Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, June - December 1915 - Part 3

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

Page 1 / 10

one of them a moonee konds lad namaf/y Palrley was but in the Nomoeth. He was tike off at once t Mr Hoopital shp He insvery had but an I have not bee notified of his deale he is premually still alive. I have that poor Finlayson has lost his leg but is now in the mend. He will of comre be insolided home o shortly but n don'tt he will not be roised You the deferce fepartment for that. I would be ladleckfor itf that were so. I was delighted to hear himself & his wife little os you talk of trefet Tell then was deligherd them all they can do will play pottall wet M laddre when ecome to af write here o thhd I o looking forward hepho to you berepromised me. By thistim you will have an iden of the full cornalty bot & people will realie t wagnilude of the tark we have undertaker here I hear that the new Brigndes in which dack is are now or Sgypt. As I hear they are poorly tranc comfared i what onr me were lalng he but of they oppen ar good they will son i alle tgive us a hand care on 23/6/15. Three days more will be your furhday Thappy return Lut sal H I will again with you mas metes me rem drutl thae I Chequidealy nypuur duct traft. Yesterday one of the mey was being sent bock to clenardrio. I gas win te to forward to you of something off that pr expenses course then will t
$200000 out ofit ought tget tibaint along Catil is me about has W as whict you whenein I gotachose I will yordt are ho fort ofied here as brt ness. I alo rent by him a Agy full of currios in the shape of Turkert larded it or Whells that has Mo grand about were is pared with the but of they get yeal pinthe lirt w soply oaham also sent to wass castridge care of 8 oe oilider There I know hes 16 wake dene ginas wh led & they ge 26 t5 rpet yet is the dra 9 6 i yo I know that fourst ege an Ms CVI on do You & aid it l Your d t their meloume offee as & my bt with Setr Olif 2a it an office at land gave you address & then tnry should if an of are t send it a A a back Nt s a reank Fin sa that is a The latte 4 litter lot of ohe has Bernightt is tilt it & are X Core a
C.M. Form A. 8s. Ar Form. Army Form C. 2121. No. of Messaga MESSAGES AND SIGNALS. Nore Charge. refi Recd at Thismessage is on a/c of: Office of Origin and Service Instructions. Ser te Service. CCUUUUODOOUV At. FTOMI encceesseeeeeeeessee 20. CCCOOOO Byc OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO y (Signature of Franking Officer.7) T0 SASONSN Wrest toMe SenersKittber. NAA o whell the 7/ Mistade prel sile 2 16 of ( Wer 68 Dr it 6 11 De M.C o1 244 14 ar t a 46 2 JCC 1 tr kille Blarl 14 12 Co Wllpe 24 From P18C0 43 Time 17 6 £ The above may be forwarded as now corrected. ad ec Censor. Sirnature of Addreasor or person authorized to talesraph in his name. This tine should be crased U pot required. D 210/13028 ode 20053
Laminnila mongef M ai found andines their o to of pupen Since my last letter to you nothing much has occurred. On you firthday arent liddelon who was also unaded in the fost returned wilh three o ther me whs had I wand recovered. I have phom 80 and 20 of thes now and they are badly needed on ts new me weare getting feo Betorio are hardly trawed at all yesterday ant turday & I thought ine vere is for a hy fight as the emony shilled in very peanly I larly, the morning I lobed my head out there a look a the empty dan of a shill like then I have sin nto the bent of my you just your trfout home about a fors from me. I didnt mor it was emply of cour & for a recond expected t te Hi up but as nothing tappened I mustered by cmage t eath held of it & pull is out of the taith whe I discreed it was emply. the charge had exlode a hundred yards or no lack & it in only the cane that bad come on th hillet hang struck furthery the dorly thankful there canesmake hill to sme 2 horritle cound when they do unte hmohs ofter companed to the hundred byiny as hade not off about all over the place. Our men un ther for hob for the fereplace & they are very ratusfcting. Th a annfortung tonls out of them the Fancers a putted in alout a fo cotton bllong ther a fllen then ug wit hrounel billets which fair be mistwik
the ground here. My fabman has ill a patter of them ontoiderig bhyg out like this eat dot rep a Bullet Magrally re We have make whot we call a drepers post atoe ove ca here then in a high point of the hill owe have put a Dunnel an & than a crosent t thofoce of the hill oput two me with a sece place topaled a pont of then Ir wotche with a telenope & it other preso tine suchs cenche as o up te call, th cheroliged 2 maye of trgncke which spit is whitir placed up it 202 can fore right into the French at 1000 yard it mus annyy the Truse considerally as they had yurs this spot bat along their brench B gure Last evening there was a threting Hhunderton of the mnd llew the dunt about in cloreds I had ben very hot during th day- the inks every apparently apprehenou that th ey wewer going to make an attack as about duk they comversed a tremendon. prrlade of rifhe & wae hive gin for and roub for our Frenchs which the kept o all night. They also blew an mue a portio of our trenches o killed two of the Engineer. I don't know what othe doinge it was much, sell they did but don't them oge that I have put her inder major mcbroe & he is delighted with her He takes a tremedons inters whe work sothing is to great trouble led and I am apler or him M
