Condolence Letters

22 Riverside
Barrackpore

Dec 17 1928

Dear Mrs Anton

We have never met, but your dear son continually mentioned you to me when we met, which was often. We have been close friends for a long time now and knowing him as I did my heart goes out to you and his 2 sisters, in your loss of such a fine son and brother. He was an outstanding character in Barrackpore and he was held in very high esteem by everybody. His death came to us as a great blow and was most unexpected. I visited him in hospital and felt sure that it only required a few days to put him on his feet again. His funeral took place in Barrackpore (arranged by Mr Parker) as I am sure he is resting much happier in the place he spent so many good days. He was such a bright lad with all his troubles and he certainly endeavoured to look on life from a cheery standpoint.

He was looking forward with such joy to his leave next year and when I think of things from his point of view, I cannot for the life of me understand why he was not allowed to live long enough to enjoy a well-earned holiday. Truly, providence works in a peculiar manner. I also lost a wee son 4 months ago and perhaps you already know. We can only pray to God to be given sufficient strength to bear the strain of such occasions and to comfort us in our bereavement, and hope that those taken from us have found a happier home above. Mr Parker and I packed his effects and we kept a photograph each to remind us always of a fine lad whom we admire greatly. May God help you at this time to bear your burden which is so enormous, for in a year, have you not lost both a husband and a son? It is difficult to comfort one under such conditions, but I may say the whole of Barrackpore are thinking of you in your great troubles and offer their deepest sympathy.

Yours sincerely

                J Ash

Letter from G T Parker

20 Riverside
Barrackpore

18 December 1928

Dear Mrs Anton

I thought that perhaps you would like to have a few lines from someone who knew your son John. I cannot express how much I feel for you in your terrible bereavement. My wife and I have known your son, I think, since he first came to live at Barrackpore and we have always been exceedingly attached to him and my two little girls dearly loved him. I came back alone from England in October and John arranged temporary accommodation for me and later on I went back to my old bungalow and he came to live with me from 1^st November with another man from our office. We had only been living together for a month when a week last Thursday he was taken ill. He had been working far too hard and he also had been worried about his father’s death and the financial obligations which resulted. It was this worry I believe which undermined his health with the result that he was unable to fight against the malaria and jaundice from which he died.

As he had lived out in Barrackpore nearly all his time out here, we thought it would be nice for him to be buried near where most of his friends lived. Everyone who knew him grew very attached to him as he was of such a likeable nature and so exceedingly fond of children. He will be sadly missed by a wide circle of friends in Barrackpore and Calcutta. His firm, I know, thought exceedingly well of him but you will no doubt be hearing from them by the mail.

The funeral was very largely attended. The whole of McLeods staff came out from Calcutta. The bugler of the Duke of Connaught’s Light Infantry played the ‘Last Post’ which was most impressive.

I have packed up the poor boy’s kit which I am sending to McLeod & Co with a complete list. I have however kept back a large photo of him in his RFC uniform. I should very much like to keep this but in case you do not [have] a print of it, I will forward this one to you. Mr Ash, another great friend of your boy’s has also taken a photo and he is writing to you.

I trust that God will give you consolation in your terrible grief and you have the heartfelt sympathy of myself and all who knew him.

I am,
                Yours sincerely,
                                                G T Parker

The Parsonage
Kasauli
Punjab
India

December 26^th 1928

Dear Mrs Anton,

                We were very much distressed and grieved to see in The Statesman last week, the news of your son’s death in Calcutta.

As you know, he lived with me for seven months at Barrackpore while my wife was at home and we were always just friends and I think we were comfortable together.

He came to say goodbye to me the evening before we left Barrackpore, and seemed alright then, though he had not been very fit for some time, so that the news of his death was a great shock to us and it must be a terrible one for you.

I am just writing to send you our deepest sympathy.

Yours sincerely,

B Saunders Dyer
Chaplain of Kasauli

The Parsonage
Kasauli
Punjab
India

Jan 15^th 1929

Dear Miss Anton,

Your letter of Dec 25^th was forwarded to me here from Barrackpore; I wrote to your mother a week or two ago.

It was a great shock to my wife and me to see the news of your brother’s death in the paper, as we did not even know he was ill. I wrote to him a few days before he died and this letter was returned to me by McLeods.

He came to say goodbye to me on November 14^th, the evening before we left and he seemed to be fairly well then, though we did not think he looked very fit. His throat had been troubling him for some time, but otherwise I thought he was fairly well.

I think Mr Parker, 20 Riverside with whom he went to stay after we left Barrackpore, and who was very fond of him, may be able to tell you something of his last illness.

I was very glad to have him living with me for the seven moths my wife was at home and we got on very well together. I think the hot weather and rains rather tried him.

He was so looking forward to coming home in March. He was fairly well while he was living with me, but I think he did rather worry over his work at McLeods; he was very conscientious in his work.

He used to enjoy going over to Calcutta and Dum Dum with me in the car. I generally used to take him to my station in the car after breakfast every morning.

He was liked very much by all the people at Barrackpore and his death was a great shock to them all.

He was always very cheery, though he often used to come back very tired in the evenings from his office in Calcutta.

We wanted him to come up to us here for Christmas, and I asked him to do so, if he possibly could, in the letter that was returned to me after his death.

                           With sympathy from us all,
                                 Yours sincerely.

                                  B Saunders Dyer

39 Park Road
Barrackpore

My dear Mrs Anton,

                I feel I must write to tell you how deeply we feel for your great sorrow. As one of your son’s friends I would like you to know how terribly grieved both my husband and I are by his loss. We know what a splendid son he was, and no words can say how my heart aches for you. My husband saw him in hospital, and it may comfort you a little to know that it was the best possible thing that could have been done for…

…him to send him there. You must not think of him as lying in a great bare hospital ward. ????? Ward is a private one and your son had a beautiful big airy room to himself and the doctors and nurses are the best available in Calcutta. He could not have been nearly so well looked after in his own bungalow. You know they brought him back to Barrackpore and laid him to rest in our little cemetery – it is such a peaceful spot, cool and green and well cared [for] – Oh I do so grieve for you. You hoped so soon to see him and he talked so often of you and his…