Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From Ballarat & District in the Great War

Harold Theodore William Dixon was born in Ballarat East in 1894. He was the second of just two children born to Ballarat-born William Dixon and Gwenever “Gwenny” Jane Powell, from Melbourne. The family lived at 76 Humffray Street south near the centre of Ballarat.

Young Harold received his initial schooling at the Dana Street State School, where he proved to be a very capable student. He showed enough promise that he was then enrolled at the Ballarat School of Mines to study electrical engineering. His studies there included mechanics applied to mining, engineering drawing, mine surveying and metalwork. He also studied first aid at the school, passing with credit in October 1911.

In military matters, Harold also showed promise. He served with both the junior and senior cadets, the latter with the 70th Regiment. On 23 November 1911, Harold sat an examination to pass for non-commissioned rank. He passed sixth from a list of twenty-six candidates that included William Dunstan, who would later win Ballarat’s only Victoria Cross of the Great War. By the time war was declared, Harold had succeeded in attaining the rank of second lieutenant.

Harold had almost completed his course at the School of Mines at the time he volunteered for the AIF at Ballarat on 9 July 1915. When he enlisted Harold declared himself to be aged 20 years and 7 months of age. Doctor A. B. Campbell, who had taught Harold first aid at SMB, was the medical examiner who recorded the young man’s vital statistics: he stood 5-foot 3½-inches tall and weighed 11 stone six pounds. His fair complexion, grey eyes and brown hair were also duly noted. The lowering of AIF requirement standards the previous month (height being dropped 4-inches to a minimum of 5-foot 2-inches) allowed Harold to pass fit for active service.

Being under age, Harold required the consent of his parents to enlist. William and Gwenny Dixon complied with their son’s request and signed their permission on 14 July. Harold had already returned his equipment to the 70th Regiment and had also secured a glowing written commendation from the Commanding Officer of the 70th, Major Walter H. Barker.

‘…I certify that Mr Harold T. W. Dixon has held a commission as 2/Lt and acting 1st Lieut in the 70th Battalion Senior Cadets under my command during the past 18 months and has given every satisfaction in the performance of his duties as a prominently keen, intelligent & efficient Officer…’

There were, unfortunately, a limited number of commissions available in the AIF, and, despite his previous military experience and the letter from Major Barker, Harold entered camp on 16 July as a private. However, shortly before sailing on 10 November, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant, which almost assured him of continued advancement through the ranks.

Harold embarked from Melbourne onboard HMAT Ascanius with C Company of the 59th Infantry Battalion, making a quick and relatively uneventful voyage before docking at Port Suez on 7 December 1915. The new recruits arrived in time to see the first arrivals of evacuating Australian troops from the Gallipoli Peninsula.

On 23 January 1916, while off duty, Harold was involved in a truly horrendous accident. It was 3 o’clock in the afternoon and Harold was walking along the train tracks at Serapeum with Lance Corporal Charles Pateman, also of the 29th Battalion. Men onboard a troop train that was travelling to Helmieh called to the two soldiers and began passing cigarettes. Harold was reaching for a tin of cigarettes when he lost his balance and fell. His right shoulder struck the corner of a passing carriage, which caused him to spin around and he fell face down on the tracks between two carriages. Before Pateman could pull his mate clear the wheels of the following four or five carriages passed over his body causing catastrophic injuries to Harold’s pelvis and legs.

Captain L. J. Kimber, who happened to be out riding at the time, was alerted to the accident by men on the train as they passed him. When he arrived at the scene, Kimber was shocked to find that Harold Dixon, amazingly, was still alive, although mortally injured. Being beyond aid, it nevertheless took him a further 18 minutes to die from shock and blood loss.

Harold's shattered body was removed from the tracks and buried the following day in the Ismailia War Cemetery.

With the centralisation of war graves after the Armistice, Harold’s remains were exhumed and re-interred in the Ismailia War Memorial Cemetery on the Suez Canal.