naturally delighted it havng helped her. I have nut a lot of n ofpetes tho fall so fo short of sheold mes that I a debylled tye one llike ken after the old patters. Not a migh one of the old officers here muined out anything hs ppleadidly, I am apraid horeve tasts I that get you of the back foor dd Finlaym has lost hes be. Thee is great dange that Roger will lose he foot a hillet enteed the hell & made a terrille mes of his ankle Conder has already goe hack to Anstratio as his arm is stiff & they ho nent here have for fr months Mason is sgo Dr. Mstra 6 Arm (h was het a thelbow joint) is nttiyg stiff. & he will probally be rent hime. Rlegard is Langngbehar lpe I deate I am told. Heighway looks a perpet wreck I wont be back for months if at all far a additin to bis other enjuire the sock has leen great. He suffered frightfull o th but as the rit in drive in i th stewart wss wonded in thelegs I alwo and the place. He was iggo t the sationfS watien but fthe whould red Hnrm he may gitall right. T hear he is ago to prtiate for iome moiths I there are tll the ohen Kich additor
It, is very bd. foor mrs Jhuston. She will have heard by now that givnnng i pastonny care. I was met a pity. He was doing inlendedly sill her that all tomer worshpped hir He went into actin at lape Helles when he sandt ellnes was hardly able to & walked ahead of his mer is a regular storm of thropvel huillet just as calmily as nn on prrade. He felt at eart in are mathing gret hullets through him He got tack to lairs all right but on of the billet had truched al artiry o this sated to bleck apest. He in pusue thloufor is they could operate vity the Bleding but he died dringth operalit. He was wowded t Saturda the 9th May Idied about the 20th may She could git the most date from the gugt Sicken Anstration Bar Sepst. Hlexanddred if tt bepence people have not already infor ther Well nt must iy now I is very hat here now & the flie an mn awful. Thirgs are very quiet here the monn after the puss last night I suppose the Mir on haver a slas, Mrs Clarkr nepher was pretty hadl woulded in tuoday her & I cannot pd out whh he is. I thin however it wowd ever not dayneow ast gaumst tm a ll te
July I had a letter farm trye today tat whit I enclose w wll de flor it he wned loppy I sent for a wilk yorte an and, alog or one right I heard we had bod a litg a fight scoplined a veers Tunt th nigh rethe is untalors t inreriget I sand thirty of our om loys all laid out in ron for kind a faily wo dyge thei grades & near then your Turk. the ua behind on Ite we &eventually got out to the captaned her I was alout 1 fustory o yard l is a lin aida pont Imited to thei Ou boys ha Kille or drins out th the dar & Tenk the wa done with ond any lor ft te t puaks it cloar anoy the Turk guns got gong eight into the nenct & oce t were killed with B0 mi 2 tell fire. They were horlly mulitated to don almost tpiece. I alioged a shock been a toneton by t a no I feven well lape to vange. We was killed re a moth ago & mhen heard about it. I sai out in pond
oor pai vent me a new ngge upope Mr Capte Your p the Frenct which led wll cone tthe captented tecs. We would ave the i acommunicate bench i see troubly wotl oghartly look at the me were all worbely to dregther th fre desporallty it s into nd much h frcmrate then then we 600I odend but they tol tor Dark MValley relode Turksin an bury pottig at dednsntt pk o k I espect f a & smelting then nost 2 til ae le cortly Hwil erenth sef I lant as the Tenk an now very iting I am vre well indeed permally Bitte ondeed f think that have be since I lphow I was nere really willi sgyps. I had a regular necerng cold ntg ther but the clnat he onderfully bit over wee owhitewe are cleas r eth th tercins we get a mon an dafe shill Pevt 2DREIOS
C.M. Form A. S9. Ar Form Army Form C. 2121. MESSAGES No. of Messaga. AND SIGNALS. Gallipot Kinenolo NorSS Charge. Rectt. Ateesessseeeee M. Mephino songe. Carsa g TgMSEm SMd aennen furnge mneaven rererngy oecande SSeNN D 2din fun f Dervice. anrcvened onfreaeene arangheonenenees Aunnn anang nn Fromcues TeENNI OOUDOOOL Eeencenann n an frune/ (Signature of O. Franking Officer I of deaver T0 you will see that I an getting tshide 0cr a backet For paper ensavid ut JONONS L MMN LreTSe onnert Dear yon Blenander this Week I got your letter dated the onry whit you were old re jnst off to Brorydon is oalw an dated to april while you were wh specat &finshing is when you came our agair ome from Beorde ars 9 after you send fust I me al Adoret ws very glad Whear about it 79 indeliio doing to well Dr you ard 24a oto ydarter CDm/12 Little nshine Girere Most & Musr Col7 I do e you dar lck inMon Iam lnghig Co 2 at pet onco more dearatn - of neet Did gove ever he amischievous tt to Bt addie io felting letle amiere muc was very in te $2000 4 40 writh tutle Fore San 7dear £ nald tak poc 3 15250 10 nc you hat beer ur re mrred us Cr t2 e CSth D The above may be forwarded as now corrected. ICCUUUUUUUVPVVEUOVEUVVuuuUIOSEEuAu JCNSOR. STAHOOO LOTE OF PORMeW VlEFaNN NHIO NAM. This line should be crased i not required. D. 0B.B ODB

