Dixon, James Alma

No.5341 – Private James Alma Dixon

James was the final brother to enlist in the war, offering his services at the Fremantle Drill Hall on the 21^st February 1916. James had been born in Fremantle in 1887 and was a Farrier by trade and earlier in 1916 he married Elizabeth Bruce and they took up residence in Gold Street South Fremantle. They would have four children from the marriage, Phyllis (1916), Rhonna (1920), Bryan (1934) and Mareen.

 Perhaps because all his brothers had been in the 28^th Battalion, James managed to get assigned to the 14^th Reinforcements to the 28^th Battalion at Claremont Camp on the 22^nd June 1916.

This group sailed from Fremantle Harbour aboard the HMAT Miltiades on the 9^th August 1916 and set sail for England, disembarking at Plymouth on the 26^th September 1916.

James was sent to the 7^th Training Battalion and spent the next two months here before being sent to France. James joined the 28^th Battalion on the 3^rd December 1916 and would have been able to meet his brothers Alfred and Wes who were still with the unit.

James led a charmed life of front line service. Apart from two breaks of English furlough, he served through all the actions the 28^th Battalion fought through 1917 & 1918 and came through without a scratch.

After the war was over he went with the 28^th Battalion to what had been German occupied Belgium and he also spent two weeks leave in Brussels. On the 13^th April 1919 James left for England and spent the next two months in English camps. He embarked for Australia aboard the HMT Orontes on the 16^th June 1916, disembarking in Fremantle on the 24^th July 1919. He was discharged from the AIF on the 7^th September 1919. On his return from the war he continued to live in the Fremantle district up to 1925 and then moved to Leederville. During this time he worked as a blacksmith. James died in Leederville WA on the 7^th September 1974.