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:
Awaiting approval
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
7/6/15
Monday

My Dearest Katie 

You will be pleased to

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 here  just

about Breakfast time & as I came up the
hill some of the Boys spotted me &
all lined up & cheered. It is lovely fine to be 
back with the Regiment again xxxxxx
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx
xxxxx xxxxxx xxxxx xxx xxx xxx xxxxxx
xxxxx xx xxx xxxx xxxxxxx   xxxxx Grills.
I see Geordie that Jack West is now
an officer and doing splendidly.
He was hit on the top of his head by
bullet but it was only a very light
graze & 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
As Lieut Whitelaw the Machine Gun officer

 

2
had his foot smashed 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 on 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 etc.
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 being 
invalided home as his shoulder will be stiff
for some time.
I am feeling splendid but my ankle is
still a bit weak & climbing these hills
is not a big good for it
[*go to back of P1*]

 

3

if you see Col. Semmens tell him his friend
from Rushworth Mulhan is still quite all
right & is now a Corporal. He is sitting 

about 20 feet from me as I write. There are
only about ½ dozen of all the Essendon 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 Simmins Regiment
has suffered worse than this even. Harry
Bennett was at one time the only officer left

& he had two wounds. Two others have 
since returned & they have promoted a
lot of their Non.Coms.
Well dearest one There is a wonderful 
change in this place since I was last here
The scrub has been mostly cut down for 
firewood it & all the Hillsides are like
rabbit burrows where we live. I must try &
get some photos to show you & everywhere 
there are immense trenches for our
protection. In many places these are
9 & 10 feet deep. Fortunately there has been

 

(4)
Very little rain & the subsoil is very porous so
that it is nice & dry
Day & night the firing from the trenches goes
on at times only a few shots at others
it swells up in to regular waves &
the artillery joins in to swell the chorus.

The night after last (Saturday) the xxxxx
made an attack on the trenches in front

of them which got xxxxxxxx

away. They captured the Trenches xxxx

xxxxxxxxx they were driven out

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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. You never heard such 

a din as when the attack started one night.  I think

the whole Turkish line must have 
started firing & blazed away all night.

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(5)

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Capt Permezel is now in command of one
of the Companies. He came over with reinforcements
Since the Boys came back from Cape Hellas
they have not been sent up into the firing line at
all but have been kept in the reserve &
support trenches as they had such a bad
time down there. However they are looking
very fit now & we expect a turn in the 
firing line trenches any day now. It is
just as safe there as anywhere. In fact
many of them say it is safer as they dont
get any of the Big shells in the firing trenches.
The Turks fire them at our artillery, which
is behind the firing line & the overthrows 
just lob in our camp. They dont often
do much damage as the Soil is soft & they
sink in & blow a huge xxxx hole but one 
hit a Sergeant of the 5th Battalion the other
day & blew him all to little bits. Old Stafford
my Batman has got all the front of my dug out
decorated with the cases of Turkish Shells which
he picked up in camp. He says they will
make lovely ornaments at home if we paint the
Can red & polish the brass top & the copper
band at the bottom. I dont know how I am
to carry them on leaving here. Well dearest

 

(6)
wife you must not worry but always keep bright & smiling
& get good & fat to welcome me home. I am delighted
to hear our wee little pets being so good & learning their
little prayers - the dear wee mites. I wish I could
see them dearie. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  I expect I
missed a lot of your letters which would be
sent back to Alexandria & missed me there as
well. No doubt they will eventually turn up
here.
It is a great sight to see the beach here
in the afternoon. Hundreds of men go in 
swimming when they are not in the trenches
& the Turks amuse themselves by dropping
shells in amongst them & causing a scatter
They dont offe often kill anyone but
occasionally do so & as soon as they
start you hear our guns go boom boom
in pairs & they soon shut Mr Turk
up.