4
one of them a Moonee Ponds lad named L/Cpl
Paisley was hit in the stomach. He was taken
off at once to the Hospital ship. He was very
bad but as I have not been notified of his death
he is presumably still alive. I hear that poor
Finlayson has lost his leg but is now on the
mend. He will of course be invalided home
shortly but no doubt he will not be sacked dismissed
from the Defence Department for that. It would be bad luck for
himself & his wife if that were so. I was delighted to hear
you talk of the wee pets our little ones. Tell them Dida I was delighted to hear
all they can do & Dida I will play football with the laddie when I come
home.  I am glad they look nice but I would love the wee
mites however they looked. I am looking forward to the photo you
have promised me. By this time you will have an idea of
the full casualty list & people will realize the

magnitude of the task we have undertaken here.

I hear that the new Brigades in which Jack is

are now in Egypt. But I hear they are poorly trained

compared to what our men were. [[?]] they

soon be but if their officers are good they will soon

come on & gi be able to give us a hand.

23/6/15. Three days more will be your Birthday darling

& I will again wish you many happy returns. Little darling

sweetest one never doubt that I love you dearly my precious darling

wife. Yesterday one of the men was being sent back to

Alexandria. I gave him £21 to forward to you of

course there will be something off that for expenses
[*D.R.L. 3297 (3rd S.)*]
 

 

but you ought to get £ 20-10-0 out of it

The paymaster hasnt been along lately

& he owes me about £25 or so which

I will send to you whenever I get a chance

but there are no post offices here as

you may guess. I also sent by him a

box full of curios in the shape of Turkish

Shells that have landed in our

camp. The ground about here is

fairly paved with them but if they get

home safely we can polish them up

for ornaments. I also sent the

Brass cartridge case of one of our

own 18 pounder Guns. These I know

make lovely good dinner gongs when

mounted. So I hope they get

home safely. By the way it is as

well for you to know that James

Cook & Sons the Tourist Agents are
to forward it to you & if you dont
get it in a reasonable time you
might see their Melbourne office about
it. Also I left all my kit with 
their office at Cairo & gave your
address to them if anything should 
happen to me they are to send it on
There is a Tin Trunk & a black kit
bag that is all. The latter has a
lot of old papers & your letters in it but
very little more if I remember rightly 
However you should know what to expect.
We are still in reserve here & are
in consequence able to have a lovely
swim every day in the Sea. it is
 

