Name
Rivers Gordon Begg
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
17/07/1917
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Flight Sub-Lieutenant
Royal Naval Air Service
6th Wing, British Adriatic Squadron
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
OTRANTO TOWN CEMETERY
South East Corner.
Italy
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, St Andrew's Church Memorial, Watford
Pre War
Son of Henry Charles and Ida Rosalind Alice (nee SMITH) BEGG of Watford.
His parents married 18 April 1892 at St Paul’s Cathedral, Calcutta, India. Henry died 10 November 1950 in Watford aged 90, and was buried 14 November in North Watford Cemetery; Ida died 3 August 1953 in Watford aged 80, and was buried 7 July, also in North Watford Cemetery.
Rivers was born 25 July 1896 in Calcutta, and baptised 2 September 1896 at St Paul’s Cathedral, Calcutta. He attended Oundle (School House), Northants, from September 1910 to July 1916.
He has an entry in the National Probate Calendar.
On the 1901 Census, it is assumed the family were still living in India. On the 1911 Census, aged 14 he was a pupil and boarder at Oundle School.
Wartime Service
He joined the Beatty School of Flying at Hendon, Middx; soon obtained his certificate and was accepted by the Royal Naval Air Service, joining on 11 June 1916.
He was sent in March 1917 to a new R.N.A.S. base in the south of Italy.
On July 17th whilst returning from a service flight, the propeller was seen to fly off, causing the machine to become unmanageable and to nose-dive into the sea. The two officers were submerged with the wreckage, and although all possible efforts were made to rescue them, it was not possible to extricate them before they drowned. The townspeople insisted on them being buried in the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Otranto.
His nephew Ian Begg adds "Rivers was a Royal Naval Air Service reconnaissance pilot stationed in Otranto on the 'heel' of Italy. In 1917, on one of his sorties, his plane crashed after its propeller shattered rendering it uncontrollable and he was killed. His body was recovered and is buried in Otranto's town cemetery. He was twenty. The mayor of Otranto wrote me some while ago and told me that the people of Otranto have always and will always look after his grave. (Interestingly, that distant and remote cemetery also is the final resting place of Air Mechanic 1st Class Harry Hilton of Baldock. Hilton's name is clearly featured cast in bronze on Baldock's war memorial)."
"The photograph shows Rivers almost certainly taken at Hendon, probably in late summer of 1915. He attended the Beatty School of Flying there and received his pilot's licence in Dec 1915. It shows him standing in front of what I believe is a Caudron G2 single seat biplane. This plane, with its modifying round cornered almost square twin rudders, probably was built by London & Provincial Aviation of Hendon under license of the French manufacturer. The name Moore is very interesting and would tell a lot about the time and photo. It almost certainly refers to Hendon aviator Mr J.H. Moore (rather than another Hendon aviator and famed leader, J.T.C. Moore Brabazon. Interestingly they both chain-linked their double 'O's). I would be very interested to learn more about Mr. Moore and his plane.
After receiving his pilot's certificate in Dec 1915, Rivers was accepted by the RNAS and after further training was assigned to No 6 Wing, 1 Squadron, based in Otranto. I believe he was piloting a (British Admiralty) AD pusher biplane flying boat (two seats, single rudder), when his fatal accident occurred."
Additional Information
There are articles about Rivers in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 28 July 1917 and 4 August 1917. His brother Henry died 23 November 1916 and also features in this Roll of Honour
Acknowledgments
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk), Ian Begg
