Tasmanian War Casualties

WW1

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Riva Jack Eugene

Born January 1899 Launceston Tasmania the son of John and Ellen Riva (nee Shanahan) a tailor he embarked Melbourne 21^st June 1917 on board “HMAT Suevic” with the 1^st Pioneer Battalion 12^th Reinforcements.

He died 27^th May 1919 at Spotswood in Melbourne whilst waiting for transport home in a house fire. He was buried in Carr Villa General Cemetery, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.

YOUNG SOLDIER'S TRAGIC END TASMANIAN- BURNED TO DEATH. PTE. JACK RIVA, OF LAUNCESTON. With terribly distressing suddenness, sorrow, and trial yesterday came to the family of Mr. J. Riva, of Patterson-street. Safely through a period of 2½ years' service with the expeditionary force, and awaiting in Melbourne an opportunity to embark for home, Pte. Jack Riva early yesterday morning met his death under most tragic circumstances. The report of the occurrence, as telegraphed from our Melbourne correspondent, indicated that a fire occurred about 2 o'clock in the morning at Spotswood, in a boarding house kept by Mrs. Stuckey, the widow of a soldier. Pte. Jack Riva, aged 20 years and 3 months, a native of Tasmania, was burned to death. There was evidence that the young fellow had attempted to escape. When found he was lying face downwards, with his head resting on his left arm. The rear portion of the house, which contains several rooms, was badly damaged. Pte. Riva, recently returned from the front on the City of Poona, was held up in Melbourne waiting for an opportunity to return to Tasmania. Very general sympathy will be felt with Mr. and Mrs. Riva whose only son the deceased soldier was and for whose welcome home complete preparations had been made. It is a distressing feature of the sad affair that, but for the isolation of Tasmania, consequent on the shipping strike, the young soldier would have reached home some days ago.

The Examiner 28^th May 1919

HONOURING A SOLDIER'S MEMORY THE LATE SERGT. JACK RIVA. IMPRESSIVE PUBLIC TRIBUTE. FULL MILITARY HONOURS. Cut down with most distressing suddenness on the threshold of his manhood, when safely through two years of war, and the victim of a tragedy that could not have happened but for the suspension of shipping services between Tasmania and the mainland, the case of the late Sergeant Jack Riva has stirred the public sympathy to an extent which found expression yesterday in one of the most impressive tributes that could possibly have been paid to a soldier lad's memory. The remains of the young soldier, brought from Melbourne by the Wyandra, and then to Launceston by Monday's express train, were yesterday laid to rest at Carr Villa, surrounded by comrades of the battlefields, and in an an atmosphere that demonstrated the universal sorrow and the sympathy that is felt with a respected citizen and his family in the loss of an only son and brother in such sad and tragic circumstances. The boy - for he had not passed that age at which youth ends and manhood begins - was buried with full military honours. Eloquent tributes to his memory was the presence in the lengthy cortege of nearly 200 returned soldiers, amongst whom were Capt. J. E. Newland, V.C. (Brigade Major at Launceston), Lieut. A. Heritage (president), and Captain W. H. Room, representing the Returned Soldiers' and Sailors' Imperial League of Australia, Licut G. R. Collins and other officers, and many non-commissioned officers. Preceding the gun carriage, on which was borne the coffin draped with the Union Jack, were a firing party drawn from the local infantry Regiment, and the Regimental Band, which with muffled drums gave to the still air of the beautiful afternoon the impressive soul-stirring and saddening strains of that most wonderfully conceived composition, the "Dead March." When the funeral cortege started from the residence of the deceased lad's parents in Patterson-street the gun-carriage passed between the ranks of the returned soldiers, drawn up in files on either side of the road. The men, mostly in uniform, fell in behind the relatives and personal friends of the family walking immediately behind the gun-carriage. Pallbearers were drawn from the ranks of the returned soldiers, and added impressiveness was given to the sad spectacle by the attendance in full strength of the boys of the Launceston Church Grammar School, who formed the exterior lines in single file on either side of the gun-carriage and returned men. Evidence of the widespread sympathy felt by all sections of the community was the representative nature of the cortege, which embraced the Mayor (Alderman Geo. Shields), representing the city council; members of the State and Federal Parliaments, representatives of various lodges and sporting institutions, Mr. J. C. Newton, the president of the Soldiers' Fathers' Association, and many other prominent citizens. Great crowds thronged the line of route, and silently paid their tribute of respect to the memory of a young soldier who died under such distressingly sad circumstances. It was an impressive and heart-stirring scene at the graveside, where the last sad rites were performed by Right Rev Monsignor Beechinor. Out from the mouths of the rifles came the volleys which shattered the stillness of the afternoon, and over the body of the young soldier was sounded the "Last Post." Remembering the circumstances, and swayed by the impressiveness of the proceedings, people watched with moist eyes the performance of the last duties towards a fellow comrade and fellow man. There were many magnificent floral tributes, amongt the large number wreaths from the Launceston Bowling Club, the Fathers' Association, the Newnham Racing Club, the T.T.C., All Old Grammar School Boys, Andrews Bros. Pty., Ltd., the president and members of the Returned Sailors' and Soldiers' League, South Esk Swimming Club, Fysh and Co., the Mothers' Association, and from "a few soldiers' mothers of Scottsdale."

The Examiner 4^th July 1919

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Tasmanian War Casualties, Honouring the past, building understanding.