Dixon, Wesley Augustus

No.1922 Wesley Augustus Dixon – 2^nd Machine Gun Battalion

Wesley also grew up in the South Fremantle/Hamilton Hill district, having been born in Fremantle in 1889. After leaving school he found employment as a slaughterman and took up work in the country at Kellerberrin and Pingelly.

In 1915 he married Ethel Bennett in Fremantle and they resided in Hamilton Hill. They would go on to have four children, Hazel (1915), Ivan (1920), Ellis (1922) and Raymond (1923).

Wes enlisted the same day as his younger brother Alfred, on the 24^th June 1915. (Wes is in the centre of the photo).

 They were both in the 3^rd Reinforcements to the 28^th Battalion. They left with them at Fremantle on the H.M.A.T. Anchises on the 2^nd September 1915. Wes served with the 28^th Battalion through their entire Gallipoli campaign and on his return to Egypt from the Dardanelles in early January 1916 he was appointed a transport driver. As part of the 2^nd Division the 28^th Battalion were the first of the Australian Divisions to be sent to France, leaving Alexandria on the 16^th March 1916. Arriving at Marseilles on the 21^st March the men were put onto trains and sent to the north of France in the region south of Armentieres near Fleurbaix. They remained here till June 1916 and were then sent south to the Somme.

Wes’s work as a transport driver would have kept him out of the front line assault at Pozieres and Mouquet farm. However on the 26^th August 1916 he requested to be transferred back to being a Private in his original company, perhaps to rejoin his younger brother Alfred.

Wes had nearly two months in hospital in early 1917 after contracting venereal disease, but he returned to his unit in time for their action at Lagnicourt in March 1917. Wes also served at Bullecourt in May though after this action he was transferred to the 7^th Brigade sniper section. The 28^th Battalion was now on a three month rest period out of the line but in September Wes took part in the Battle of Menin Road, where sadly his younger brother Alfred was killed.

This may have led to Wes to request a transfer and in November he was sent to the 7^th Machine Gun Company where he once again became a transport driver.

In early 1918 the 7^th Machine Gun Company changed its designation as it now became part of the 2^nd Machine Gun Battalion. They served at Morlancourt, Villers-Bretonneux, and Amiens through April till August 1918. They then embarked on the great offensive and the 2^nd Division captured Mont St Quentin and were involved in the AIF’s last infantry action of the war at Montbrehain.

Wes survived all these actions but he may have been suffering from his work as a transport driver as after the Armistice he was admitted to hospital suffering from the effects of gas poisoning. In December 1918 he was returned to England and on the 20^th of that month he boarded the SS Orontes and sailed back to Australia, disembarking in Fremantle on the 27^th January 1919. He was discharged from the AIF on the 19^th June 1919.

After arriving back in WA Wes took up work at Kellerberrin again and moved around the state. In 1948 his wife Ethel died and in 1949 he remarried to Ethel Blewett.

Wes died in 1952.