James Nathan's Story.
Born in 1894 at Macclesfield and baptised at Christ Church, Macclesfield on 7 November 1894, son of house decorator, Nathan and Sarah Ellen (nee Needham) Dixon, 183 Chester Road, Macclesfield. By 1901 the family had moved to 7 Alderley Street, Macclesfield, and six-year-old James was living there with his parents and siblings Hannah Alice (8) and John Needham (1). In 1911, they were living at Fern Lea, 137, Chester Road, and James was working with his father as a house painter; his sister Hannah had died in 1905 and was buried in Macclesfield cemetery.
James was educated at Christ Church School and was a member of the St Michael's Church Men's Bible Class.
MILITARY SERVICE
James enlisted in Macclesfield, joining the local 7th Cheshire Regiment with service number 2645, and was sent to Bedford for training. He was drafted to Gallipoli, departing from Bedford in July 1915 and landing at Suvla Bay on 8 August 1915.
James contracted sunstroke at Gallipoli and was probably repatriated to England for treatment. In June 1917 he was sent to France to join the 11th Cheshire Regiment.
The 11th Battalion was engaged in battle at St Quentin. On the 21st March 1918 at about 9 a.m. they moved from Bihucourt to Favreuil, and on to a point east of Beugnatre. At approximately 5.30 p.m. on the 22nd the Battalion was ordered to occupy a position near Chaufours Wood, and the road running south from Morchies, which it did after making a short attack with the assistance of some tanks. Heavy casualties were caused by enemy shelling. At about 8 a.m. on the 23rd the enemy renewed its attack. The Battalion was compelled to withdraw to Beugny, and then to the “Army line” near Sapignies.
James was reported missing in the Macclesfield Times on 14 June 1918:
MISSING - Pte J N Dixon, Ches Regt, son of Mr and Mrs N Dixon, Fern Lea, Chester Road, Macclesfield, and partner in the firm of Messrs Nathan Dixon and Sons, decorators, 108 Chestergate, Macclesfield, has been missing since March 23-24. Pte Dixon went out to Suvla Bay in August 1915 with the local Territorials and contracted sunstroke. He had been in France since June 1917. A brother is serving at the front.
The Macclesfield Courier included the fact that James was missing in a report about his brother John on 10 August 1918:
PRIVATE J M DIXON - Mr and Mrs Nathan Dixon, of Chester Road, have received news that their son, Private John Mason (sic) Dixon, of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry, has been wounded in the left knee and is now in hospital in France. He is only 18 years and 6 months old, but has been in France about four months. He formerly assisted his father in carrying on the business of Messrs Nathan Dixon and Sons, Chestergate. His brother has been missing since last March.
James was later assumed to have been killed in action on or after 24 March 1918, aged 23 years.
COMMEMORATION
Private James Dixon is commemorated on Panel Ref. Bay 5 and 6 of the Arras Memorial.
Locally, Private James Dixon is commemorated on the Macclesfield Park Green, Town Hall, St Michael's Church and Christ Church School war memorials.
The floral tributes laid when the Macclesfield Park Green War Memorial was unveiled on 21st September 1921 included one with the words “To the glory of God and in memory of the members of the Parish Church Men’s Bible Class. Private J. Smallwood, Private B. Nunn, Private J. Hanna, Private S, Gibbon, Gunner C. H. Barratt, Private F. Wilson, Corporal F. J. Shaw, Private H. Bradbury, Private W. Savage, Private A. Simpson, Private A. Holt, Lance-Corporal H. J. Travis, Private C. Davenport, M.M., Private W. Webster, Private J. Downes, Private J. N. Dixon, Private C. Bailey, Private H. Bradley.”
NOTES
Brother of John Needham Dixon, who served as Private 38550 with the King's Shropshire Light Infantry and was wounded in the left knee in France in August 1918, but survived the war.
SOURCES
Diocese of Chester Parish Baptisms (Find My Past): Christ Church, Macclesfield
Census (England & Wales): 1901, 1911
WWI British Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects (incorrectly named as John Nathan Dixon)
WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls (Ancestry)
Lives of the First World War website
Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
Macclesfield Courier: 10 August 1918, 24 September 1921
Researched by H.A.G. Carlisle.
Further research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.