Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, June - December 1915 - Part 14

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

Page 1 / 10

ReM. WOlympric hoor 14N51913 pordearert Kit Her San sofe aboord shit agoin. have a most palatiolmite of rooms aboard, Bed feening oll room & Bretkt electrially healed hopate laid on furned wil tak throughout. t conpitatly that y newsn torpedoed one would leave it with reluntance as bei the drost woenifient or tombtod she could hope tultan to t Well dos must say goodlys & sod hess keep yor nsn not mmy darlinee Bairnics YoursS
Nov 14th 1915 Mrs H. S. Ellios 24 Milctell Northeor Victris CMslialia
22 1 Veea 4 Ther lea storng Sa it is little ho fom Sa masick fert the thoughts D all the land & sec to nything 6 t hap 6 are roding them on talgag m ave my presious wife god bless you dearest long oe wte al Alonys & d te you will l gewe loveme for I Value fill thewrld 9 I would be indecd bad tlngly if were to Goeth But you cant take it jal from ye dear an ton panve pord pet hdic gong it is you fre wwell didnt my lting Yours P.O.C rstglad yd a hight tome by dart thear fet for there trdid Ithnet D an wllhng you truegvee lor y acling t it dear one & deeetha & loand you ro lightly sm wet them the littlearn fl hold us bost togethernalovg ever glad ylittle eples to that I may th helpe you must pray abooad
2 as 2 to hior tewo theno lence you then with pupet or have not forferted you Core prespectr regud I was is pleased wo ts had that my boy had ppoker will of a t had pleased you Your od war en is ar much of a heot not ven bare to t oer pith staned bt has done hro gob & rean far that athe mer have done their jot too witho flinching tther I think of other who have got hoors lately t may feel ennous but whe ita what thy I think of £4 doe the it ex Putn crapsed then for it I convoled I an glad 6 it is then have got the seced not I I donothen any regiment with us had got so man recoeds or has mferd wetdread camalter or run fierce Jablir & had is few show it wte bathe as thold & people ar legining t ralizs it now & I tnk one day or well be prond of havng few itht 7 Oharchad met a lotd letter from th loys many thon crippled fo left ontme complain or faving few in of but all glowng ae it for alove any pursoal the
✓ award for you wostmould have token me farr my hent had they betared ill chose then as I throught so carefully 9 am kroud of theet that there in are d all the offcers I than in the beg ick I would not chooe ago the ronefoh & lardly one fall me ever some of then splayed a S themelfe f yS thbdrdl lightong But my great te the or nother e no tert recognind ty me as 27 ito hould with ne bdecid to E throw my ment myself int the Fcale to wegh a likes againsictory - time at the Lone kinefight that told byou death sumed veryneart no all iic I thouight agon ober ogo my hevolvete no webela our grand & the meniny trentlack o then bakes broke or us as wth locks of the car &oh Kateed was and my deares when me came tore & said they canlet hold out t en ie not more mer thank & I told then Dack 1 be there th to them post were carried by me all los did t
as if I pctually place ocou like bricks t Ma t2 torns But though I made tn hold or 20 hllecus did no der with me bad ih order from the General tgo the old the peace wth last man owo did it as Will the decivr did no restocte we but with him But should I be place tispontio would gbe othir order a ponto t he held like that known killed& thatt all or mart all mor or vide a Flack where the lamp thena mey duty that what I must do of my twll I mur my shaff and the by hid lt u he Malker o Remigl Ae makte an the bill acround teopios me kth as leing womenet tat dan afraid coneday of failing in my due odanont oo the B Sannt apailg from the Iwas cxounded it did not more i cryon at all any nor than idoes practicall all four over fad cuyout though I ha rebad the In whick alond it the trouds) If I were cen siver should cls order $5 pres whis £
as 1ages. b ider Mor
1 9 12 ont trn parshed lartt affea drought & everyshing that ha spring up witht without in wice has be due of your qentle inflve Iaccomplive anythinn all the woul o good it will bidoe tyn to deare you may be just as proced as if you did it yourself. ond lles kkeep you M eweet dned wifle 2 to duld 2 tto mush t blle de 16 of course the ttormud & Harker it is the hard it is ar an enemys mubmanne to fam eas Wouldn't it be a great hand for the Barser of they got thes thap 750r tps abooed it would be as good Wthen as monning a lattle forturately we go is fald that ispler we hun right into on of them would pan not mhate Ling us Fam still a ber bot reasd dean. Aft relly sick but iemptabl t If it tedue not met a lrely my with nplls sotill motion can well feler tat I would b really mk. d 4 Da dea an tay tesa e man The morning 18
& erening at Sp 1. Ho Fridg 7 or thent by in to C Mediternen on wor that we maly 20 M Saturday. Hear H, and the day faved which brings on future witting nearer. The wethe t now eve so mush earmer. It is very pleasant indeed upon deck but as for some reason all the portholes ane keps closed during th day it is close & uncomptatle blow The Portoles are all coated over with backing of o fnd is as not so let the light than at night but I cannot understand that there should bear reason whatever for their being closed being the day unten it is that ther is such an immense ilonbe of them that it would take a long time to chorether all eash erenings on might charce &be orcclocked. All the thy officer ren very anxiou about wbarn & we lave litherty kep very close to the coprican shore poosibly with the idea whould is become necessary of running the Thy aground. This morning however in Pappear & have turned decidedly to the northwards. We have to 12 pounder gane aboand & should we by any chance get a righty the Submarmes lefre they fired at us we should give them a warm reception unless we get very close without
& 14 discovering them our peed should snabl in to easily a distanc anything of the kind the enemy can and against his. It it wonderful thwork onrnary has done in keeping the reas is secave that we know that nitting car some against ns except thes meaking subharnes. Teas nenl geanyd on the tay that the aya ay tontkeny tay thught o mtan gs tone of choffecin hoald told in at lunch the he is disat Brighte in togladd & theplace p cxamned with Grow widns of officers at the fint whene consiling them selvergent penly with othe men Iverywhen one goer it i the same according bals account then is an inmemamound of inomoulity every wherea England I believ also bssetten ti worse in Sermenly Otl a of the war me vent as a punishment to the word for the recconevent inquity ether wad tater the emruly farns lead o So t uters of t wirting f anynge damp of at ingon I whuld ratherece that it i alsent ententy from you regard thcs still an the y ympunty Mitue & agiving you a silttel claim of temunfedet my le & perrence fo you I nid nevr again wis you otheroe that as youar iall ther tates - Noy the My R Iap reminded that I have ber asked for an the Brankshanks then days ofte all for fam did her lestforles oce &I think ws gon her little thanks wa she was by abernd. Well gerther my fore ceance will try to send her ov helf they wuch

