Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, June - December 1915 - Part 1

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
AWM2018.19.69
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

Galliol Peninmty dearen Katie N You wil be pleased to Monda know that I received your letter dated the 6t of April witter when you were in Hospital and also one dated the 17th of Apiil after your return home I am delighted to hear that you are not back here or progresing no will Friday morning last afterbeing delagen for a week at Uudros. Igothere jur about Breakfast time & as I cane uy the hill rome of the Boys spotted me all lined up & cheered. It is loy bot tack with Mr Regiment against W He bal Joco Geordie that Jack West is nor an officer and doing mlerdidl He was but or the lty of the head by a fullet but it was only a very light graze & only gave him a beddalke Ken Walker came fact with me & I am havingin made an offcer His lonon a butly chan called Barker is already an offecer He was in the Machine yun Section & was a Lance Corporal eto whitelaw the daching ner offer
2 ha his foot masked up & the Fergt & Corpl were also ladly rrounded on the very jirst day he was left in charge of the suns was mode tergeant He did selordedly at Cape Hellas & was made an officer Ni plu did the way all the Boys have turned ont. They altiten as braie happy as possible. I had hardly got here when the enemy started to shell us. We mshed for our dug onts or the vide of the hill but on pos fellow had his face shot array I died immediately another one a cook had a bullet through hes head. He is atill tat there is no hope 12 alin at yew mimute afterwards the Boys were all out looking for payment of the Shills they tratte them off to sailors or the Boat that come in for cigaretter its I met lapt now majn) Geoff McPrae at Mudios. He was a nartyflesh wound in the uppe ar m will be back I hear walte conder is being Morlt inalided home as his thoulder will be stif for rome time I am feeling ppladed but my ankleis still a ht weak & clumbry therbuills is not a by good for it 24
of you see Col. Semmens tell him his friend for Rushworth Milhar is still gente all right & is now a Corporal. He is rltting stout 20 feet from mean I write. There are only about ½ dozer of all the Toverdor Boys lep and only a litte over 100 gall the over I look poor Broadneadnos About 200 are dead & the other 800 ond woinded. About 30 have come back recovered from wounds & I hope for another 200 or so but I am afraid the rest will lave tgo home. It is Colol Semmens Regiment pretty arf has inppled worn than this ever. Any Bennett was at oe him the only opecrlss & he had bus wounds. Fwo other have since returned & they have promoted a lot of their Non coms. Will desrert one then is a wonderful change in the place nince I was last here The pernt has few mosthy cut down for prewood its & tall the Hillordes are like I must by ratht Burrows where we live get som photo to show you & everywhen tthere are immence trenche for our protection. In many places ther me 9 & 10 feet deep. Fortiately then has ber
C Very lttle cain & the Subsoil is very porons that it is nice & dry day& night thyping from the trevches yoes are at time only a few whot at other it will by I a regular noar the artiltiry join is to well the chor e. He e Afr a Iand DS nch Gona Mo ner hea Fo night a dir as when oh aclack tar tep, I thirse Ao whole snkest line must have napted yiig & llazed away all nigh y W JHR t of W tg & the enenal os fe delictle fot thempragren In gent will yet ageat hep Of bad ydtyng Affgatt hope to gar t or their mea aont. Mort Ar t Mrt gft Cnomant
6 lapt Permezel is now in command of ir of the Companies. He came over witt rempremnts time the Boy came lack from Capl Hellas wodg they have ber juis up int the ping live as all bot have heer kept & the river hippors trenches of they had wet a had hime down there. Howeve they are looking very fit now & we expect a hum win pong live trucke any day now. N just as safe there as anywher. In fai. many of them say it is safer a they dont get t the Bid shells i the fime trenche 7J the barks fre then at our itstelling which is behad the prong line & the onithow just lobe in our camp. They don't often do much damage as the fil is coft& they dute in I llowd a luge te hole but one bit a sergrant of the 3th Ballation the othe day I blew had all t hittl bits. Old happl my Batma has got all the prnt of my dug ous decorated with the caves of Tenferst thells whice he picked up in came He mys they will make long omnanents at home of we paint the care red I polit the hass log & the copper laid at Me Bollom. I don know how I en to carry then w leavnng here weild
you must not worrghat alway. Keep bight t mil & gelgod pt fwelcome we have. I am delighted lite to hear of our bets beng io good & learning ther ntes. I wish I could butt prayers - Ude see then dear. Tenpecs & moved a not of your litter which would be nnt tack to Hexardira & mised me there a well. No dontt they will eventually him by here. It is a great sight to ree the heact here in the afternon Hendred of mer goe nomoing when they are not in the henete & the switt amuse themselves by droppny stell in amoge then I caunly a reatter they don of often kill anyore but occasinally do so & as aoo as they start you hear ou guns go foom br i pain & they sok that Mr durk ey Well gontlye my fet five my lact foer toth tae Barinnes & loe t Batly & Hara Godtlers keep you all sape my dear ones will all the for go om Hide try P.S. I have just looked throught censored my on letter as I find I had trangreing some of the rule 208110513
Gallywola Kennn Mrstr H Monday 14th Junl1 Your letter dated the 23rd Mlarch while still in hospilal duly readed me on saterrday. Ihad come ver here while I was wounded had a try to egynt & has now got lack to me I dont kntw what has become of your later received letters as mavy of the others have letter dated uf to the 5th May when they first heard of the camalties. Ken Walker had one Rerhaps however you addressed them to the Hoopital at Hlenandera or carro & on they went astray, Toumento t am afraid I thn ep C realized how very bad you were. I thought it was just the sed offeration that wehave contemplated or ofter but it appears to have ben much more verious ats I have had no letter whatever from Geordie do not know yet what was the natur of the solded peration but it is lovely tknow that hime you are safe att tall. you are quite right lad th about the expense carling. I would withing give all I own to keep you wilh us. What would my homecoming be like without m mes wife tolaken dy amortherloly tall you have proised fre my own dear
batle mutheet non thine gulie. I have go. Iback from our pason that $20 I had saved up & as we have btte opportunityt sperd anything here trust wor to be alle t goin anothe $20 to it & and it all t you so you will need it all but you whuht worry wr has te poaate fo us as wichout ot felt the enperndintfully in would br ot r sight at & hame Aontr oned have likes at ht ano them mot too Searg I dont genls h I the monee ant has I am goingt ayon & I an hourded a bt about carrying wmn £20 aput wth me n care it get bost some way o another we have mored ou cam & ruffer ler incomvenience from shell fire as we donot get it in our came but it hut highe as the hill & pagment of the sugh cuplonre shell & the empty shell cares of the shraprel cometives rebound off the bill & come dow amongst in bd with me exception that was only a right graze on the head) no one has bee mut
nn would laugh to ree my pome Sancy a place just long inbugh fon me to bee dow in confcut out in the side of the hill some eight beet in. I fo is I shel of earth left some porofeed from the top while the remander is cust some too peet deeper. When the hill falloars near the bant it is buildby with Landops so that you aay imagin a square cutons of the tide of the hill & rooked he wittn few 36 dought & a water proff theet quite rape from anything encept a high not unlews St elonte well & hi ent to lot right in through the La n root & that has only happened toone me out of all thite here & only his legs were X found for busial. The 5 8t are now in the trerche holding part of the front line & the 60 I will tlleeve them about next satuale the lurk treachs are quite near o they throw Bombo across at each other Thiy got a dreadful licking the lastlin they trid to nst our thenches about the of last month just before I came buck 18 The foys are wonderfully cheerful I 2 fight. The shells that cog pll
4 over have different rounds & the know te the Gans by name. Ine is al salled Whitheing Rispes as the wake a lond whith as it pains. This is the me that sheels the Beach is fter Doccasmall trouth us. Another is called? Mrs Carey? The Sydney Boys naned this one after a lady Undertaker in hydney. Ther they are all gonng the Boys call it the Germar Her galker is now a full Bard Blown 2 Lieutenant as is ales young om. He was very Barker Sr 5 tucky. He morney a tance Conpos the oth day, but the wachie lon officer the machine fur pygcan & it wochin Gen Corporal were all Badly wounded & the Corpnal one. my Merdo Boys deed ts do left Burker in charge of the si the did nich good work with it are he was mode tergiant at ore & after the fight at lope Helles wa mode an officer. Rens Uncle is out here now he is a Quarternarter fergeant with te P Balldlen, Ken is looking alended & is doing very wee

