Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Arthur was born at St Andrews on 4 January 1888. He was the second son from a family of six boys and two girls belonging to Arthur Percival and Alice Ann Dix. He was educated at St Andrews School, attending standard two in January 1894. On 13 August 1914, at the age of 26, Arthur enlisted at Timaru for war service with the Canterbury Infantry Battalion. He was described as being Anglican, single, 5 foot 9 inches tall, having a dark complexion, hazel eyes, brown hair, weighing 152 lbs, chest measuring 35½ inches and his teeth were in fair condition. His father, Arthur Dix of St Andrews, was given as his next of kin, Arthur gave his address as St Andrews, and he was working at the time as a labourer for H.B. Johnstone of Otaio. Arthur served in NZ from 13 August until 16 October, when he embarked from Lyttelton with the Main Body, aboard the Tahiti or Athenic for Suez, Egypt, arriving 3 December 1914. He served in Egypt until he was posted to Gallipoli 5 May 1915, and on 9 June he received bomb wounds to his left hip. On 11 June he was on the hospital ship Grantully Castle then, on 19 June, he was admitted to the E.A. Hospital in Cairo. 16 July saw him transferred to No 1 Stationary Hospital, Port Said from where he was discharged on 2 August 1915. On 9 August he was again readmitted to the NZ General Hospital, Cairo, and on 25 September he was invalided back to New Zealand aboard the SS Willochra, arriving home on 31 October 1915. Arthur continued to serve in uniform until his discharge from the army as medically unfit on 3 March 1916. Arthur re-enlisted again at Timaru on 21 June 1917, and on 1 October, he was promoted to the rank of Corporal. He was at this time aged 30 and was working as a labourer for Mr R. Catherwood. His description was as for his initial enlistment but with the addition of a tattoo of crossed flags and the words “hands across the sea 1915”, and three scars on his left hip. He was to only serve on home service until, on 2 February 1918, he was placed on leave without pay. 29 July 1918 saw him again being attested for service, but he was not taken into camp. He was working as a porter for the New Zealand Railways at this point. For his service, Arthur was to receive the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Later, in August 1967, he was presented with the Gallipoli Badge and Medallion. In 1930 Arthur married Ivy Taylor and was to have nine children. From 1919 to 1949 he was living at St Andrews, and from 1954 to 1969, his address was given as Makikihi. From 1969 he was living at 34 MacDonald Street, Timaru where he died, at the age of 85, on 27 November 1973. He is buried in the Timaru Cemetery with his wife Ivy. Arthur’s brother, Rifleman Gerald Dix (no.47997) also served - in his case with 2 Battalion NZ Rifle Brigade, but was reported missing and later presumed killed in action at Passchendale, France, on 12 October 1917.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph database (July 2015); Archives NZ (Personnel File); ancestry.com.au; NZSG Index V5; Timaru District Council cemeteries database; Star, 19 October 1915 via http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz; NZBDM Historical Records

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

• Timaru Herald 10 Dec 1915 - St Andrews man's letter (pdf, 36.0 KB updated 01-Sep-2017)

Researched and Written by

Carol Bell, SC branch NZSG; Tony Rippin (South Canterbury Museum); Ted Hansen, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.