Matthew Charles Dixon
Encyclopedia
Major General
Matthew Charles Dixon VC
CB
(5 February 1821 - 8 January 1905) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
He was the eldest son of Major-General Matthew Charles Dixon RE (1791–1860) and his 2nd wife Emma Dalton (1794–1853) and was born in France on the 5th Feb 1821.
in 1839, was promoted to Lieutenant in 1841, Captain in 1848.
He was 34 years old, and a Captain
in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, British Army
during the Crimean War
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 17 April 1855 at Sebastopol, the Crimea
, at about 2pm the battery commanded by Captain Dixon was blown up by a shell from the enemy which burst in the magazine, destroying the parapets, killing or wounding 10 men, disabling five guns and covering a sixth with earth. The captain reopened fire with the remaining gun and continued firing it until sunset, despite the heavy concentration of fire from the enemy's batteries and the ruined state of his own.
As well as the VC, he received the 5th class of the Medjidie and the Turkish Medal and was made a Knight of the Légion d'honneur
.
He was promoted to Major and Lt-Colonel in 1855, Colonel in 1862 and retired from the Royal Artillery
in 1869 with the honorary rank of Major-General.He later achieved the rank of Major General
.
On leaving the army he took up residence at "Woodgate", Pembury near Tonbridge
and lived there until he died on the 7th Jan 1905 aged 84yrs and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery
on the 12th Jan 1905. His wife survived him by 21 years.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Matthew Charles Dixon VC
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(5 February 1821 - 8 January 1905) was a recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
He was the eldest son of Major-General Matthew Charles Dixon RE (1791–1860) and his 2nd wife Emma Dalton (1794–1853) and was born in France on the 5th Feb 1821.
Military career
He entered the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in 1839, was promoted to Lieutenant in 1841, Captain in 1848.
He was 34 years old, and a Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 17 April 1855 at Sebastopol, the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
, at about 2pm the battery commanded by Captain Dixon was blown up by a shell from the enemy which burst in the magazine, destroying the parapets, killing or wounding 10 men, disabling five guns and covering a sixth with earth. The captain reopened fire with the remaining gun and continued firing it until sunset, despite the heavy concentration of fire from the enemy's batteries and the ruined state of his own.
As well as the VC, he received the 5th class of the Medjidie and the Turkish Medal and was made a Knight of the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
.
He was promoted to Major and Lt-Colonel in 1855, Colonel in 1862 and retired from the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
in 1869 with the honorary rank of Major-General.He later achieved the rank of Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
.
Later life
On the 13th May 1862 he married Henrietta Letitia Eliza Bosanquet (1834–1926), daughter of Admiral C.J. Bosanquet of Wildwood. They had no family and his medal is in the possession of a descendant of his sister, Frances Maria Clarke née Dixon.On leaving the army he took up residence at "Woodgate", Pembury near Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
and lived there until he died on the 7th Jan 1905 aged 84yrs and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in Kensal Green, in the west of London, England. It was immortalised in the lines of G. K. Chesterton's poem The Rolling English Road from his book The Flying Inn: "For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of...
on the 12th Jan 1905. His wife survived him by 21 years.
External links
- Location of grave and VC medal (Kensal Green CemeteryKensal Green CemeteryKensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in Kensal Green, in the west of London, England. It was immortalised in the lines of G. K. Chesterton's poem The Rolling English Road from his book The Flying Inn: "For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of...
)