A First War Medal Group to the Canadian Engineers

A First War Medal Group to the Canadian Engineers - 1914-15 Star (5082 SPR: B. DIXON. CAN: ENG:); British War Medal (5082 SPR. B. DIXON. C.E.); and Victory Medal (5082 SPR. B. DIXON. C.E.). Naming is officially impressed. Un-mounted, original ribbons, light contact, near extremely fine. Accompanied by copies of his Index Cards, Attestation Paper, Medical Records, Casualty Form, Will, Discharge Certificate, Pension Documents, along with other research papers.Footnote: Bertie Dixon was born on March 6, 1876 in Devonport, Devon, England and emigrated to Ottawa, Ontario. He signed his Attestation Paper on September 24, 1914 at Valcartier, Quebec, at the age of 38, stating that he had twenty-one years and three days service with the Royal Garrison Artillery, that his trade was that of Electrician and that he was Imperial Service pensioned. Dixon's unit sailed on October 3, 1914, arriving in England shortly there. On New Years Eve, December 31st, he forfeited one days' day for being drunk and absent without leave. In the new year, he was transferred to Base Depot at Tidsworth on January 31, 1915, preparing for overseas service. Two months later, Dixon found himself in the French theatre on March 25, 1915, where he was taken on strength of the 3rd Field Company. Six days after his arrival in France, he overstayed his pass by twelve hours, was declared absent without leave and found to be drunk, forfeited one days' pay and awarded eighteen days detention on March 31st. The following Fall, Dixon was admitted to No. 4 Stationary Hospital at St. Omer on September 9th with "Defective Vision", treated and discharged to Duty Base Depot at Le Havre on the 14th. Sapper Bertie Dixon was "buried by shell explosion" on September 15, 1915 in Ploegstraate and was unconscious for ninety minutes. He was admitted to No. 2 Canadian Field Ambulance on the 16th, later spending two days at Bailleul, France and three weeks at Le Havre before being invalided to England on November 4th. He was transferred to Base Depot at Shorncliffe on the 6th. Two weeks afterwards, he entered Moore Barracks, Canadian Hospital at Shorncliffe on November 21st, complaining of pain with swelling of the testicles present. He also had some puffiness of the eyes. It was determined that he had Opacities in both Corneae, eye problems that can lead to scarring or clouding of the cornea, as the result of an attack of inflammation previously in his life. It was also determined that there would be no improvement to his vision with the use of glasses and that his condition was to be permanent. In regards to the swelling in his testicles, it was determined that he was suffering from Varicoele, an abnormal enlargement of the pampiniform venous plexus in the scrotum. The plexus of veins drains the testicles. The testicular blood vessels originate in the abdomen and course down through the inguinal canal as part of the spermatic cord on their way to the testis. Upward flow of blood in the veins is ensured by small one-way valves that prevent backflow. Defective valves, or compression of the vein by a nearby structure, can cause dilation of the testicular veins near the testis, leading to the formation of Varicoele. After two and half weeks at Moore Barracks, he was transferred to the Canadian Casualty Depot Hospital, Monks Horton on December 6th for additional treatment for the next fifteen days before being discharged on the 21st, at which point he was transferred to the Canadian Engineers Training Depot at Shorncliffe. Upon transfer from hospital, he was charged no less than three times for being absent without leave (January 6th, 22nd and 24th, 1916). Dixon's defective vision was determined by a Medical Board to be a previous condition, although it was aggravated by active service. He was discharged at the Canadian Engineers Training Depot, Shorncliffe, Kent, England on April 30, 1916 after being deemed medically (physically) unfit. His intended place of residence afterwards was to be Pimlico, London. In his Will, dated March 22, 1915 in France, he stated that "In the event of my death I give the whole of my property to Mrs. H.M. Herbert, Schoolmistress, South Wales B. Regt. (Borderers Regiment)". His Will was never executed and the Army granted him a pension, as he was rendered "materially incapable of earning a livelinhood by reason of injuries received in action." Dixon died in the United Kingdom in 1920, at the age 44.