Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Ronald Alexander Dixon was born on 6 August 1889 at St Andrews, South Canterbury, the second of the three sons of William and Elizabeth Susan (née Cochrane) Dixon. He started his schooling at St Andrews School just after his fifth birthday, transferring to Waihao Native School in June 1899 and from there to Waikakahi in March 1902.

At a sitting of the Military Service Board at Oamaru in late December 1916, “Ronald Alexander Dixon, farmer, Kauroo Hill, appealed on the ground of financial sacrifice. The farm was of 518 acres, and he employed labour when he could get it. He had a brother in camp and another brother who had been twice rejected. The latter had a farm near Morven. He took up the farm 12 months ago. He was prepared to go now if he could dispose of it. To Captain Free: He had not been hanging on to tho property to see if he could make a profit on it. Under pressure, be admitted realising just a little too late that he ought not to have bought the property. The court saw no reason why this young man should have taken up the farm 12 months ago. He could very well appoint a receiver. The appeal would be dismissed.” He enlisted on 19 January 1917 at Oamaru. A self-employed farmer at Kauroo Hills, North Otago, single and Presbyterian, he named his mother as next-of-kin – Mrs Elizabeth Dixon, Morven, South Canterbury. Ronald saw only three months service, as a trooper with the Mounted Rifles. He suffered chronic pain in the back as a result of an old injury.

In 1920 Ronald married Elizabeth Egglestone Anderson Collett (known as Beth). He continued to farm in North Otago but may have retired early. Ronald Alexander Dixon died on 20 January 1935 at Christchurch, aged 45 years. He was interred at Oamaru Cemetery. His wife Elizabeth died on 21 August 1961 at Adelaide, Australia, where their younger daughter lived, and was interred at Oamaru with him. She was survived by their two daugters and their son Stuart. Ronald’s older brother, James Cochrane Dixon, served overseas during the war. At a sitting of the Military Service Board in Timaru in late July 1917, it was noted that Stuart Martin Dixon – Ronald’s younger brother - had been passed by the Medical Board as C2 (fit only for Home Service), and his appeal was dismissed.

Sources

NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [05 July 2022]; School Admission records (Waimate Branch NZSG) [19 July 2022]; Oamaru Cemetery headstone transcription & burial record (South Canterbury Branch NZSG records) [19 July 2022]; Otago Daily Times, 28 December 1916, 22 January 1935, Timaru Herald, 31 July 1917, 25 January 1935, Press, 23 & 25 August 1961 (Papers Past) [19 July 2022]

External Links

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, Teresa Scott, South Canterbury Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.