George Thomas Rivers 5169 was born in Drake, March 1893.
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He tried to enlist on 28 April 1915 at Liverpool but was discharged after 27 days as being medically unfit. Not to be deterred, he tried again at Armidale on 20 Sep 1915 and was successful and was taken on in strength into the AIF in France 18 August 1916. He served with the 3rd Bn AIF until he was wounded and later died from wounds to the right thigh on 11 April 1917 while being transported on the 11th Ambulance Train. He was buried at St Sever cemetery in Rouen, France.
His father Thomas L Rivers had already pre-deceased him (23 Oct 1901) and his mother Mary had remarried. George’s widowed mother received a pension of £2 per fortnight. By 1925, she too had passed away, and his brother William H Rivers attended to his matters.
He had younger siblings: William H Rivers (1895 Tenterfield); Eliza M (1897 Tenterfield) (m John Francis Struck); John and Agnes (1898 Tenterfield); and Leslie Rivers (1902 Tenterfield).
The ambulance trains were painted with a red cross to prevent them becoming a target and accommodated up to 400 men lying down and sitting up. They consisted of up to 16 cars, including ward cars, a pharmacy car with medicines, two kitchens, plus a personnel car and stores van.
The Tenterfield Shire Council Anzac Centenary Committee is commemorating the servicemen who were killed by publishing a short article surrounding this death. They are also adding to the digital honour board on the council’s website.