Trafford

Born at Chorlton on the 26th May 1914, during the June quarter 1914 in the
Chorlton R.D. - ref: 8c/1842, the son of James and Anne Dixon (nee
Armstrong).

He married Elsie Ayres during the September quarter 1939 in the Manchester
R.D. - ref: 8d/1104.   They had two children.

He was a civilian pilot with the ATA and was taking the a/c from a
maintenance unit in Wiltshire up to Ringway.

He took off at 3.15 pm from an RAF station "somewhere in the West Midlands"
Killed in a flying accident at Green Lane, Timperley.   One witness -
Harold Warburton (a local market gardener and an ex pilot himself),
reported that as it flew over, he heard the aircraft's engine firing
intermittantly, then the aircraft returned flying at such a low altitude,
that he thought it was going to crash into the greenhouses.  The nose of
the aircraft was pulled up and it took a left hand climbing turn, when at
the top of the climb it rolled over onto its back and nosed dived to earth.
  The aircraft was in flames, but with help he was able to extricate the
pilot, who was already dead.   Another witness, Police Sergeant J.H. Allman
who was attending to his allotment adjacent to the Altrincham Golf Course,
considered the aircraft to be flying at approximately 100 feet and was
circling the Golf Course and he presumed that, although his undercarriage
was not down, the pilot was looking for somewhere to land the machine.   He
also stated that the aircraft's engine mis-fired at least 3 times before it
crashed.

His death was reported in the 04/12/1942 edition of the Altrincham
Guardian.

His wife, Elsie identified the body.    Buried on 03/12/1942 - Burial No.
11,512.    CWGC Headstone.

M.I. - "Always Thoughtful and Kind, a beautiful memory left behind. 
Mother, Raymond & Family"

His mother - Anne Dixon died 26/08/1968 aged 77 and his brother Raymond
19/09/1989 aged 73.    They are buried in the plot next to Hubert James.

I am most grateful to Geoffrey Negus for the following details of Charles -
See Geoffrey's website at:-
http://www.rquirk.com/negus.html

2nd Off Hubert James Dixon, ATA, 14FPP, 28. was flying a Defiant No. N3319,
being ferried from Hullavington, Wiltshire via Millom to Barrow in Furness.
 The a/c stalled during an attempted force-landing and dived into ground at
Timperley, Cheshire.

His death was also reported in the Flight Magazine dated - 10th December
1942.   DIXON, Hubert James, Acting Second Officer (Air Transport
Auxiliary) on November 28th, 1942, beloved husband of Elsie Dixon, of
Gatley, Cheshire. Killed whilst ferrying HM aircraft in England.

There were two air crashes at Timperley - this one in 1942, the other in
1945.