Alfred Dixon was born in Grendon, Atherstone, Warwickshire, England, in 1886, the son of Arthur and Agnes Louisa Dixon (née Copson). His father had been landlord of The Boot Inn, Grendon, Atherstone, and after his death, his mother had become sub-postmistress of the Boot Lane post office in Grendon. He was one of eight children.
Alfred was educated at Atherstone Grammar School and having completed his education, he became a clerk and stenographer.
On the 4th June 1907, he boarded the Carmania at Liverpool, and following his arrival in New York harbour, he travelled on wards to his eldest brother, Arthur, who resided in in St. Louis, Missouri. On the 21st July 1908, he arrived in Liverpool on board the Lusitania, and returned to the United States of America on the same liner on the 5th December 1908. Sometime after his return to the United States of America, he relocated to El Paso, Texas.
In the spring of 1915, he decided to return again to Atherstone for a holiday and consequently booked as a third class passenger, again on the
Lusitania, which was due to leave New York on the morning of 1st May 1915. Leaving Texas as the end of April, he joined the liner at the Cunard berth in New York harbour in time for her delayed sailing which began just after noon. The delay was caused because she had to embark, crew, passengers and cargo from the Anchor Liner
Cameronia which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty as a troop ship, at the end of April
He did not survive the sinking of the liner by the German submarine U-20, which took place when she was six days out of New York and within hours of her Liverpool destination. He was aged 29 years. His body was never recovered from the sea and identified afterwards and as a consequence, he has no known grave.
Administration of his estate was granted to his mother, Agnes, at London on 11th August 1915, and his effects amounted to £128-2s-0d, (£128.10p).
The extent to which Alfred Dixon was missed by friends and family is shown by the fact that for many years after his death, he was still remembered with an insertion in the ‘In Memoriam’ column of local newspaper
The Tamworth Herald on its anniversary!
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, Warwickshire England Church of England Baptisms 1813 – 1910, 1891 Census of England & Wales, 1901 Census of England & Wales, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, UK Incoming Passenger Lists 1878 – 1960, Cunard Records, Probate Records, Atherstone News, Tamworth Herald, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv D92/2/21, UniLiv D92/2/120, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Bill Walton, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.