Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Robert Dickinson, a farm horse keeper, born on the 30th September 1863 in Leasingham, Lincolnshire and baptised on the 25th October 1863 in St. Andrew’s Church, Leasingham (son of Robert Dickinson, 1818-1900 and Ann Smith, 1822-1896) and his wife Susannah Dickinson (nee Green, married on the 14th May 1888 in St. Peter’s Church, Leicester), born in the July quarter of 1867 in Glinton, Northamptonshire (daughter of William Green, 1842 and Elizabeth Teet, 1845). Edward was born in the October quarter of 1891 in Beaumont Leys, Leicester, he had one sibling, Ethel, born on the 7th June 1890 in Leicester, in March 1901 the family home was at Allbrights Lodge, Beaumont Leys, Leicester. In April 1911 Edward was employed as a farm horseman and was residing in the family home at Beaumont Lodge, Beaumont Leys, Leicester, together with his father, a farm foreman, his mother and sister Ethel, a domestic servant.
FAMILY NOTE: Edward also had an older sibling, Robert William, born in the January quarter of 1889 in Leicester and who died, aged 3 years 9 months in November 1892, and was interred on the 9th November in Welford Road Cemetery, Leicester.
The Brigade of Guards service records all exist, but were deposited in 2018 with the Ministry of Defence in Glasgow, the exception being the Scots Guards, whose service records are now in the possession of the Trustees of the Scots Guards Charitable Trust, and are free to access. The remainder of the Foot Guards records are available at the current cost of £30.00 per inquiry (2019). Therefore, the currently available information pertaining to Edward’s military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers.
Enlisted/Attested in Leicester. 19/2/15.
Joined. At place and date not known.
Posted. To Coldstream Guards. Pte. Date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 15483.
Posted. To 4th Battalion Coldstream Guards. Pte. Date not known.
First entered the theatre of war in France. 2/11/15.
Wounded in action. In the Field. Date not known.
Admitted. To 23rd General Hospital, Etaples. Date not known.
Died of wounds. In 23rd General Hospital, Etaples. 27/6/16.
Buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Headstone inscription. “Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away.”
Awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, Edward nominated his father, Robert as his sole legatee.
On the 24th March 1919, Edward’s mother Susannah, of Beaumont Leys Lodge, Belgrave, Leicester, was awarded a weekly Army Dependant’s Pension of five shillings, commensurate on the 6th November 1918.
On Saturday July 8th, 1916, The Leicester Daily Mercury published the following article on page 6, under the heading. – LEICESTER’S ROLL OF HONOUR. – Pte. E. DICKINSON, Coldstream Guards, died of wounds June 20. He formerly worked for the Leicester Corporation, and lived at Beaumont Leys.
[recognitum X-VI-MMXXIII]