Born on 17 June 1917, and educated at Methodist College and Queen's University, Belfast, he was a house surgeon at St Helen's Hospital before serving in the RAF, mostly in Rhodesia. After the war he became surgical registrar at the Belfast City, the Royal Victoria, the Lagan Valley and the Bambridge Hospitals. In 1954 he was appointed consultant surgeon at the Lagan Valley Hospital, and he died a few months before he was due to become senior surgeon. Dickson was of calm, quiet and perceptive temperament, and was an extremely dexterous surgeon; at the time of his death he was planning a new surgical block for the hospital. His recreations were yachting, carpentry and photography. He died suddenly, aged 45 at Fort Hill, Lisburn, Co Antrim on 13 July 1962 survived by his wife and daughter.