Private Robert Dickeson

Reg No; 19/1328
19th Battalion
Durham Light Infantry

Killed in Action; July 25th 1916, Aged 27yrs
Remembered with Honour at
Thiepval Memorial
St. Andrews Church Dalton-le-Dale
Murton Cenotaph

Born in 1889 he lived with his parents, John and Hannah Dickeson at ‘Burnside’, Dalton le Dale. Robert’s father's profession was a Cart and Rolley builder.

Members of the Dickeson family in 1901 were John and Hannah, James Allen [Painter] Sarah Ellen, John [Blacksmith] William [Painter] Mabel, Robert, Joseph Dalton, Henry, and Mary. Annie Anderson who boarded with the family was a teaching assistant.

Robert a single man was employed at Murton Colliery as a labourer and enlisted in the Durham Light Infantry at Seaham Harbour.

Nicknamed the Durham Pals they were the volunteer Geordie battalions of the Durham Light Infantry raised in the North East. The 19th (2nd County) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry was raised in Durham on the 13th of January 1915 by the Durham Parliamentary Recruiting Committee as a Bantam Battalion, with troops who were under the normal regulation minimum height of 5feet 3inches. After receiving initial training they proceeded to France landing at Le Harve on the 1st of February 1916. They saw action during the Battles of the Somme at Bazentin Bridge. July 14-17 1916.

The Thiepval Memorial bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom