Military Career
He entered the British Army in 1839, was promoted to Lieutenant in 1841, Captain in 1848.
He was 34 years old, and a Captain in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, British Army during the Crimean War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 17 April 1855 at Sebastopol, the Crimea, at about 2pm the battery commanded by Captain Dixon was blown up by a shell from the enemy which burst in the magazine, destroying the parapets, killing or wounding 10 men, disabling five guns and covering a sixth with earth. The captain reopened fire with the remaining gun and continued firing it until sunset, despite the heavy concentration of fire from the enemy's batteries and the ruined state of his own.
As well as the VC, he received the 5th class of the Medjidie and the Turkish Medal and was made a Knight of the Légion d'honneur.
He was promoted to Major and Lt-Colonel in 1855, Colonel in 1862 and retired from the Royal Artillery in 1869 with the honorary rank of Major-General.He later achieved the rank of Major General.
Read more about this topic: Matthew Charles Dixon
Famous quotes containing the words military and/or career:
“I would sincerely regret, and which never shall happen whilst I am in office, a military guard around the President.”
—Andrew Jackson (1767–1845)
“It is a great many years since at the outset of my career I had to think seriously what life had to offer that was worth having. I came to the conclusion that the chief good for me was freedom to learn, think, and say what I pleased, when I pleased. I have acted on that conviction... and though strongly, and perhaps wisely, warned that I should probably come to grief, I am entirely satisfied with the results of the line of action I have adopted.”
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95)