Nicholas Hixson – Worcestershire Regiment, 1st Battalion

 Private Nicholas Hixson – Worcestershire Regiment, 1^st Battalion

Early Life

Robert Hixson and Sarah Protheroe
marriage certificate
St. Mary's Church, Swansea

Nicholas Hixson was born in 1880 in Oystermouth, the son of Robert Hixson and Sarah Protheroe, who were married at St Mary’s Church in January 1865. As neither Robert nor Sarah could write, they each left their mark “X” in the marriage register.

1881 Census

The 1881 Census records the Hixson family living at 6 Norton Row, Oystermouth. Robert (38) was employed as a Dredger, and Sarah (33) was at home with their children: William John (14), Mary Elizabeth (12), Robert (10), Thomas (7), Lucy (3), and Nicholas (1).

1891 Census

By 1891, the family had moved to Boarfield Lane, Oystermouth. Robert (50) was working as a Gardener (Domestic), while Sarah (44) managed the household. Their children present were Robert (20), a Mason Labourer; Thomas (17), a Gardener; Lucy (14); Nicholas (12); Amelia (6); and Ada (4). Also residing with them was George Helbert (12), listed as a Servant and employed as a Donkey Driver.

Royal Navy Service

Royal Navy Records

In 1895, Nicholas enlisted with the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy Registers of Seamen’s Services record the ships on which he served between 1895 and 1903, indicating several years of maritime service before returning to civilian life.

Marriage and Family

Nicholas married Lillian Arnold in 1909.

1911 Census

The 1911 Census lists the family living at Norton, West Cross R.S.O. Nicholas, aged 30, was employed as a General Labourer, and Lillian (21) was at home caring for their two young sons: Nicholas, recorded as between 1 and 7 months old, and Robert, aged 1 month.

Military Service and Death

Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects

Nicholas later enlisted for wartime service and became a Private with the 1^st  Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. According to the Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, his death was presumed on 10^th March 1915, a date that coincides with the opening day of the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, one of the first major British offensives of the war.

Nicholas Hixson
Le Touret Memorial, France
credit - findagrave

On 10^th March 1915, the 1st Worcesters took part in the assault as part of the 8^th Infantry Brigade, 3^rd Division. The attack began with an intense artillery bombardment at dawn, followed by infantry advancing into heavily damaged German trench lines. The battalion encountered fierce resistance, including concentrated rifle and machine-gun fire, shattered communication lines, and chaotic battlefield conditions created by the bombardment. Casualties were severe, and many men were listed as killed, missing, or presumed dead due to the confusion of the fighting.

The fact that Nicholas Hixson’s death was “presumed” on this date strongly suggests that he fell during this heavy combat, with no known grave to mark his resting place. His name is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, France, which honours those who fell in the Neuve Chapelle sector and whose bodies were never recovered.