Several years ago, I wrote a blog post about Cyril Egerton Dixon, the Regional Security Liaison Officer for Cambridge during the Second World War. Cyril, or Cecil in some records, was also known as Dick or Dickie, possibly a play off of his surname. He was most definitely not a Richard, as several documents with his signature clearly show that his name was C.E. Dixon.
A few months ago, I came across an auction site which listed a Wilkinson Highland Officer’s Sword belonging to Colonel Cyril E. Dixon of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB). In my previous blog, I had found some evidence that he was a 2nd Lieutenant with the KOSB in 1925. Let’s see what the auction site has to say…
Sword of Cyril Egerton Dixon
Dixon’s sword was listed by Cowan’s Auctions, an auction house in Cincinnati, Ohio. How his sword made its way from the UK to the US is a complete mystery. The sword was expected so sell for $1000-1500 and actually sold for $984. The sword is described as:
32.5″ double-edged blade with 17.5″ median fuller, 1.125″ wide at ricasso, S/N 50857. Steel full-basket guard of regimental form with buff-leather backed red wood liner. Wire-wrapped shagreen grip. Blade etched throughout with thistles. Obverse of blade etched with crown and sunburst over King’s Own Scottish Borderers badge with panel showing initials “C.E.D.” in block letters. Reverse etched with with George V royal cypher. Leather-covered steel scabbard.
The auction site also had a short write-up about Dixon:
After a short career in the King’s Own Scottish Borderer’s [sic] in the mid-1920s, Dixon received an emergency commission of Lieutenant in the Army Intelligence Corps. He was quickly promoted to acting Major, and was involved in anti-intelligence operations in England, responsible for tracking and apprehending German paratroopers and suspected spies. Near war’s end, he was transferred to India and assisted in setting up the Counter-Intelligence Combined Board (CICB). After a promotion to Colonel in 1946, Dixon traveled [sic] to Singapore, where he established and served as head of Security Intelligence Far East (SIFE), which served as the Eastern branch headquarters of MI5. Dixon (b. 21 July 1903) passed away in March, 1973 at the age of 69.
Given that my earlier blog on Dixon was written five years ago, I thought I would do an updated post to see what else I could discover about the man.
Cyril’s Illustrious Father
Cyril Egerton Dixon was born on 21 July, 1903, in Duns, Berwickshire, Scotland, to Colonel Sir Henry Grey Dixon and Constance Ethel Mitchell-Innes. Cyril’s father was a career soldier and would be a hard act to follow.
Sir Henry was born in 1850 in Chelford, Cheshire, to a family with a proud military heritage. Henry’s father, John Dixon had reached the rank of Captain and Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in the 1st Royals while his grandfather (also John Dixon) had been a Colonel in the 1st West Yorkshire Militia. Both Henry’s father and grandfather also served as justices of the peace and held the office of Deputy Lieutenant in Cheshire.
On 23 December, 1868, at the age of 18, Henry purchased a commission as Ensign in the 25th (the King’s Own Scottish Borderers) Regiment of Foot. His brother, George Dixon (future 1st Baronet Dixon, of Astle, Chelford, Cheshire) also served with the 25th, reaching the rank of Captain. As for Henry, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1871 and spent some time in Ireland (1874) with his regiment.
In 1885, Henry married Helen Mary Frost, but she would pass away in 1893. He then married Constance in 1900. How he had time for marriage is a bit of a mystery for he was an active soldier during much of this period.
Henry served with the Peshawar Field Force as an Orderly Officer, during the Afghan War from 1878 to 1880. He took part in the expedition to the Bazar valley and served with the Kyber Line Force. During this time, Henry was mentioned in dispatches, received a medal and was promoted to Captain (1879).
We then lose track of him for several years, but do know that in 1886 he was promoted to Major. A few years later, Henry served in Sudan in 1888, seeing action at Gamalzah. He was again mentioned in dispatches and was awarded a medal with clasp, a bronze star (Khedive’s Star) and the 4th class Medjidie.
In 1889, he took part in operations on the Nile. We then have a break for a few years before picking up his trail again in 1895, when he was involved with operations in Chitral, Afghanistan. He served with the Relief Force which stormed the Malakand Pass. Again, he as mentioned in dispatches, was created a C.B. (Companion of the Order of the Bath), and received a medal with clasp.