R.M.S. Olympic
Liverpool
14 Nov 1915
My dearest Kit
Here I am safe
aboard ship again. I
have a most palatial suite
of rooms aboard. Bed. Dressing
room & Bathroom & xxxx all
electrically heated ^ & lighted hot water
laid on furnished with oak
throughout.
Im comfortable that if we were
torpedoed one would leave it
with reluctance as being
the most magnificent coffin
or tombstone one could hope
to attain to.
Well darling pet I
must say goodbye & God
bless & keep you very near sweet
pet & my darling wee Bairnies
Yours ever
Dida Don
 

 


Stamped DONATED RECORDS LIST

3297

3rd Series


Nov 14th 1915
Mrs H. E. Elliot
24 Mitchell St
Northcote
Victoria
Australia
 

 

At Sea
16th Nov 1915
1
My dearest Katie,
We are out at Sea off Spain somewhere
it is cold & bleak & stormy & I am a little bit

sea sick but the thoughts of you ^ & our bairns come to me over
all the land & seas. Thoughts of you my dear one
tender loving thoughts of you my own little wife

& of my dear wee bairnies too. Perhaps you
are sending them out to me like a wireless
telegraph message & they are coming to me
& my own love my precious one my dear loving
wife God bless you dearest love. Dear Katie
I do love you & will love you best of all always. Tell
me again when you write dear one that you do
love me for I value that love above all the world
I would be indeed sad & lonely if I were to lose it.
But you cant take it away from me dearie

can you 'cause I gave you those dear wee

pet bairnies of ours that you love so well didn't
I my Kit they are mine & yours & I am
so glad you are bound tight to me by these
dear little arms Kit for they love their dida.
& though I am not worthy of your true sweet
love yet I cling to it dear one & rejoice that
I have bound you so tightly to me with them. their
little arms will hold us both together always
& ever & I am glad my bonny little wifelet - So
you must pray always that I may be helped

 

2
so that I may do nothing but that which will 
do honor to you & them so that I may meet
you & them with perfect confidence that I
have not forgotten your love & respect & regard
I was so pleased dearest to hear that
my boy had spoken well of me ^ to you & that this
had pleased you - Your old man dearie is not
much of a hero & not very brave - he is often pretty
scared but so far he has done his job & seen
that job done the men have done their job too
without flinching - When I think of some of those
who have got honors lately & that I have been
passed over I may feel envious but when
I think of what my boys have done & that
it was I who trained them for it I am
consoled & am glad that it is they who
have got the reward & not I. I don't think
any regiment with us has got so many
rewards or has suffered such dreadful

casualties or seen fiercer fighting
& had so few show the white feather as
the old 7th. People are beginning to realize
it now & I think one day everyone will
be proud of having been in the 7th. I have had
such a lot of letters from the boys & many of
them crippled for life & not one complaining
but all glorying in having been one of the
7th. This to me is far above any personal

 

3
award for I got to feel for the Regiment &
the men in it as I feel for you & my
wee bairnies & it would have broken
my heart had they behaved ill for I
chose them as I thought so carefully & 
I am proud of the fact that there is not
one of all the officers I chose in the beginning
which I would not choose again for
the same job & hardly one of all the
men - even some of those who played up
so badly in Egypt proved themselves
^ as of the best when it came to fighting.
But my great test has not come or not been
recognized by me as having come - no test
where it would rest on me to decide to
throw my men & myself into the scale to weigh
our lives against victory - True at the
Lone Pine fight that I told you death seemed
very near to us all - since I thought all was
over & got my Revolver ready ^ to join in the fighting but we held
our ground & the enemy went back & their
waves broke on us as on the rocks of the coast
& oh Katie I was sad my dearie when men
came to me & said they couldnt hold out
unless we got more men & bombs & I told them
to go back to their posts & die there & they
went & ^ next were carried by me all lost &
wounded a few minutes after. It was

