1
Centred at top of page Serg. Geo Burns (8641)
2 nd Canadians Mrs Burns, 74 Paisley Rd. Renfrew Scotland Principal Chaplains Dept Boulogne Base B.E.F.France 9 10 '16. Dear Mrs
Burns I am sure you will have heard the
sad news of your son's death & I feel I must write to say
how much I feel for you in your loss. After my last
letter you to you he was so much better that he said he
had written you himself so I did not do so. I thought
he was on the sure road to recovery & I was terribly
disappointed when he suddenly became worse & passed
away. He was in such good spirits & so confident
of recovery that the relapse was — to me — as unexpected
as it was sudden. He was buried in the Military
Cemetery here — on 8 thSept Oct. with full Military Honours
& the number of the grave is 4039. The Authoritie
will send you a photo of the grave on application to
'Director of Graves Registration & Enquiries, War Office,
Winchester House, St James' Sq. London S.W.' but
it may be a little time before they can reply to you.
Will you please accept my sincerest sympathy & believe
me when I say that everything possible was done for your
son's comfort and welfare while in Hospital. He has
made the Great Sacrifice & such a life and death as his must
surely be well-pleasing in the sight of Him who said
'Greater Love Hath no man than this that a man lay down
his life for his friends.' A line is missing here. Sincerely Yours R Kelso
Next of kin letter to Mrs Rankin whose son Ian died of wounds in a Canadian Hospital
from the Rev Robert Kelso, Principal Chaplain's Dept,Bologne Base, B.E.F. France.
Rev Kelso advises that Ian had initially showed signs of recovery but then relapsed
and died without much pain or suffering. He offered his sympathy and stated that the
doctors and nurses had done everything possible for her son but she was one of many
mothers called upon to make the great sacrifice. He hoped and prayed that she would
find the strength to bear the strain. He gave details of the burial in France on 6/10/16
grave# 4026.