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Mrs Burns
74 Paisley Rd.
Renfrew
Scotland Serg. Geo. Burns (8641)
2nd Canadians Principal Chaplains Dept
Boulagne Base
B.E.F. France 9.10.16 Dear Mrs Burns I am sure you will have heard the
bad 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 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 8th Sept Oct. - with full military honours
& the number of his grave is - 4039. The authorities
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 & welfare while in Hospital. He has
made the great sacrifice & such a life & death as his must
surely be well-pleasing in the sight of Him who saith
greater love hath no man than that a man lay down
his life for his friends. Sincerely Yours R Kelso
This is a next of kin letter from Rev Robert Kelso, Principal Chaplain's Dept,Bologne
Base, B.E.F. France to Mrs Burns whose son died in the Canadian Hospital, Bologne.
He advised Mrs Burns that her son had appeared to be recovering well from his wounds,
was in good spirits but then suffered a sudden relapse and died. He expressed his
shock at the unexpected death, offered his deepest sympathies and gave details of
her son's burial in France in grave number 4039.
He added that her son's life and great sacrifice must surely be pleasing to God.