In 1897 and 1898 Henry was involved with operations on the northwest frontier of India, serving with the Tirah Expeditionary Force. Again… mentioned in dispatches and he received two more clasps to his array of medals. That same year (1898) he was promoted to Colonel and also appointed as aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria, a position that he held until 1901.
(From Ebay)
In 1901 and 1902, he served in the South African War as a Colonel, and then Brigadier-General on Staff. Again… mentioned in dispatches, recipient of the Queen’s Medal with four clasps, and was created a K.C.B. (Knight Commander of the Bath).
There is also some evidence that he may have served as Aide-de-Camp with King Edward from 1901 to 1907 but I haven’t been able to track down the source again.
All I’ve got to say is… whew… those are some big footsteps in which to follow! Both for Cyril and for his brother, Harold Grey Dixon. While Harold did serve briefly with the Dorset Regiment from 1918 to 1919, as an Observer Officer, with the Royal Air Force, he did not become a career soldier. As noted in my earlier blog, Harold left for Malaya where he became involved in rubber tree plantations.
As for the maternal side of the family. Constance was the daughter of Agnes Hulbert and William Mitchell-Innes, a former Captain with the 13th Hussars. William had spent time in Canada with the Hussars, helping the Canadians with the Fenian raids. He retired in 1872 at the age of 30 and passed away in Berwickshire in 1879 at the age of 38. Little Constance would never really know her father, being only five years old at the time of his passing. Still, Cyril had quite an impressive family history of military men.
Schooling
One would presume that both Cyril and his brother Harold would have attended private schools, as the family seems to have been quite well-off. In the 1911 census, Cyril and his mother, Constance, were boarding at 7 Egerton Terrace Hotel (or 77 Egerton Gardens) in South Kensington. Constance gave her occupation as “Private Means” and had a nurse with her, presumably to care for Cyril. As for Harold, he was indeed a pupil, studying at Twyford School near Winchester. The father, Henry, was at home, a house named Hazelwood in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire (just north of Southampton). He was a retired army Colonel and had a cook and general servant on staff.
I haven’t been able to find any school records for Cyril, although it is possible he attended Twyford as well. Cyril would have been only 11 years old at the outbreak of war, and 15 years old at the end of the war. He was one of the lucky ones who managed to escape the horror of the First World War. But… given his family’s history, he does appear to have pursued a career with the military at least for a few years.
Cyril’s Military Career
According to my earlier blog, Cyril began his military career as a 2nd Lieutenant with the King’s Own Scottish Borderers. In this, he was clearly following in his father’s footsteps. On 30 August 1925, he was promoted from 2nd Lieutenant to Lieutenant. Normally, I would expect to find some Gazette notice as he made the transition from Cadet to 2nd Lieutenant, but so far, no luck. Cyril also appears to have been a cricketer, a right-handed batsman, who played for Hampshire in the 1926 County Championship. I found another record which noted that he was still playing cricket in 1929.
On 29 December, 1929, Cyril and his mother, Constance, set sail from Liverpool aboard the HMHS Oxfordshire of the Bibby Line. Their destination was sunny Marseilles and mother and son travelled First Class. While there is no sign of Henry (husband and father), Constance gave her last address as the Ladies Caledonian Club. Henry was a member of the Caledonia Club, so this makes sense. As for Cyril, his last address was 13 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh and he listed his occupation as Army Officer. I’m not quite sure how an army officer could also be playing cricket and travelling to Marseilles but… perhaps it’s possible.
Possible Marriage?
One of the lingering questions I was left with after my first blog on Cyril was this… did he get married? Or not? It’s a little tricky since there were six Cyril E. Dixon’s who were married between 1934 and 1990. Could he be one of them? If so, which one? Strap on your seat belt, this is going to get complicated.
First off… let’s take a look at the 1939 National Registration which wasn’t available when I wrote the first blog. We find our friend Cyril listed in Walsall, just north of Birmingham. We know it’s him because his birth date was 21 July 1903, exactly what it should be. This is a handy bit of information to have because otherwise, I’d have my doubts as to whether this was our man or not. Cyril E. Dixon was a visitor at the The Bridge, The George Hotel. He was a steel manufacturer and was married. Given that he was obviously travelling, there is no sign of a wife staying with him.
A few years earlier, however, on 23 April, 1934, we find a Cyril E. Dixon arriving in Southampton aboard the Windsor Castle of the Union-Castle Mail Steamship Line. Cyril (30) was travelling with his wife, Geraldine (23) from Madeira to the UK. The quality of the passenger list image is not great and it is impossible to decipher where they were planning to stay in the UK, possibly Glamorganshire. Their country of permanent residence is given as Wales, so Glamorganshire would fit with that. Geraldine is a housewife and Cyril is… “steel …???…”.