 

only about ½ mile walk to the beach
The enemy shells the beach 
pretty regularly. The day before yesterday
the Dr. Major Jackson Major Milbrae
Permazel & myself had been in
We had just got off the pier when
a shell burst over it wounding three
men one badly. Yesterday just as
we got down a shell burst cutting a 
mans left arm off as he stood in the
edge of the water. The Dr rushed up to
him & tied off the Artery. It was
such a pity as he was a beautifully built young
fellow. Two minutes afterwards everyone
was in swimming again & no more shells
were fired while we were there. Afterwards it
started again. Two men were killed & more
wounded on the Beach. As the swimming is keeping
the men in good health the authorities 
permit it to go on in spite of the risks
and no one seems to care a hang for the shells
Well goodbye dear old lady Heaps of
love & kisses for you & the dear wee bairnies
from Dida Donny.
 

 Gallipoli

Gallipoli Peninsula 
28/6/15
Monday morning
My dearest Kit, I have ^ just found another sheet or
two of paper. Since my last letter to you nothing much
has occurred. On your birthday Lieut Liddelow who was
also wounded in the foot returned with three other men
who had been wounded and recovered. I have between 
80 and 90 of these men and they are badly needed as the
new men we are getting from Victoria are hardly trained at
all. Yesterday was Sunday & I thought we were in for
a big fight as the enemy shelled us very heavily 
I early in the morning. I bobbed my head out to have a
look & the empty case of a shell like those I have sent
you just missed me & stuck into the bank of my
dug out home about a foot from me. I didn’t know
it was empty of course & for a second expected to be blown
up but as nothing happened I mustered up courage
to catch hold of it & pull it out of the earth when
I discovered it was empty . . the charge had exploded
a hundred yards or so back & it was only the case that
had come on the bullets having struck further up the
hill for which I was duly thankful. Theses cases make
horrible wounds when they do strike however which
is however not offt often compared to the hundreds lying
about all over the place. Our men use them for hobs
for their fireplaces & they are very satisfactory. Also some

of the Engineers are manufacturing bombs out of them by
putting in about a pound of gun cotton filling then
with a fuse & detonator and filling them up
with  Turkish shrapnel bullets which fairly litter
 

 

-2-
the ground here. My batman has made a pattern

of them outside my Dug out like this each dot representing

a Bullet Go 7th Battn. It is greatly admired
We have made what we call our Sniper's post above our camp
here. There is a high point of the hill & we have put a
Tunnel in & then a crosscut to the face of the hill & put two

men with a steel plate propped in front of them. One
watches with a telescope & the other fires on to the

Turks trenches up on what we call the Chessboard
from the maze of trenches which the Turks have
placed upon it. There is one spot in which we
can fire right into the a trench at 1100 yards &
it must annoy the Turks considerably as they have
to pass this spot to get along their tenches.
They use 30th June. Last evening there was a threatened
thunderstorm & the wind blew the dust about
in clouds - It had been very hot during the day - The
Turks were apparently apprehensive that
the enemy we were going to make an attack as
about dusk they commenced a tremendous 
fusilade of rifle & machine gun fire  and
bombs on our trenches which they
kept up all night. They also blew in wits
a mine ^under a portion of our trenches & killed two
of the Engineers. I don't know what other damage
they did but don't think it was much . Tell
Lyn that I have put Ken under Major
McCrae & he is delighted with him
He takes a tremendous interest in his
work & nothing is too great trouble
for him. This is splendid and I am

 

 

-3-
naturally delighted at having helped him on.
I have such a lot of new officers who fall so far
short of the old ones that I am delighted to get
one like Ken after the old pattern. Not a single

one of the old officers have turned out anything

but splendidly. I am afraid however that I will

get few of them back. Poor old Finlayson has lost his

leg. There is great danger that Rogers will lose his

foot a bullet entered the heel & made a terrible
mess of his ankle. Conden has already gone back 

to Australia as his arm is stiff & they have
sent him home for six months. Mason is to go

to Australia or England for 6 months . Connelly's
arm (he was hit on the elbow joint) is setting
stiff & he will probably be sent home. Poor

