Ruth Mallory's letter to Sandy's family
Sandy's parents received so many letters of condolence (over 500) that they sought help from family members in recording them. Among those who got in touch to express their proximity to the Irvine family, there was also a person who had been affected as directly as them: Ruth Leigh-Mallory, George's wife. In her brief letter, Ruth offers to Willie Irvine the little consolation she can provide, copying for them a passage from the last letter she received from George, in which he praised Sandy.
'Dear Mr. Irvine
In the last letter I had from my husband, received on Monday, he wrote a lot about your son much in his praise so I have coppied it out for you and here is it. I will also let you see the whole of his description of the time they were having. It is very full and will give you a very good idea. I am quite sure that although they were up against it they were not miserable.
The whole expedition was a big spiritual experience, both the beauty they saw, the courage & endurance they displayed & the friendship & fellowship in work they had together.
Perhaps I shall see you when I am next at Birkenhead.
Just now I cant say any more, but we need not feel any pity for them.
Yours sincerely
Ruth Leigh-Mallory
It is an effort to pull oneself together and do what is required high up, but it is the power to keep the show going when you don’t feel energetic that will enable us to win through if anything does. Irvine has much more of this winning spirit – he has been wonderfully hard working and brilliantly skilful about the oxygen; against him is his youth (though it is very much for him in some ways) – hard things seem to hit him a bit harder – and his lack of mountaineering training & practise which must tell to some extent when it comes to climbing rocks or even to saving energy on the easiest ground. However he’ll be an ideal campaigning companion and with as stout a heart as you could wish to find. If each of us keep up his strength as it is at present we should go well together'