Could this be our man? If it is, then Cyril and Geraldine Jane Rosemary Emily Bruce were married in the first quarter of 1934 in Bridgend, Glamorganshire, Wales. Thus, they could have been arriving back in the UK after their honeymoon in late April 1934. I thought that only the marriage registration would confirm my suspicions but… it appears that the Bruce family was rather well-known in Glamorganshire and the wedding was covered in the local papers.
Marriage of C.E. Dixon and G.J.R.E. Bruce
We first pick up the nuptial trail of Cyril and Jane in the 20 January, 1934, edition of the Pontypridd Observer which noted that:
The engagement is announced between Cyril Dixon, late King’s Own Scottish Borderers, second son of the late Brigadier General Sir Henry Grey Dixon, K.C.B. [he died 13 November 1933] and of Lady Dixon, of 32, Knightsbridge, London, S.W.1., and Jane, younger daughter of Col. G.T. Bruce, C.M.G., D.S.O. and Mrs. Bruce, of The Grange, St. Hilary.
The Western Mail had a similar announcement in their 12 January, 1934, edition and added that Miss Bruce was well-known in social circles of South Wales and was a member of the Glamorgan Hunt Club. The paper even carried a photograph of her, a rather doughty and formidable looking woman.
As for the nuptials themselves, several newspapers ran significant pieces on the wedding in their society pages. On Friday, 4 April, 1934, the Western Mail had this to say about the ceremony:
Marriage of Mr. C.E. Dixon and Miss J. Bruce
Golden-haired Bride in White
(By Our Woman Correspondent)
An all-white wedding was chosen by Miss Jane Bruce, younger daughter of Col. and Mrs. G.T. Bruce, of The Grange, St. Hilary, Cowbridge, when she was married at the Church of the Holy Cross, Cowbridge, on Thursday to Mr. Cyril Egerton Dixon, second son of the late Brig.-gen. Sir Henry Grey Dixon, and of Lady Dixon, of Knightsbridge, London.
The bride is related to Lord Aberdare and “Bruce of Everest,” Brig.-gen, the Hon C.G. Bruce, who was present at the wedding [Charles Granville Bruce was her father’s first cousin]. She is one of the best women tennis players in South Wales and has frequently played in championship games. She is a member of the Cardiff and Merthyr Mawr tennis clubs.
The bridegroom was formerly in the King’s Own Scottish Borderers and is now works manager for R.B. Byass and Co., Port Talbot [steel manufacturers]. He has played for the Hampshire cricket team.
White flowers–arum lilies and lilac–decorated the old church, which is often called “The Cathedral of the Vale,” and it was crowded with representatives of the leading county families when the bridal procession entered the church.
Gown of White Satin
Col. Bruce gave away his daughter, a stately, golden-haired bride. Her gown was of white satin, cut on classic lines, with a very long train cut in one with the skirt. The sleeves were long and tight-fitting, and the high neckline was finished with a little choir-boy collar. Her veil was of white tulle, and was worn over her face when she entered the church. It was confined by a simple plaited circlet of gold lamé, and it extended to form a train. She carried a sheaf of arum lilies.
Her veil was carried by two little pages in white satin blouses and jabots and kilts of the Leslie tartan, the tartan of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers. They were Master Michael Clay, the little son of Mr. and Mr. J.C. Clay, and Master Bruce Adams, cousin of the bride.
Twelve Bridesmaids
Twelve bridesmaids (seven adults and five little girls preceded the bride up the aisle. (list of the adult names – not transcribed here)
The little girls were the Misses Pamela, Daphne, and Gilian Byass (nieces of the bride and daughters of Sir Geoffrey Byass, Bart., and Lady Byass) [Jane’s older sister, Marian Dorothy Henrietta Bruce had married Geoffrey R.S. Byass in 1919]. Miss Phoebe Crump (the step-daughter of the bride’s brother, Lieut.-col. J.G. Bruce) [John Geoffrey Bruce served with the Glamorganshire Yeomanry and then transferred to the 2/6 Gurkha Regiment in the Indian Army], and Miss Daphne Bruce (daughter of the Hon. John Bruce and Mrs. Bruce).