Blezard is hanging between life & death

I am told. Heighway looks a perfect wreck &
wont won't be back for months if at all. I
fear in addition to his other injuries the
shock has been great. He suffered frightfully
on the boat as the ribs were driven in on the lungs.
Stewart was wounded in the legs & also in
another place. He was engaged before he left but
the nature of the wound makes it doubtful if he
should wed. However he may get all right. I hear
he is to go to Australia for some months. In
addition there are all the boys officers killed
 

 

-4-
It is very Sad. Poor Mrs Johnston. She will
have heard by now that Jimmy is past any
care. It was such a pity. He was doing splendidly`

Tell her that all the men worshipped him.
He went into action at Cape Helles when he
was hardly able to stand with illness
& walked ahead of his men in a regular
storm of shrapnel bullets just as calmly as
on parade. He fell at last with six or
seven machine gun bullets through him
He got back to Cairo all right but one of 
the bullets had touched an artery & this
started to bleed afresh. He was first under 
chloroform so they could operate & stop
the bleeding but he died during the 

operation. He was wounded on Saturday
the 9thMay & died about the 20thMay. She could
get the exact date from the Sergt Dickinson
Australian Base Depot Alexandria  if the
Defence people have not already informed
her. Well my loved one I must stop now

It is very hot here now & the flies are something
awful. Things are very quiet here this morning
after the fuss last night I suppose the Turks are
having a sleep. Mrs Clarksons nephew was pretty badly
wounded the first day here & I cannot find out where
he is. I think however his wounds were not dangerous
Kiss my darling bairnies for me. Love to Baaby &
Nana & a million kisses for your own dear self from
Dida Donny

 

 (5)

(5)
3rdJuly 1915
I had a letter from Jacky Boyd Jack today that which
I enclose. You will see from it he is well &

happy. I went for a walk yesterday away
along on our right I heard we had had

a bit of a fight & captured a Turk trench
the night before so went along to investigate.
I saw thirty of our own boys all laid
out in a row for burial a party was digging
their graves & near them four Turks. This 
was behind our lines. I then went on

& eventually got out to the captured trench

It was about 120 yards long just out
in front 100 yards or so of our line 
Our Boys had rushed the trench in 
the dark & killed or driven out the
Turks. This was done with hardly
any loss but when the Turks got
clear away the Turk guns got
going right into the trench & all the
30 men I saw were killed with
shell fire. They were horribly mutilated
to torn almost to pieces. I also got
a shock seeing a tombstone up to a man
I knew well Capt La Nauze. He was
killed over a month ago & I never
heard about it. I saw out in front 
 

 

6
[*PS.Mrs [[?]]has just
sent me a new supply of 
notepaper*]

of the captured trench the bodies
of four or five Turks. They were in a 
little corner of the trench which led
up to the captured trench. We would call
it a communication trench. They
were all horribly swollen & ghastly to
look at. The men were all working
desperately to strengthen the Trench
& connect it up with our line &
there was not much time for conversations
but they told me there were 60 or 70 dead
Turks in the valley outside but as the 
Turks were very busy potting at

anything showing I didn't risk poking
my head up for a look. I expect
there will be something doing

shortly but one cannot tell
It will be pretty sure to be costly in
life & limb as the Turk trenches 
are now very strong. I am very
well indeed personally. Better indeed I
think that I have been since I left home
I was never really well in Egypt. I 
had a regular succession of colds

& influenza there, but the climate here

if a bit warm is wonderfully even.
Lovely clear blue, skies & while we are in
reserve we get a swim every day & chance the
shells. Bye darling wife Mother of Bairnies from
Dida Donny.
 

 


 Gallipoli Peninsula

7/7/15

My dearest wife,

You will see that I am getting

very hard up for paper. but I hope to get a packet

from Alexandria this week. Dearest old girl

I got your letter dated the 18th May which you were

just off to Croyden and also an old one

dated 10th April while you were in hospital 

& finishing up when you came out again

I also got one from Geordie sent just after your

operation & telling me all about it. I

was very glad to hear about "it" & I am delighted that

you are doing so well I am glad my love

comforts you my darling. Little sunshine

girlie I do love you more & more every

day & I am longing to be back with you
and my dear wee sweet pets once more

Did you ever hear of such a mischievous

little rabbit rascal as that our laddie is getting. I

was very much amazed at the funny

little tricks. God bless them both & you

too my dearest angel wife & keep you

all safe for me. Since I wrote to

you last we have been moved up

to the trenches. We got back the

P.T.O.

 

 

 


 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

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