Gallipoli Peninsula

My Dearest Katie 7/6/15

You will be pleased to Monday

know that I received your letter dated the 
6th of April written when you were in Hospital and
also one dated the 17th of April after your return home
I am delighted to hear that you are
progressing so well. I got back here on

Friday morning last after being delayed
for a week at Mudros. I got there just

about Breakfast time & as I came by this
hill some of the Boys spotted me &
all lined up & cheered. It is lovely [[fine?]] to be 
back with My Regiment again [[???]]

[[???]]

[[???]]
[[???]] that Jack West is now
an officer and doing splendidly.
He was hit on the top of the head by a
bullet but it was only a very light
gauge & only gave him a headache
Ken Walker came back with me
& I am having him made an officer
His cousin a little chap called Barker
is already an officer He was in the Machine
Gun Section & was a Lance Corporal
[[?]] Lieut Whitelaw this machine gun officer
 

 

2
ha his foot masked up & the Sergt & Cprl
were also badly wounded on the very first
day he was left in charge of the guns &
was made Sergeant. He did splendidly
at Cape Hellas & was made an officer
It is splendid the way all the Boys have
turned out. They all seem? as brave & 
happy as possible. I had hardly got here when
the enemy started to shell us. We rushed for

our dug outs in the side of the hill
but one poor fellow had his face shot away
& died immediately Another one a cook had
a bullet through His head. He is still
alive but there is no hope for him
a few minutes afterwards the Boys were
all out looking for fragments of the Shells
They trade them off to sailors on the
Boats that come in for cigarettes its
I met Capt (now Major) [[Geoff McCrae??]] at
Mudros. He has a nasty flesh wound
in the upper arm but will be back
shortly. I hear [[Walter Conder?]] is leaving
[[???]] home as his shoulder will be stiff
for some time
I am feeling [[???]] but my ankle is
still a bit weak & climbing these hills
is not a [[???]] good for it [*go to back of P1*]
 

 

3

if you see Col. [[Lemmens?]] tell him his friend
from [[Rushworth Milhar?]] is still guard at
night & is now a Corporal. He is sitting 

about 20 feet from me as I write. There are
only about ½ dozen of all the [[Soonden?]] Boys
left and only a little over 100 of all
the men I took from Broadmeadows
About 200 are dead & the other
800 odd wounded. About 30 have come
back recovered from wounds & I hope
for another 200 or so but I am afraid
the rest will have to go home It is
pretty awful. Colonel [[Lemmens?]] Regiment
has [[returned?]] worse than this even. Harry
[[Blennett?]] was [[?]] me [[him?] the only [[?]]

& he had [[?]] wounds.  

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