Thomas was born and resided in Bradford, West Yorkshire. During World War 1 he served in the 1/6th Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment and landed in France on the 16th April 1915.

The land in front of their first trench positions was littered with the dead from the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, including men of the Lahore Division, Indian Army. These men left a strong impression as they marched away: “Their courtesy and the splendid physique of the tall turbaned Indians seemed to surpass that of our own men and they marched with wonderful spirit and Èlan.”

In July the Battalion moved to the Ypres salient for seven months of physical wretchedness in water-logged trenches which were too close for comfort to the German lines. It was here that Corporal Sam Meekosha was awarded a VC for directing a group of men, in full view of the enemy, to dig out comrades from a shelled position.

On 19 December the Bradford men were to suffer their first gas casualties. Fortunately Major CE Scott, in charge of gas masks, had been punctilious in training the men in their use and they responded promptly to the white vapour rising from gas cylinders in front of the trenches. This was followed by gas shells and the sky “glowed like a vast electric light whilst the air was full of a choking sickly heaviness”.

In the spring of 1916 the Territorials moved to the Somme area. They spent 1 July under shell fire in Thiepval Wood, awaiting an order to attack which came at 4.00pm. Casualties were severe. Amongst them, were school chums Avon Moore, WH Allum and Ken Bloomer who died together on the edge of Thiepval Wood. All three were interred during battlefield clearances in 1920. Even more men were lost on 3 September during another assault on Thiepval yet the Battalion was to fight at Passchendaele in 1917 and at Ypres in 1918.

In April 1918 he would find himself in trenches near Wytschaete Road when on the 25th at 2:30am the enemy opened a heavy bombardment of gas on the forward & back areas. This continued for almost 2 hours after a comparatively quiet lull of a quarter of an hour. The bombardment resumed with the greatest violence + a hostile attack from Kemmel to Hollebeke, though no definite information was was available at rear echelon. From information received later it appeared that the enemy attacked in force his chief objective being Kemmel Hill. The 146th brigade however being attacked by masses though stubborn resistance was offered by small parties of men + numerous casualties inflicted on the hun. The preliminary bombardment had however depleted our line that the survivors had to withdraw to get in touch with the right flank large parties of the bosche had evidently broke through this flank. This attack enveloping which would normally have been able to hold off the enemy. The fighting continued all day but our men now mixed up with other units which had been in support + reserve positions were slowly pressed back to positions about 1 kil S East of La Clytte. During the evening 2 or 3 stragglers reported but they were able to give very little information as owing to the violence of the bombardment, the mist + the smoke screen being used by the enemy very little could have been seen during the first stages of the attack. During this action sadly Thomas was killed.

240426 Corporal Thomas Dixon

Killed in action 25th April 1918

1/6th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own)

Remembered with honour at Tyne Cot Memorial