Dixon, Versary William

No.3001 – L/Cpl Versary William Dixon – 28^th Battalion AIF

Versary William Dixon was born in New South Wales to William and Ada Dixon. The family moved across to Western Australia and took up residence in Tuckfield Street. Versary was working as a baker prior to enlisting into the AIF. He was 21 years old when he went to the recruitment office to enlist on the 6^th August 1915. He was passed as fit with the medical officer finding him to be 5 feet 8 ½ inches tall; weight of 141 lbs; chest measurement of 33-36 inches; fair complexion; grey eyes and black hair. His religious denomination was Church of England.

(Dixon family below)

Versary was assigned to No.28 Depot and then the 2^nd Depot Battalion. On the 16^th October 1915 he was assigned to the 12^th Reinforcements to the 11^th Battalion and was transferred two weeks later to the 7^th Reinforcements to the 28^th Battalion. He trained with this group up to the 18^th January 1916 when they embarked from Fremantle aboard the H.M.A.T. “Medic”. He arrived in Egypt on the 16^th February 1916 and was marched into the 7^th Training Battalion. While with the 7^th Training Battalion he was promoted to Acting Sergeant and he left Alexandria with this group on the 21^st March 1916, arriving at Marseilles on the 27^th March. Versary was sent north to Etaples to join the 2^nd Australian Division Base Depot and remained there for two months. He only joined the 28^th Battalion on the 24^th May 1916 and on joining had to revert back to being a Private.

The 28^th Battalion were in the region of Fleurbaix during this period though in July they were sent south to the Somme. The battle on the Somme had been raging since July 1^st though the Australians only became involved on the 21^st July when the 1^st Division captured Pozieres. The 2^nd Division relieved them several days later and attempted to continue the advance. On the 29^th July the 28^th Battalion were tasked with advancing along the Pozieres Road towards the German trenches. Unfortunately the artillery support was ineffective and the 28^th Battalion advanced into very heavy machine gun fire. The attack failed and Versary now a Lance Corporal was killed in Action. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial France.