Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Letter |
Title |
Correspondence to Armstrong family after death of Robert Vernon (Vern) Armstrong |
Description |
Typed letter with House of Representatives letterhead From: Wellington Letter from R Heaton Rhodes re death of Vernon and his burial. To Geo. Armstrong Esqre. Akaroa Please Note: Some of Lincoln's letters contain language and terminology that reflect the attitudes and beliefs of its time. Some expressions may be considered offensive, racist, or inappropriate by today's standards. They have been preserved in their original form to maintain the historical integrity of the record. We acknowledge the impact such language can have and encourage readers to approach this material with critical awareness of the social and cultural context in which it was created. Letters transcribed as written and include punctuation and spelling errors. Transcript: Dear Mr Armstrong, In accordance with my promise, I now put in writing what I told you about your poor son, who died in Malta. It was on the 31st December last that I met at St. Andrew's Hospital there Lieut. Cooper, of the R.A.M.C., who told me that he had attended your boy, that he was a bright and cheerful patient and a great favourite with doctors and nurses. Lieut. Cooper informed me further that the case was serious from the first and never responded to treatment, though everything humanly possible was done for him. Our representative in Malta, Chaplain Tobin, also told me that he visited your son several times during his illness, and was much impressed by his courage and cheerfulness. The information I gave you with respect to the graves in the Pieta Cemetery was not quite correct, for, on looking again at Chaplain Tobin's letter, I see that according to the scheme of the Governor, Lord Methuen, the slabs that seal the graves are to be removed and each grave is to be mounded up and planted with flowers. The form the memorials were to take was still under consideration. According to Chaplain Tobin's letter, dated the 15th February, I find that he did forward a photograph of the cemetery to Colonel Esson, who was then Commandant at our Base in Cairo. As the latter officer is now in Wellington, I will ascertain from him if the photograph has been sent to the Defence Department here, and, if so, I will ask the Minister whether he will let one of our illustrated papers have it for reproduction. If it is a good one, copies could no doubt be obtained on application to Messrs Ellis & Co., Pieta Cemetery, Valetta, Malta. Yours sincerely, R Heaton Rhodes |
People |
Armstrong, George (jun.) Armstrong, Robert Vernon "Vern" Rhodes, Robert Heaton jnr. |
Subjects |
Letters World War I Soldiers |
Provenance |
Armstrong family archives. Gift of Jan Shuttleworth and the Armstrong family |
Web Rights |
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/ |
Collection |
Armstrong Family Archive |
Catalog Number |
2025.20.46 |