Bridesmaids’ Dresses
All the bridesmaids wore white velvet dresses, cut with trains and finished with little choir-boys’ collars. A distinctive note was struck by the unusual sleeves, which were open from shoulder to elbow and finished with large square kimono folds. Velvet halo hats to match completed their ensembles, and they carried ivory Prayer-books. Their gifts from the bridegroom were white corded silk handbags with jade initials.
The best man was Mr. Francis Johnston, of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers. The groomsmen were Commander Evan Thomas, Messrs. J.C. Clay, L.E.W. Williams, R.A. Byass, Harry and Rhys Llewellyn, William Pitt, and W.F. Cartwright.
The Rector of Canton, the Rev. D.J. Thomas, performed the ceremony, and the Bishop of Llandaff (the Right Rev. Timothy Rees) gave the address. Other officiating clergy were the Rev. W.H. Arundell (rector of Cheriton-Fitzpaine, Crediton, Devon), the Rev. Gilbert Williams (vicar of Llanblethian-with-Cowbridge), and the Rev. L.S. Crockett (vicar of St. Hilary).
A guard of honour was formed at the church by the Llantwit Fardre detachment of the British Red Cross Society (under Mrs. David Rees, the assistant commandant) and the Pontyclun detachment of the Order of St. John (Priory for Wales). The bride’s mother is commandant of both these units and the bride is a nurse in both.
The Reception
The reception was held at The Grange, St. Hilary, where large marquees had been erected to accommodate the guests.
Mrs. Bruce, who received the guests, wore an ensemble of African brown basket-weave wool with cape sleeves on the coat, and a brown pedal hat to match. She carried a bouquet of yellow roses.
Lady Dixon, mother of the bridegroom, wore a gown of black and grege [the natural colour of raw silk] lace and a black satin hat, and carried a bouquet of violets. [Her husband, Henry Grey Dixon had died in November 1933, just a few months previous, so she was still in mourning clothes it would seem.]
Lady Byass, sister of the bride, wore a navy wool crêpe coat and a figured blue and while silk dress and a navy pedaline hat.
The health of the bride and bridegroom was proposed by The Mackintosh of Mackintosh [Alfred Donald Mackintosh, 28th chief of the Mackintosh Clan], who is the bride’s godfather.
When Mr. and Mrs. Dixon left for their honeymoon, which is to be spent in Madeira, Mrs. Dixon was wearing a navy wool dress laced with white on the sleeves and down the front.
Later in the afternoon the villagers of St. Hilary, who presented the bride with an inscribed silver salver, were entertained to tea by Col. and Mrs. Bruce.
On their return Mr. and Mrs. Dixon will make their home at Dan-y-Ffynnon, Port Talbot.
The plant decorations and flowers were by William Treseder, Ltd., Cardiff.
The Guests
The guests were:– [well in excess of 300 guests – also not transcribed here].
The Western Mail also kindly printed a photograph of the bridal party. The quality is not the greatest but… one can presume that Cyril is the gentleman to the left of the bride.
Western Mail, Friday April 6, 1934 – page 12
I have to admit, that to my eyes, the bridesmaids look like nursing sisters. Or perhaps religious nuns. Or maybe angels?
Western Mail, Friday, April 6, 1934, page 13
Right then, I think we can confidently say that our man Cyril did indeed get married to Geraldine Jane Rosemary Emily Bruce, and that they went to Madeira for their honeymoon. And we can also confirm that Cyril worked in steel manufacturing, being the works manager at R.B. Byass & Co., a well-known steel plant in Port Talbot. On top of that, the company chairman was Major Sir Geoffrey Robert Sidney Byass, the same gentleman who married Jane’s eldest sister, Marian in 1919. And… we can indeed confirm that our Cyril was the same man who played cricket for Hampshire. Now then, what can we say about his wife? And did they have children?
The Bruce Family
I’m not going to delve in depth into the Bruce family as it is a tangled web, even from a cursory glance. We know that Gerald Trevor Bruce, born in 1871, was a solicitor in the 1911 census. He would also become a partner in a law firm which became known as Morgan, Bruce and Nicholas. Gerald also served with the Glamorganshire Yeomanry and fought during the First World War with several other regiments. With the advent of the Second World War, Gerald was remobilised and ultimately rose to the rank of Major General. He married Lilian Isabel Booker in 1896, with whom he had three children: John Geoffrey Bruce (1897-1972), Marian Dorothy Henrietta Bruce (1898-1968) and our girl Jane (1911-1986). The family seems to have lived at The Grange, just east of St. Hilary, Glamorganshire, for many years.
