Arthur Malcolm Dawson (1925 - 1998)

Born 11 Jun 1925 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 29 Jul 1998 at age 73 in Surrey, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

Malcolm was born^[1][2][3]on 11 June 1925 to Ralph Dawson and Hilda Dawson in the registration area of Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom.

The September 1939 Register^[4]shows Malcolm at the age of fourteen as a boarder scholar at Queens College, Trull Road, Taunton, Somerset, England, United Kingdom.

From his grandfather Arthur Dawson's Diary of Local Events of the Second World War some snippets of his whereabouts come to light.

In early January 1941, Malcolm, back home from College for the Christmas break, went to the The Prince of Wales Theatre, Cardiff, Glamorgan with his father Ralph Dawson and mother Hilda Dawson when a Blitz type raid commenced. The actors in the show and audience alike carried on regardless even when part of the ornamentation fell away. When they emerged after the performance the danger was all around. All buses and trains back to their home in Penarth, Glamorgan had ceased and there were no taxis available. They waited in the Station shelter for some time but decided to then walk the four miles home arriving around 2am the following morning.

During another German raid in March 1941 three incendiary bombs penetrated through the house in Cwrt-y-vil Road, Penarth, Glamorgan, where he and his family lived, causing roof and ceiling damage with some broken windows. His father Ralph Dawson effectively bagged the bombs. The following morning he found one on his settee which had fortunately died saving the room from catching alight.

In April 1942 Malcolm was home from College for the Easter break had now joined the Home Guard and was proud to wear his uniform. Later that year, around October his father secured a transfer to Swansea, Glamorgan, where he was on board a trawler in the Mumbles, Glamorgan and at Christmas he lived there too.

Sometime in 1943 Malcolm, who had secured a position working for Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds (GKN) steel works, joined up to the Royal Navy and in February 1944 was home, on leave, from the North Sea with a rank of Ordinary Naval Seaman,

Malcolm played a part in the Normandy Landings in June 1944 as an Able Seaman (AB) he was onboard a minesweeper to the west of Bristol Channel. One day he and his boat disappeared but when his grandfather Arthur Dawsonand grandmother Agnes Dawson saw him for a few minutes passing through, docked at Cardiff, Glamorgan on 26 June and found out that he had been on convoy and mine sweeping duty from South Coast (Plymouth, Devon) and was now leaving for the East Coast.
In November his father Ralph Dawson received a letter to say that he was safe and enjoying life and was currently serving in Malta but had had a spell in hospital after catching sand fly disease. A couple of months later, in January 1945, Malcolm wrote again to say that he had volunteered for duties in the Far East by joining the Pacific Fleet.

Malcolm was Helsman on^[5]HMS Sainfroin for the journey home during the fourth quarter of 1945 to Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Malcolm married Dorothea Dawson on 2 April 1956

He disembarked^[6]at New York, New York, United States of America on flight number BA581 from London, England, United Kingdom on 23 September 1961. His Passport Number was LO42805 and had a visa, which was issued in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales, valid for a month until 22 October. He was due to visit Morgan Construction Company, Worcester, Massachusetts. This form shows him residing in The Avenue, Nunthorpe, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom.

Malcolm passed away^[7]on 29 July 1998, aged seventy three, in West Surrey, Surrey, England, United Kingdom^[8]

Research Notes

Some information has been gained from Diary of Local Events of the Second World War which his grandfather Arthur Dawson wrote and kept.

Sources

1. ↑ Birth Registration:"England & Wales General Register Office"
   GRO Online Indexes - Birth (accessed 19 February 2022)
   Dawson, Arthur Malcolm.
   GRO Reference: 1925 Jul-Aug-Sep in Cardiff Volume 11A Page 843
2. ↑ Birth Registration:"England & Wales Birth Index"
   FreeBMD Entry Information (accessed 11 February 2022)
   Dawson, Arthur M. (Mother's maiden name: Arthur).
   GRO Reference: 1925 Jul-Aug-Sep in Cardiff Volume 11a Page 843
3. ↑ "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV3X-X6ZB : 2 October 2014), Arthur M Dawson, 1925; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, Cardiff, Glamorganshire, Wales, citing General Register Office, Southport, England
4. ↑ 1939 Register:"1939 England and Wales Register"
   The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: RG 101/7043A
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 61596 #35386004 (accessed 11 February 2022)
   Arthur M Dawson (born 11 Jun 1925), single, At School, at Trull Rd, Taunton, Somerset, England
5. ↑ https://wikimili.com/en/HMS_Sainfoin_(F183)
6. ↑ Passenger List: "New York State, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1917-1967"
   The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; NAI Number: 2848504; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: A3998; NARA Roll Number: 573
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry uk Record 1277 #13014583 (accessed 11 February 2022)
   Name: Arthur H M Dawson; Arrival Age: 36; Birth Date: 11 Jun 1925; Birth Place: Gt Burtain; Arrival Date: 23 Sep 1961; Arrival Place: New York, New York, USA
7. ↑ Death Registration:"England & Wales General Register Office"
   GRO Online Indexes - Death (accessed 11 February 2022)
   Dawson, Arthur Malcolm (Year of birth: 1925).
   GRO Reference: 1998 Jul-Aug-Sep in West Surrey (7611C) Reg C5B Entry Number 39
8. ↑ "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVZ6-5BNH : 4 September 2014), Arthur Malcolm Dawson, Jul 1998; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death Registration, West Surrey, Surrey, England, General Register Office, Southport, England