Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Sapper Edward Charles Dixon was an Electrician by trade. The family lived in Brighton, Victoria. It is unclear why Edward enlisted in the AIF in Hobart, Tasmania. After being declared unfit for the Army he was taken on strength as an Electrician for the 2/4th Casualty Clearing Station based in Singapore to assist in keeping the operating theatres working. He was captured by tje Japanese at the fall of Singapore and marched to Changi Prison, then moved with A Force to the Thai/Burma Railway. His grandson traced Edward's incarceration to to 55 kilo camp,  known as KhonKhun at Tambaya Station. 53.02kilometres from Thanbyzayat with Colonel Coates.

Sapper Edward Dixon devised a range of medical tools and devices to allow  surgery to be done, including the still to make some alcohol for washing the skin, and the surgeon’s hands, as well as water for the saline infusions. He also made the surgical needles from  darning needles.

Three important improvisations were of particular note, all with Sapper Dixon’s contributions. First, an autoclave, for sterilising instruments was made from an old petrol drum. Second, proctoscopes, for examining the rectum, were made from tin with a small attached mirror for shining the sun where it normally would not. Thirdly, Edward made a circular saw with a treadle machine, and this was put to use for craniotomy.

He returned home a very sick man. Edward married twice. Upon his return to Melbourne, he was employed by the Alfred Hospital as a surgical instrument maker. He died at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital aged 44 years on Christmas Day, 1958.