Tracing Jane (and her incredibly unique series of first names) was rather easy. In the 1939 National Registration, she was living at The Grange in Cowbridge, Wales, with twelve other people. The head of the household was Gerald T. Bruce and his wife Lilian Isabel Bruce, Jane’s parents. Gerald was still a solicitor and obviously fairly well to-do. The household included two nurses, a cook and a house parlourmaid. The registration notes that Jane was born on 11 March 1911 and her occupation was unpaid domestic duties). During the war, she would eventually serve as a Red Cross Volunteer Ambulance Driver. Below Jane’s name, there is a Nikola M. Dixon (born 11 July 1935) as well as three closed records.
Interesting. It would appear that in September 1939, Cyril was travelling in his role as steel manufacturer (he was at Walsall, Staffordshire) and Jane was staying with her parents. The fact that Jane was living in her father’s house makes me wonder if their marriage might have been on shaky ground. Or perhaps they just lived at The Grange and that was their permanent abode?
I did find mention of Cyril in the 5 December 1936 edition of the Tamworth Herald which noted that he had been fined 4 shillings for speeding. At that time he was a steel merchant and residing at 7, Church Street, Stratford-on-Avon. This seems a bit odd, but perhaps his stint by R.B. Byass had ended and he was living elsewhere. So, perhaps they were not living at The Grange in 1939.
A bit more searching and I did discover that Cyril and Jane’s marriage did indeed succumb, for in the first quarter of 1945, Jane (neé Bruce) Dixon married John Kean Jones in Westminster. That same year, little Nikola Dixon’s surname was changed to Jones by Deed Poll. This would lead me to suspect that the child(ren) stayed with their mother and new step-father. This would obviously make sense given that Cyril was on an active military/intelligence posting throughout the war, and afterwards as well.
While I didn’t do a lot of digging into Cyril’s children, it looks like Nikola Melanie Dixon (born 11 January 1935) married Alan Lewis in 1966 and passed away in January 1997 in Swansea, Glamorganshire. The second child could be Poppy V. Dixon, born in the second quarter of 1937 in Bridgend, Glamorganshire. She may have married Edward C.B. Hammond in 1956 in Bridgend, Glamorganshire. As for Cyril’s ex-wife, Jane, she passed away in 1976 at Wernffrwd Farm, west of Swansea.
Cyril’s Intelligence Career
While Cyril was still a steel merchant in the early weeks of the war, sometime between 1939 and 1940, he got bumped intelligence officer. As noted in the first blog, on 15 July 1940, Cyril was added to the roster of the Intelligence Corps as a Second Lieutenant (Emergency Commission). He was, however, quickly promoted to Acting Captain and then Acting Major.
We know that Cyril served as the Regional Security Liaison Officer in Cambridge during the war, one of the favourite drop zones for German spies. Cyril was involved in the capture of both Karel Richter and Josef Jakobs in the winter and spring of 1941. It would also turn out that he was living just around the corner from German spy Engelbertus Fukken in Cambridge, the spy who evaded capture before shooting himself in an air raid shelter in March 1941.
We also know that near the end of the war, Dixon served with Counter-Intelligence (CI) in India (Delhi Intelligence Bureau), setting up the Counter Intelligence Combined Board (CICB). As a Colonel in 1946, Dixon briefly served as the head of Security Intelligence Far East (SIFE) before passing the leadership to Malcolm Johnson of MI5. This may have been the end of Cyril’s career in the military intelligence field.
Between 1952 and 1958, Cyril and travelled back and forth between England and Africa (Lagos, Nigeria) as secretary for W.A.I.T.R. (West African Institute For Trypanosomiasis Research). This seems a rather odd career choice for a former steel merchant, but could be a cover for continuing intelligence work. Or perhaps the cushy civil service job was a reward for his wartime work. Cyril does not appear to have remarried, for he never travelled with a wife.
Cyril’s Passing
We know already that Cyril passed away in Rye, Sussex on 3 March, 1973. Although, even there, some confusion arises since his death is indexed as Cecil Egerton Dixon. I applied for the probate records, however, and these are registered for Cyril Egerton Dixon.
Cyril last lived at 3 Tower Cottages in Rye, Sussex, just south of The Landgate, a 14th century gate tower. The executor of the will was National Westminster Bank Limited of London and the estate was valued at £33,558.53 (roughly £350,000 in today’s currency).
