You could say that Corporal Dixon’s luck had finally run out. After having escaped being among the many wounded or killed at Vimy Ridge, Loos or Passchendaele a bullet finally finds his left leg . His Right leg takes some shrapnel . On the other hand you could say the Gods were still with the adventurous young English Canadian . He could easily have been killed like one of his colleagues was that morning. He could have taken the bullet somewhere else on his body close to a vital organ with serious repercussions. Not that a GSW wounds to both legs are any laughing matter and would not come with immense pain. But after 15 months on the front lines in one of the deadliest wars ever, maybe this was a godsend. Maybe it was time for Corporal Dixon to head home. The stretcher bearers move him through the trenches away from the front line. A horse drawn Canadian Field Ambulance (CFA on the forms) transports the wounded teamster to Casualty Clearing Station #42 (CCS#42 on the forms) which was in Aubigny en Artois. From there Corporal Dixon is transported by hospital train north to the English Channel. The Hospital Ship Stad Antwerpen then ferries Corporal Dixon across the English Channel. Once in England he is again transported by train north. He is on the outskirts of London on April 26th five days after being shot. There he makes a quick stop at Canadian Camp Witely in Surrey to be assessed and triaged. Corporal Dixon is then sent to the Princess Club Hospital in Bermondsey London where he is admitted on April 26th. Here he is treated for a thru and thru gunshot wound to his left leg ( note the Princess Club Hospital in Bermondsey no longer exists – it was at 106 Jamaica Road ) A through and through GSW again sounds lucky, but that doesn’t mean the bullet passed through his leg without hitting anything. It would definitely hit muscle and possibly some bone before exiting. Yes it could have been worse – but Corporal Dixon wouldn’t be walking in a park anytime soon.
