Jacob – Rivers – Midland Railway – Private – 12/03/1915

Jacob – Rivers – Midland Railway – Private – 12/03/1915

Jacob

Rivers

Midland Railway

Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment), 1st Battalion

Private

6016

Victoria Cross

Derby

Ballast Labourer

12/03/1915

Le Touret Memorial

Age 32, the son of Mrs. Adeline Rivers, of 4 House, Wide Yard, Bridge Gate, Derby. Rivers served in the Boer War and was in the Reserve until 1911. Family records reveal that he worked for the Midland Railway from June 1911 until August 1914. He fell at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915. An extract from the "London Gazette", dated 27th April, 1915, records the following:-"For most conspicuous bravery at Neuve-Chapelle on 12th March, 1915, when he, on his own initiative, crept to within a few yards of a very large number of the enemy who were massed on the flank of an advanced company of his battalion, and hurled bombs on them. His action caused the enemy to retire, and so relieved the situation. Pte. Rivers performed a second act of great bravery on the same day, similar to the first mentioned, again causing the enemy to retire. He was killed on this occasion." Curiously, Rivers is not listed in the St Paul's Order of Service of 1919, nor in the Midland Railway's Roll of Honour.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission; Andy Savage (Railway Heritage Trust)

01/02/2017

03/11/2015