Jacob Rivers of Derby gave his life in the most valiant of circumstances at the Battle Neuve Chapelle, 111 years ago today. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. Although a professional soldier since 1899, by 1911 he was a Reservist living back home at Derby with his mother. His younger brother, Issac, was a Labourer employed by the Engineers Department of the Midland Railway. Consequently it seems that Jacob was regularly recruited to work on the ballast trains when extra labour was required for big jobs.
It is this casual nature to his employment which means Jacob is not remembered on the Midland Railway War Memorial. This omission has been rectified by the modern railway industry who adopt Jacob as one of their own and as such he is now remembered with a plaque on Platform 1 of Derby Station.
The Midland Railway Society were honoured to be invited to a rededication ceremony today at Nottingham Road Cemetery in the city. Although Jacob’s mortal remains were never identified and so he has no known grave, he is remembered on the grave stone of his mother, Adeline. It is around here that the Mayor of Derby, the Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire, representatives of the Mercian Regiment (the modern successor to Jacob’s Sherwood Foresters) and an impressive number of others all gathered. The Pastor to the 1st Bn. Mercian Regiment, Fr. Terkura Igbe led the service which had been organised by Derby & District ex-Services Association together with the Friends of Nottingham Roads Cemetery.
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