 

4
as if I actually placed their bodies living
& warm like bricks to stem the torrent
- But though I made them hold still
the decision did not rest with me,
I had the order from the General to go there
& hold the place to the last man & we did
it but Still the decision did not rest with
me but with him. But should I be placed
in his position would I have the will to
order a position to be held like that knowing
that all or nearly all may be killed
wounded or order an attack where the
[[?]] fate is certain or nearly certain for
them all. Katie if it is my duty that is
what I must do & of my own will I must
endanger my own life & those of my staff and
see my friends like poor Ken Walker & Permezel
& all the rest one after another killed around
me do you despise me Kitty as being womanish
that I am afraid some day of failing in my duty
if I cannot do this. Yet I am not afraid of
pain. When I was wounded it did not make me cry out
any mor at all any more than it does  practically
all of our men for pain cry out (though I have
heard the Turks shriek aloud with their
wounds). If I were a junior officer & were
ordered to do a job I think I should do it
all right but it ^ [[?]] of the wild power which

 

[* Pages 6,7 omitted *]
5
belong to the highest Commanders in an army
affrights me - yet it probably will come to me
sooner or later to order such a thing.
Pray that I will not flinch dear but act
as I should act for your sake & the Sake
of the wee pets: for my own sake & the Sake
of the 7th & the force it has [[come]] with the
blood & suffering of the men & that you &
they may be proud of the "old man" - For
strangely enough that is what they call
me, now, I believe;

 

[* Pages 9-12 omitted *]
8
[[?]]
(Several lines of text covered)
parched earth after a drought - & everything that
has sprung up within or without [one since has
been due to your gentle influence If I accomplish
anything in all the world of good it will be done
to you. So dearie you may be just as proud as
if you did it yourself. God bless & keep you
my own Sweet angel wifie.
17th Another dull stormy day dearie. So much the better
of course. The stormier & harder it is the harder it is
for an enemy's submarine to find us. Wouldn't it
be a great haul for the Kaiser if they got this ship
sunk 7,500 troops aboard; it would be as good
for them as winning a battle. Fortunately we go so
fast that unless we run right into one of them
she would have no hope of catching us. I am
still a wee bit seasick dearie. Not really sick
but a wee bit uncomfortable like. If it had were
not such a lovely ship - with no smells & so little
motion I can well] believe that I would be
really sick. Kitty dear I love you. I [[? ? ?]]
that [[ at least ]] dearie.
18th The morning of another day dear one We must

 

                    13

15th Nov Friday. We passed Gibraltar last evening at 7pm.

or thereabouts while we were having dinner &

this morning we are fairly in the Mediterranean

There is rumour that we shall reach Malta on Friday

next.

20th Nov Friday Saturday. xxxxxxxx, another day passed which

brings our future meeting nearer. The weather now ever

so much warmer. It is very pleasant indeed up on

deck but as for some reason all the portholes are kept 

closed during the day it is close & uncomfortable below

the potholes as all coated over with blacking of some

kind as as not xxxx let the light show at night

but I cannot understand that there should be any 

reason whatever for them being closed during the day

unless it is that there is such an immense number

of them that it would take a long time to close them all each

evening & one might chance & be overlooked. All the ships 

officers seem very anxious about submarines & we have

hitherto kept very close to the African shores possibly with the

idea should it become necessary of running the ship

aground. This m0rning however we appear to have turned

decidely to the northwards. We have two 12 pounder

guns aboard & should we bey any chance get a sight of the

submarines before they fire at us we should give them a

warm reception & unless we get very close without

 

                                14

discovering them our speed should enable us to easily out
distance anything of the kind the enemy can send

against us. It is wonderful the work our navy has

done in keeping the seas so secure that we know that

nothing can come against us except these sneaking

submarines. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx One of the officers on

board told us at lunch that he was down at Brighton in England

& the place was crammed with "Gross Widows" of officers at the front who were consoling themselves quite openly with other men. Everywhere one goes it is the same. According to all accounts there is an immense amount of

immorality everywhere in England. I believe also before the war it was

worse in Germany. It looks as if this was sent as a punishment to

the world for the viciousness & inequity, & there is no doubt other that

unruly passions lead one to that instead of being wishing for any sign

of at [[damn?]] in you I should rather rejoice that it is almost entirely from

you a bit better claim (of that men needed) to my love & reverence

for you & I will never again wish you otherwise than as you are

in all things.

Later - By the way Katie dearest I am reminded that I

have never asked how are the Cruckshanks these

days after all poor Jamie did her best [[?]] once

& I think we gave her little thanks when she was

nasty afterwards. Well give her my love dearie & I

will try to send her some little thing sometime

 













  



 



 

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