Douglas E. Dixon

In February of 1942 they also flew two anti-submarine sweeps on the 3rd and 25th, three convoy escort missions on the 7th, 17th and 28th, and two reconnaissance flights on the 10th and 20th:

3rd with Sgt. Robbins. - A/S Sweep, 2 MV’s sighted.

7th with Sgt. Robbins. – Escorted Convoy OG.79.

10th with Sgt. Robbins. – Coastal Recon, 2 French CV’s and 7 Spanish MV’s sighted.

17th with Sgt. Robbins. – Escorted to Corabella. Not met. 1 Armed Trawler and 1 Spanish MV sighted.

20th with Sgt. Robbins. – Shipping Recon, 2 MV’s & 1 Swiss tanker sighted.

25th with Sgt. Robbins. – A/S Patrol & Coastal Recon, 11 MV’s sighted.

28th with Sgt. Robbins. – Escorted ‘Force H’.

In March of 1942 he was now flying with a P/O Blake, and they flew four anti-submarine sweeps on the 3rd, 12th, 15th and 16th. They also flew two convoy escort missions on the 13th and 20th. Both resulted in taking anti-aircraft fire, but fortunately no damage or injuries resulted. On the first mission on the 13th they were fired upon by flak from Cape Spartel, Morrocco, on the Vichy French controlled side of the Strait of Gibraltar, five rounds bursting about 400 yards to port. On the second mission on the 20th, on returning to base a shot of red tracer with a white burst at 1200 feet was fired at aircraft from Algeciras Harbour, Spain:

3rd with P/O Blake – AS Sweep

12th with P/O Blake – AS Sweep

13th with P/O Blake – Escorted small convoy including M/V Queen Victoria, 1 Destroyer Escort, 1 Corvette and 1 Tug. They were fired upon by flak from Spartel at 1800 although outside territorial waters, five rounds bursting about 400 yards to port. No injuries reported. Spartel is assumed to be a reference to Cape Spartel. Morrocco, on the Vichy French controlled side of the Strait of Gibraltar.

15th with P/O Blake – AS Sweep

16th with P/O Blake – AS Sweep

20th with P/O Blake – Escorted Force H. On returning to base a shot of red tracer with a white burst at 1200 feet was fired at aircraft from Algeciras Harbour, Spain. No Damage reported.

On March 25th No. 233 Squadron moved to St. Eval in Cornwall. Dixon and his crew (P/O Shore, F/L Paice, Sgt Mason) from the Gibraltar detachment arrived the same day. There is no record of him attacking any U-Boats while with 233 Squadron.

On April 10th he was promoted to Flying Officer on probation, and on the 14th he arrived at Chivenor. Tragically, the day before, April 13th, two of his 233 squadron mates, P/O Leslie Noble and P/O Frederick Charles Le Bon, along with 4 others were killed in a non-operational flight from Chivenor to St Eval in Wellington Z.8721. Le Bon was the great uncle of the rock star Simon Le Bon of the ‘80’s band Duran Duran.

Dixon did not first serve as a 2nd Pilot/Leigh Light Operator, but started as 1st Pilot/Aircraft Commander. Perhaps because he had previously served in an operational squadron. Dixon’s first sortie from RAF Chivenor with 172 Squadron was on June 21st, 1942, so he had about two months to get familiar with the Wellington and his new crew.

The following month, he and crew became the first of the squadron to be engaged in air to air combat.

On the evening of July 14th Pilot Officer Dixon and crew in J for “Johnny” (HX396) took off from Chivenor at 2145 hours. The outbound leg was fairly uneventful, the crew sighting two Spanish Trawlers and some other fishing vessels.

Per the Squadron’s record of Events: 

“At 0645 hours when J was on the homeward track on course 028° True 100 miles off Scillies, and flying at 300 feet, two enemy aircraft (Arado 196) were sighted 800 yards astern at sea level. These did climbing turns crossed over and attacked J from starboard and port quarters. These attacks developed into above and head-on attacks at very close range. ‘J’ jettisoned her depth charges and returned fire [keep in mind they only had the twin .303 tail turret] diving to sea level with starboard aileron control shot away and considerable damage to port aileron. The ‘intercom’ was put out of action in opening attack [preventing coordination of defensive fire and maneuvers] and the wireless operator [Sgt Connon], wounded in the leg.

The attack by enemy aircraft was broken off when one aircraft broke away with flames and black smoke pouring from it. The other enemy aircraft broke off to investigate. Several signals were sent by J and navigational aid obtained. Landfall was eventually made at Longships. Our aircraft flew up the coast to Portreath.

The trim of the aircraft was out of control necessitating extreme left rudder to maintain direction. On approach, only one leg of the undercarriage operated and the aircraft developed a violent swing to port and crash landed at Portreath at 0835 hours, on 15.7.42, sustaining considerable damage [hit an air-raid shelter]. P/O Dixon [1st Pilot/Commander], P/O Lambarth [2nd Pilot/LL Operator], F/L Sander [Squadron Intelligence Officer along for the ride] and Sgt Connon [Wireless Operator] were injured in the crash, and Sgt Connon was also wounded during the combat. Sgt. Gerrett, the navigator was also injured.”