Cyril’s last will and testament, included in the probate records, makes for some interesting reading.
I, Cyril Egerton Dixon of 3 Tower Cottages, Rye, in the County of Sussex, a Colonial Civil Servant Retired, hereby revoke every testamentary disposition heretofore made by me and declare this to be my last Will which I make this fifteenth day of April one thousand nine hundred and sixty four.
-
- I appoint National Provincial Bank Limited (hereinafter called “the Bank”) to be the Executor and Trustee of this my Will on the terms and conditions including the right to remuneration and the incidence thereof as set forth in the Bank’s Trustee and Executorship Regulations in force at the date hereof and as if such terms and conditions were here set out.
- I desire that after my death, my body be cremated at Charing [possibly Charing Crematorium between Ashford and Maidstone in Kent].
- I give free of duty to David McLellan, the son of Dr. and Mrs. Menzies McLellan of Broadacres Farm, Chiddingly, in the said County of Sussex, such motorcar as I may have at the date of my death in memory of the fun we have had with motorcars in the past.
- I give free of duty the sum of One thousand pounds to the Rye Dormy House Club Staff Fund in appreciation of the kindness and service I have received from the staff.
- In recognition of the happiness I have enjoyed at the Rye Dormy House Club during the latter years of my life, I devise and bequeath all the residue of my real and personal estate whatsoever and wheresoever to the Rye Dormy House Club but subject to the payment thereout of my funeral and testamentary expenses and debts.
- I desire that the Secretary for the time being of the Rye Dormy House shall go through my papers and effects at No. 3 Tower Cottages, burn or destroy whatever in his opinion is of no value, and give away to such persons as he shall think fit, in his uncontrolled discretion, such of my personal effects, like guns, fishing tackle, golf clubs, television and wireless sets, binoculars, and other personal belongings generally, as he may like to distribute and they may care to have and I would also like him to give my clothes to the Rye Fire Brigade jumble sale.
In witness whereof I the said Cyril Egerton Dixon have hereunto set my hand the day and year before written.
It would seem that if Nikola and Poppy were his children, he clearly had nothing whatsoever to do with them later in life. As for the mysterious David McLellan… He was born in 1937, in London, to Dr. William Menzies Kirk McLellan (1902-1984) and his wife Barbara (neé Craig) McLellan (1904-1996). In 1939, Dr. McLellan and his wife were residing at The Mallows in Romsey & Stockbridge, Hampshire. It would appear that David filled the roll of a surrogate son for Cecil, a lad who enjoyed motor cars and whom Cecil may have taken under his wing.
The Rye Dormy House Club, was just around the corner from where Cyril lived, literally a stone’s throw. It also seems to have been a second home for him. The Times had a brief obituary for Cyril and noted that he had passed away on 3 March at the Rye Dormy House Club. On some of the passenger manifests from the mid-1950s, Cyril gave his address in the UK as the Rye Dormy House Club. I find it a bit sad that Cyril had obviously lost contact with his two daughters. Hopefully he found some camaraderie at the club in Rye.
Conclusion
I had hoped that this dive into Cyril Egerton Dixon’s life would have left me with some clue as to how his sword ended up in Ohio but… no such luck. Perhaps Cyril had sold it himself at some point. Or it was dispersed by the Secretary of the Rye Dormy House Club.
This foray into Dixon’s life, however, has given me a much better sense of this man. And I was quite pleased to find a photograph of him, albeit one not of the greatest quality. At the same time, there are still so many unanswered questions. What happened to his marriage to Jane? What became of his two daughters? How did he make the shift from steel merchant to MI5 officer to colonial civil servant. And how did his sword end up in Ohio!
Post Script
I have come across some books/articles which have Dixon listed as Richard Dixon, possibly because his nickname was Dick or Dickie = Richard. I do think that the information I’ve dug up is conclusive proof that the Regional Security Liaison Officer in Cambridge was indeed our friend Cyril Egerton Dixon.
Sources
Ancestry – genealogical records
British Newspaper Archives – various newspapers
Ebay – photograph of Sir Henry Grey Dixon
Cowan Auctions – sale of Dixon’s sword
The Story of Walsall – The George Hotel – photograph of the rebuilt George Hotel
National Museum of Wales – photograph of the Robert B. Byass Tinplate Works in Port Talbot
Hussards Photos – has a page on William Mitchell-Innes
Header Image – “Port Talbot steel works, Wales” by The JR James Archive, University of Sheffield is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0