Albert Edward Dixie

From The Dreadnought Project
Jump to: navigation, search

Lieutenant-Commander Albert Edward Dixie, Royal Navy (29 September, 1878 – 16 May, 1920) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Dixie was born in Chesterfield, London, the son of Sir Beaumont Dixie. He gained nine months' time on passing out of Britannia.[1]

Dixie's name was withdrawn from the list of naval cadets on 17 June, 1895 and restored on 28 August. He was appointed to the second class battleship H.M.S. Nile in the Mediterranean on 14 September 1895. On 16 June 1896 he was invalided from Nile with a remittent fever.[2]

In mid-June 1896, he was invalided home from Nile with remittent fever. He was again fit on 2 September and appointed to Repulse in the Channel Squadron.[3]

Dixie was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 28 November, 1900.[4] Dixie was awarded 1904's Shadwell Testimonial for a re-survey of Port Sweltenham he conducted, for which he also received the thanks of the Colonial Office of the Federated Malay States.[5]

Dixie was appointed to Fantome for navigating duties briefly in 1901-1902 and then to Fearless on the China Station from March 1902 to February 1905. In 1904, he was thanked by the Colonial Office and the Federated Malay States for conducting a re-survey of Port Sweltenham.[6]

Dixie was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 28 November, 1908 while serving as navigator in the light cruiser Achilles.[7]

In 1909, Dixie was appointed as first and navigating officer in the armoured cruiser Bedford. She was stranded and lost on 21 August, 1910. A Court Martial was conducted on 16 and 17 November 1910 proved a charge against Dixie of having by default suffering the ship to be stranded. He was severely reprimanded and dismissed the ship. He was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 15 December, 1910, but this was cancelled on 10 January, 1911 – again at his own request – and he went on half pay for six months.[8]

Dixie was appointed in command of the first-class torpedo boat T.B. 6 from August, 1914 through May 1915, when he went to the Portsmouth Navigation School, where in the course of his duties he became adept as an aerial observer. He authored works on aeronautics and instructed R.N.A.S. officers before being appointed to Rosyth Royal Dockyard for navigating duties in mid-June 1918.[9]

Dixie asked to be placed on the Retired List and was relieved. Dixie died without any indication as to cause on 16 May, 1920. His retirement date was antedated to 1 May, 1920 in order that his widow could receive a gratuity of £500.[10]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
William J. F. Dunlop
Captain of H.M. T.B. 6
Aug, 1914[11] – 6 May, 1915[12][13]
Succeeded by
Francis E. Wright

Footnotes

  1. Dixie Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/45/4. f. 4.
  2. Dixie Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/45/4. f. 4.
  3. Dixie Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/45/4. f. 4.
  4. The Navy List. (March, 1913). p. 22.
  5. Dixie Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/45/4. f. 4.
  6. Dixie Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/45/4. f. 4.
  7. Dixie Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/45/4. f. 4.
  8. Dixie Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/45/4. f. 4.
  9. Dixie Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/45/4. f. 4.
  10. Dixie Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/45/4. f. 4.
  11. The Navy List. (April, 1915). p. 401.
  12. The Navy List. (April, 1915). p. 401.
  13. The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 400.