The injuries were described as:

P/O Dixon: Bruised left elbow, cut and lacerated mouth.

P/O Lambarth: Amputation of foot, multiple severe lacerations. Dangerously ill, shock.

Sgt. Gerrett: Fracture of transverse spines of first four lumbar vertebrae.

F/S Cartwright: Slight graze of nose, not sent to hospital.

Sgt. Connon: Compound fracture of left femur and severe gapping wound and multiple lacerations, shock. He was believed to have been hit in the leg by a 20mm shell.

F/L Sander: Fracture of left ulna, lacerations of left knee and cut left temple.

All five of the above were taken to the Royal Cornwall Infirmary at Truro, where P/O Ellson James Lambarth died as a result of his injuries later on that day after surgery. Sgt Robert John Connon died four days later from a secondary hemorrhage, but all the other crew members survived and later recovered.

Dixon did an amazing job getting his crippled Wellington back and landing as soon as he could to try and save his radioman, Connon. A Tubunic Ampoule (Morphine) was administered in flight as well as first aid to stem the bleeding in flight by another member of the crew. Keep in mind, Connon’s wireless position was immediately behind Dixon’s seat. Bad break having the landing gear fail, and all the other injuries are believed to be as a result of the crash.

Dixon was promoted to the rank of Flying Officer but would not return to operations until September of 1942 and, as noted, later Alex would join his crew in January of 1943. Gerrett received a commission as Pilot Officer, and when he recovered from his broken back, he returned to operations with No. 172 Squadron, but sadly he was killed on September 8th, 1943, when his aircraft, commanded by F/O Cyril Jesse Payne was shot down while attacking U-402 (von Forstner). The remaining crew of the Arado encounter and crash, Alfred Sydney Cartwright and Jack Mullins (both WOP/AG’s) were uninjured, but Mullins would be killed in a friendly fire incident in August.

The Arado’s looked ungainly but were armed with two 20mm cannons (one in each wing) and two 7.92 (.312 in.) machine guns (one forward firing and 1 in rear gunner/observer position), and while they wouldn’t stand much of a chance against a Spitfire, Hurricane or Beaufighter, performance-wise were more than a match for an under-gunned Coastal Command Wellington, especially 2 on 1. The fate of the Arado crews from this engagement currently remains unknown.

Besides the Arado’s, at this time the Germans sent out Junker JU-88’s in groups and solo Focke Wulf FW-200 Kondor maritime patrol bombers used for reconnaissance. In rare instances closer to the coast, ME-110’s, ME-210’s, BF-109’s and FW-190’s were all encountered as well from time to time.

On November 11th, 1942 Dixon successfully attacked and damaged U-66 in the Bay of Biscay. Per Uboat.net: 

“20.50 hrs, outbound, Bay of Biscay: after diving following warning of incoming radar signals from the FuMB, a leak through a ventilation valve that was left open caused a fire in one of the control panels, and U-66 was forced to surface due to chlorine gas when the water reached a battery. At 21.20 hrs, a Wellington Mk.VIII (RAF Sqdn 172/D, pilot F/O D.E. Dixon, RAF) located her on ASV radar and attacked from the port quarter after illuminating the U-boat with the Leigh Light, dropping four 250lb depth charges across the bow and firing 100 rounds from the tail guns. U-66 claimed several AA hits, but the rounds were observed to detonate above the aircraft by its crew. They also observed the U-boat stop for 15 minutes after describing a half circle close to marker flares dropped in the attack. The explosions had lifted U-66 over a meter out of the water, unseating an air compressor and disabling the port electric motor and the rudder. The aircraft had no depth charges left and could only circle the boat until forced to return to base at 23.22 hrs. The severe damage forced the U-boat to abandon the patrol, reaching Lorient the next day under escort from Ju88 long range fighters and armed trawlers.”

He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on April 10th, 1943 and left 172 Squadron, but unfortunately the Summary of Events does not state where he went.

Dixon married Anne Caroline "Carol" Maloney (1916-1998) in April of 1948. They apparently had no children, and since he was an only child, it has not been possible to find any descendants.

After the war he was Director of the Columbia Ribbon & Carbon Company in Sydenham. I believe this is the same company his father worked for. They made typewriter ribbons and carbon paper. They also had offices in Glen Cove, NY and he made several trips there in the late 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. He was known by his friends and family as “Bill”.

Dixon died peacefully at Orford House, Friends of the Elderly, Coulsdon on November 21st, 2004 at the age of 83. The funeral was held at Croydon Crematorium on December 3rd, 2004.

His obituary noted: “A gentleman to the end and now re-united with his beloved wife Anne on a golf course in heaven.”