Robert Samuel Dixon (30 December 1909 – 11 January 1941) was a Canadian

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

athlete who competed in the

javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about in length, is thrown. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running within a predetermined area. Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's decathlon and the ...

. In a comparatively weak field, he won the gold medal at the

1934 British Empire Games The 1934 British Empire Games were the second edition of what is now known as the Commonwealth Games, held in England, from 4–11 August 1934. The host city was London, with the main venue at Wembley Park, although the track cycling events wer ...

ahead of the local opposition in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, throwing to beat South Africa's Harry Hart (who was winner of the shot put and discus that year). At national level, he won one javelin title at the Canadian Track and Field Championships, topping the podium in 1934. Dixon spent time in the Vancouver Police Force and played

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...

with the

New Westminster Salmonbellies The New Westminster Salmonbellies are a Men's Senior 'A' lacrosse team located in New Westminster, BC. Their home arena is Queen's Park Arena. They compete as part of the Western Lacrosse Association and have won the Mann Cup 24 times, most re ...

with whom he competed for the Mann Cup in 1930. He also coached the Canadian lacrosse team at the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

. At one point, he enrolled in a school for machine gunners near

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

and joined a group of California-based mercenaries and headed to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. Dixon did two tours as a pilot in China, and allegedly became the right-hand man of influential Chinese warlord Zhang Zuolin, according to newspaper reports. Dixon's time in China also included a stint with the Chinese Airforce during the Sino-Japanese War. He returned to Canada when war was declared in Canada and immediately enlisted in the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

. Serving as a test pilot in the RCAF, he died in an airplane crash in

Grosse Isle, Manitoba Grosse Isle is a small rural community north-west of Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is partially in the Rural Municipality of Rosser and partially in the Rural Municipality of Rockwood. The name of Grosse Isle comes from the French "Grosse Île", mea ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He was later inducted into the

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

Sports Wall of Fame.Richmond Sports Wall of Fame launched with 16 inductees
Richmond. Retrieved on 2016-03-17.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dixon, Bob 1907 births 1941 deaths Sportspeople from Richmond, British Columbia Canadian male javelin throwers Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Canada Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics Athletes (track and field) at the 1934 British Empire Games Lacrosse people from British Columbia Canadian lacrosse players Canadian police officers Canadian expatriates in China Canadian mercenaries Military personnel of the Republic of China in the Second Sino-Japanese War Republic of China Air Force personnel Royal Canadian Air Force personnel of World War II Accidental deaths in Manitoba Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in Canada Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1941 Canadian military personnel killed in World War II Medallists at the 1934 British Empire Games