Well goodbye my kit. Give my love & kisses to the 

wee Bairnies & love to Badly & Nana. God bless &
keep you all safe my dear ones.
With all love from your own Dida Donny
P.S I have just looked through & 
censored my own letter as I find I had

transgressed some of the rules.
[*2DRL/0513*]

 

Gallipoli Peninsula
Monday 14th June 15

My dearest Kit. Your letter
dated the 23rd March while still in hospital
duly reached me on Saturday. It had
come over here while I was wounded had a 
trip to Egypt & has now got back to me.
I dont know what has become of your later
letters as many of the other have received 
dated up to the 5th May when they first
heard of the casualties. Ken Walker had one
Perhaps however you addressed them to
the Hospital at Alexandria or Cairo & so
they went astray.  Your poor letter old girlie
I am afraid that I have not up till now
realized how very bad you were. I thought it
was just the old operation that we have 
contemplated so often but it appears to
have been much more serious. As I
have had no letter whatever from Geordie 
I do not know yet what was the nature of this
operation but it is lovely splendid to know that 
you are safe & just my own sunshine lady 
through it all. You are quite right
about the expense darling. I would willingly
give all I own to keep you with us. What
would my homecoming be like without my
wee sweet wife to take into my arms & that long
talk you have promised me my own dear
P.T.O.

 

(2)

little sweetheart sunshine girlie. I have got
back from our parson that £20 I had saved 
up & as we have little opportunity to
spend anything here I trust soon
to be able to join another £20 to it
and send it all to you as you will need
it all but you mustn't worry. Seems this
war has been fortunate for us as without it
we would have felt the expense dreadfully.
I wonder if you were right about the rest because

I would have like it but never mind

dear one. You are more to me than any them
and are very dear to me. I dont quite
know how I am going to send the money
to you & I am worried a bit about
carrying this £20 about with with me in
case it gets lost some way or another.
We have moved our camp & suffer less
inconvenience from shell fire as we dont
get it in our camp but it hits higher up
the hill & fragments of the high explosive
shell & the empty shell cases of the
shrapnel sometimes rebound off the
hill & come down amongst us but
with one exception (& that was only a slight
graze on the head) no one has been hurt

 

(3)
You would laugh to see my home
Fancy a place just long enough for me
to lie down in comfort cut out in the
hole of the hill some eight feet in. My bed
is a shelf of earth left some five feet
from the top while the remainder is cut some
two feet deeper. Where the hill falls away
near the front it is built up with sandbags
so that you may imagine a square cutout 
of the side of the hill & roofed over with a few
boughs & a waterproof sheet. I am
quite safe from anything except a high
explosive shell & from even that unless it
happened to lob right in through the
roof & that has only happened to one man
out of all this lot here. & Only his legs were
found for burial. The 5th & 8th are now in the
trenches holding part of the front line & the
6th & 7th will relieve them about next Saturday.
The Turk trenches are quite near & they
throw Bombs across at each other 
They got a dreadful licking the last time
they tried to rush our trenches about the
18th of last month just before I came back

The boys are wonderfully cheerful &
full of fight. The shells that come
P.T.O

 

(4)
over have different sounds & the men
know them the Guns by name. One is

called "Whistling Rufus" as the ^shell makes
a loud whistle as it passes.  This is
the one that shells the Beach so often
& occasionally troubles us. Another is
called "Mrs Carey". The Sydney Boys
named this one after a lady Undertaker

in Sydney. When they are all going
the Boys call it the "German 
Band." Ken Walker is now a full
Blown 2nd Lieutenant as is also young
Barker, his cousin. He was very
lucky. He was on a Lance Corporal
the other day, but the Machine Gun
officer, the Machine Gun Sergeant & 
the Machine Gun Corporal were all 
badly wounded & the Corporal one of
my Essendon boys died so that 
left Barker in charge of the Gun & he 
did such good work with it that
he was made Sergeant at once
& after the fight at Cape Helles was

made an officer. Ken's Uncle is out
here now he is a Quartermaster Sergeant
with the 8th Battalion. Ken is looking
splendid & is doing very well

 


 

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