Captain Edward Dickinson (Bsc.)
1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers
Killed in Action 28th June 1915, in Gallipoli, aged 29
Formerly lived at 71 Colne Road
Commemorated on the Helles Memorial Gallipoli
Commemorated on the Holy Trinity Memorial
Burnley Express 10th July 1915

BURNLEY CAPTAIN KILLED
END OF A STRIKING CAREER (Burnley Express 10/07/1915)

We regret to announce that Captain Edward Dickinson, son of the late Councillor D.D. Dickinson of Burnley, and Mrs. Dickinson of Lytham, was killed in action at the Dardanelles on June 28th. The sad news came in a message from the War Office on Wednesday evening.
Captain Dickinson, who was 29 years of age, and unmarried, was educated at Sandygate and Carlton-road Schools. Entering the teaching profession, he became a student teacher at Coal Clough Council School, under Mr. T. H. Hartley, for two years, and at the end of his term he was appointed science assistant in the laboratory there. He then passed on to the University College of Wales in Aberystwith in 1905, and graduated B.Sc. in 1908. After leaving college he was assistant master under Mr. A. W. Whitworth at Claremont Council School. He left Claremont to take up a position of science master at Darlington Technical College, where he was also engaged in research work in the construction of iron and steel. On the scholastic side, Capt. Dickinson was a man of fine intellectual attainments, and his career had been a striking one. He was also a fine athlete, and had the honour of Captaining the college team at cricket and football, and took an all-round interest in sports and games. At college he was a member of the Officers Training Corps. And held the position of sergeant. An amatuer musician, he was a pleasing performer on the piano and organ. He passed the London College of Music examination at the Burnley Centre in the year of King Edward’s Coronation, and held a special medal for this. When in Burnley he was connected with Holy Trinity Church, being a chorister both as a boy and a man. He had a fine taste in English literature.
When Lord Kitchener called for men at the outbreak of war he immediately offered his services and applied for a commission. But he was so keen on serving his country that he did not wait till the commission was granted, but enlisted as a private in the Durham Light Infantry. His progress was so marked that he quickly rose to the rank of sergeant. He was given a commission as Sec.-Lieut. in October and posted to the 11th Batt. Of the Alexandra Princess of Wale’s Own Yorkshire Regiment, which is better known as the “Green Howards”. In November he became a full Lieut., and on December 29th he was gazetted a Captain in the same regiment. The training took place at Darlington. In May he was transferred to the 1st Batt. Royal Dublin Fusiliers and left on May 25th for the Dardanelles with reinforcements. He arrived at Cape Heles at 10-30 on Monday June 14th and went into the firing line the morning after his reaching the front.
In his last letter home dated June 20th Capt. Dickinson mentioned that on one occasion he was using a periscope in the trenches and bullets flew past on either side. He also said : “ I am feeling quite fit, and since I have seen him on active service, I have acquired an admiration almost amounting to worship for the British Tommy. When he has been in the trenches he looks like nothing on earth, but he’s just fine. Any man who is eligible and stays at home while his countrymen go through this hell deserves a taste of the old Spanish Inquisition.”