Arthur Dickinson

This story is shared by the Trust with kind permission from John Hamblin, Researcher.

Arthur Dickinson, Sapper 2020537, 73rd Field Company, Royal Engineers. Killed in action on the 16th of June 1944, aged 24.

Arthur Dickinson was born at West Auckland, County Durham in 1920, the younger son of Henry Dickinson, a life insurance agent for the Prudential Assurance Company, and Elizabeth Ann Dickinson of 2, Stanley Terrace, St Helens, Auckland. He was married in 1942 to Joyce Clarice Dickinson (née Coomber, later Bonnell)  of 6, Fairview Cottages, Holland in Surrey. They had a son, Roger, born in 1944.

He enlisted on the 13th June 1940 and was posted to 73 Field Company, Royal Engineers on the 27 February 1943. They embarked for the Normandy invasion in two groups. The first group embarked on board a Landing Ship Tank at Gosport on the 4th of June 1944. At 5.30am on the 6th of June 1944 they sighted the French coast and landed on the King Green sector of Gold Beach at 7.25am. A further fifty men landed in a M14 half track at 3pm. By the evening of D-Day they were at Le Hamel having suffered casualties of one officer, Captain P.W. Smith, killed and three other ranks wounded. The next morning they marched via Les Roquettes towards Port-en-Bessin, their final objective.

The second group embarked at Gosport a few days later and landed at Port-en-Bessin on the 11th of June where they reported to the Company Headquarters. For the next few days the men were engaged in clearing the town of mines and booby traps. At 5pm on the 16th of June 1944 men from the Company were clearing a belt of anti-personnel "S" Mines around a captured enemy strongpoint on the western side of the town when a mine exploded. A rescue party rushed to the scene but they set off four more mines. Five men were killed and four wounded in the ensuing explosions.

The dead were: -
Corporal 2110410 Thomas Dixon
Sapper 2020537 Arthur Dickinson
Sapper 2077587 Alec Close
Sapper 14213706 Neil Whyte McKellar Redman
Sapper 14523752 Walter John Reece

The wounded were: -
Lance Corporal Hayes
Sapper Carrington
Sapper Thornton
Sapper Harry

The dead were buried at the War Cemetery at Port-en-Bessin on the following day but were later exhumed and reinterred in Bayeux War Cemetery. Arthur Dickinson is buried in Plot XI, Row A, Grave 7 and he is commemorated on the war memorial at Oxted, Surrey and on the memorial at Hurst Green.

British Normandy Memorial - Additional Information

Unfortunately, we do not have a photo of Arthur Dickinson. If you are aware of one or you are related to Arthur we would love to hear from you so we can add to his story.