208973 L/Sgt William Frederick Dixon British Army Welsh Guards from:Caterham Surrey UK (d.29th June 1942) My Dad, William Dixon enlisted in the Welsh Guards in 1928, for 7years and 5 on reserve. He served in London and Egyptin 1929. At the outbreak of war in 1939 he was recalled to the colours. Due to his previous service he was classed as a trained soldier at that time. He was at Dunkirk & survived. In 1941, a training camp at Codford St Mary, Wiltshire was set up, he was sent there in October 1941. It was close to Weston Super Mare. In my research I contacted an ex Guards instructor who told me that soldiers were billeted there from Codford St Mary, whilst on courses. On the night of 29th June 1942, Weston Super Mare was severely damaged by German bombs. I believe over 100 people were killed that night, my Dad was one of them, at the age of 36. The Official War Diaries for his unit showed 3 other ranks from his unit were killed that night. Many years later I visited Weston Super Mare & visited the library and contacted a local historian. I found a reference card that showed that after the raid, some of the victims had been laid in a makeshift mortuary in a church, my Dad being one of them. He was brought home for burial to Caterham, Surrey. He is interred in the Guard's section of the Chuchyard. For many years from 1875 to the 1980s, Caterham Barracks was the base for many Guards Regiments. But in Weston Super Mare Cemetery, there is a huge section with the graves of those killed that night, amongst them other servicemen. It was hard for my Mother to accept the fact that he was killed whilst on duty in England.
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