William Donald DICKSON
Year of Birth: 1893
Place of Birth: Mareeba, Queensland, Australia
Date of Enlistment: 11 November 1915
Date and Place of Embarkation: 20 April 1916 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Ship: HMAT Hawkes Bay
Rank: Private
Unit(s): 47th Battalion
Regimental Number: 1611A
Died: 9 August 1918
William Donald Dickson was born in 1893 in Mareeba, Qld. He was the second child and oldest son of William Dickson and his wife Margaret Jane (nee Simfield).
Their other children were Alice (b. 1891), Margaret (b. 1895), David (b. 1896), Violet (b. 1901), Norman (b. 1905) and Jean (b. 1908).
William Donald Dickson was a baker, like his father, when he enlisted on 11 November 1915. He was 22½ years of age, 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed 140 pounds. He had a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. His religion was Presbyterian. He named his father as his next of kin.
He embarked from Sydney on 20 April 1916 aboard SS Hawkes Bay
He disembarked Plymouth, England on 16 June 1916 and was appointed Acting Sergeant 19 July 1916. He landed in Etaples, Frances on 13 November 1916 and entered hospital sick 3 weeks later. He rejoined his unit on the 15 February 1917.
William Dickson is 2nd row, 11 from left.
He advanced to Lance Corporal then Sergeant within a few months.
On 28 June 1917 was award the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) “for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in taking charge of his platoon when his seniors had become casualties. He kept it under control in trying moments handling his men with great ability and determination. He was greatly instrumental for the excellent morale which prevailed throughout.”
He went on leave to England for 2 weeks, returning to France on 12 October 1917. He was dispatched for duty at Australian School Infantry Course rejoining his unit in February 1918. He suffered more illness requiring hospital admission and rejoined his unit in May 1918.
He was awarded the Military Medal 10 June 1918.
He died of wounds received in action on 9 August 1918 and was buried at Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery.
In a letter to Sgt Dickson’s family in July 1919, an Officer wrote –
Sgt Dickson’s mother had been writing to the AIF to obtain her son’s medals and this letter was sent to her revealing that the DCM was retrieved from his uniform pocket as he lay dead.
Online Resources
NAA: B2455 (DICKSON W D) National Archives of Australia
National Library of Australia: Trove Digitised Newspapers
Queensland Registrar of Births Deaths & Marriages
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