharge on 17th of April 1919 back to North Adelaide, Australia. He was 28 years old when he returned home, meaning served a total of 3 years and 108 days, 2 years and 274 days of his time served was abroad.
Unfortunately, at 69 years of age, Roy Vere Nixon died on the 10th of August 1960 of natural causes. He lived a memorable life and fought his hardest to protect his country in the War.
You can now visit him at the Adelaide Centennial Park in the New Hindmarsh area of the cemetery. Light a candle or give a flower to this deserving solider who fought all he could in the war for his country and all of us today.
ANZAC Spirit
ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) spirit is the term used, meaning that an Australian/New Zealander soldier has posed certain characteristics. These characteristics are those soldiers allegedly exemplified on the battlefields of World War One. Some may recognise this as the national character in the times of war. Some of these qualities are courage, endurance, initiative, discipline, mateship, innocence and fitness.
Roy Vere Nixon showed true spirit throughout all the battles he fought in. He fought his hardest to protect his county and win the war against Germany. Even when he was wounded, as soon as he recovered he jumped back into the Western Front This had established the quality of high motivation and endurance to defend his country in the war which then reflects him achieving ANZAC spirit.
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