Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, June - December 1915 - Part 16

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

Page 1 / 11

H.M.T. Clympra 28 Nov 1915 Mrs dearerzwife We are rtitthere and an allgetting frightfully disgusted with every thing Wcar hear no new of any kndg get no letters. The breather is cold + windy + generally diragrecall We are nt allowed to go ashose & I canget no ideacs to when am likely the allowed to reou my pattation nor car anyof throthers There is some talk that we may be sent to sgypt again. wony of the officers or bard are dunkingfor more than is good for them & ther is consideratle gantling anongst some of them. an officer is inder arresto iefcio of rothing money out of another cabin. He, it is said, Lord lost a deal of money gambliry & was rean to come out of the caber pow which money was mined subsequently, one of the ner on Board attempted to commit mecide the other day & one can truly lardly under at it. There are no book aboard + no amuvements. If we had a fer rets of Bosiig gloes aboard we might amuse them in a gady wholerme kanner. Not that I care, for witnering then exhibtion myself but the mer are ford of them meden t lady I feet pretty hoenck bctoy & you are very fae from me today somehow. Idafll your cear presered any hestar on t thee scnssets Safte Sverything is lleak + cold gray museralle my heart feelothy Pane. I wonderoe you keeping il like the will. It is seldon I mnoat 57 am cterred ocmforted hod then chep me descert to Bannes I hope your know will be ofo Marah Plean H Tafend n
DONATED RECORDSLIST 3257 3rd Series Mrs. H.3 SCA 39 Mitak Worther Victoria rholin WYOSN
5th Decenter 1916 My dearest wife I have lift the Thip & and nowr the I sland hishope togo tojou the Regiment at any time. There is no partiilar news. We went for a walk yesterday & disited rome of the trcal Villoget. Doctor we Pluke is at the hospital here bat I haren't beer to see him yet. I trust however that I shall hable to do so before I leave ear that Major Jackson has gof ill again & that major Mc Brae has taken over command again. I also hear that it has been heterly cold on the penimly & that someof the mer are nyping for posstite. We cane athore the day before yesterday + we were all deliched to get away although the morted the divenfort of pleysing o the grousd & pretty rockyold ground at that. I have heard nothing of Jocko 2 yor freth bus I believe my gonou Charlie is still in Igypt. I have chargedf about 800 men for Morning purposes appresent alldetals of diffent wements etothe Benion I my twrit yu fully ou my arrival at the place wher the regiments stationed Yovere 4
JONCORELNSIS 3297 3rd Series £ th88 230.88 Mrs. H. 29 Mitchell St Northch Victorin a Anstralin 2DRLIOSR
Gallywer 9th Dec 1916 dr Sate I am back again with the toto be calh then boys and it is very Bhsmest & golk tee quit close the Batl are in Reserve s they are not in the Trenches but are carrying food. for than who are The 22rd water Battale have done in actual fighting yet. In fact mne I left neither th Kurkro nor ourselves have m inattack sneet t W. Layt down on the enteme n Horn mad a little thrance. Both uider have confived themo aartillery hre 17h22 Trare not lost man a bittl mying men from carualtie but have lost a good many fin rick juck looks very jolly ohappy full corpos 20 ca nos Bot fmith look ther & in onel the latter tacl happy 2 is another mat he will be packed on of these da everyone in the Battalion is t bill & that Bot will be colore I hope is to bot is making goodat as all my loys have done. Henre
laid Dennett ta has a nor shordD was f the delighted to receive or h the we ones go yack gares tadded is atting on you tence bot a dolli caldled in his hring I Thersalt is standing evide you & ther is a dollic at your feet & for all lost Very happ ght t what a stardy wee rogue tyadde la grownnow, gack gave me hs Lust laters to von. Thy ton the frst new od ome /000 ed they dold me Vocton Cfe and arrived pt. There was a bdiven of the pretty pever bor Bine murcher a week of I & thre togarly amongst other was killed by a the Tell Baaly dosy that I got a patir of pocks pom her lwith a letter dated toe time i jul Tell Nana that I got a letter from he dated about the fome time I will reply thth late or the as loys have done a wonderful lot o dagging Heare havng fin breather now buta week or so back it in bitterly cold with snow to they are waking hunge encaration dey in ih earth for winte quarties als as place of refusr from the 13tct homrbye an sending againsters ere heam the Hern
ter te t weatt in W nent month. Bno we have penty of clotheke sought and t suffer robadly as t Tulks who be very hadly supplied as io hear wll tes fot thes t fud about all the news just now Mos lorely ose th dear thold wethen Iida wer pet ofar liked ther whate othey mure ant gunetnent tim I have good oves toke for didal wil lett one he got his lake all right & a numb of parce my cake harnt turned by yetbot Iexpect it wee ds so one of the dearest tor day B pake fotede d es Feda s f 32 6 Serles
Sagl Nol 12 Dec 1912 My deares& Nata We have been told that we wost have much chance to write for some time after this. I don't quite know what is on the wind. It way be only that as the weather to expected sprally break then will be great difficulty in getting or i pruoiding the sanl or it way by that some more is continplated three is little to tell you in trray news. We moved bock int the Trenches o the 10 fort things are very quiet it few small sheel came int our line but did no barn. I deture the people that hold the Lone Rebe Tueret not got son hand knocks from Wells yesterday stwek or so ogo they got it rather badly ofte togartyanogst other was teilled, Tell the evee pet Jock I wajot Souilt gave Lida tho Lases & Dida ws delighted hin with his pet for rememberig Dedagood. I have not seen getting then piice we went in to the nevche thes again but I aid then both or the N gent will gack was node a Lance brgunt that day. He nem will up in his work or thmathing Ghin now. I went to see the General the othe day I from whathe said I think something will still be done for me over the lone Rent Fight. Would you he pleased if I wew rae a, General o smething of the b dn keepdered i tr if you dont hear fom me y e tn the report turn onenet About the orail. Millin te tano tywall fr to
DONATED RECORDSLIST 3297 3rd Series Mrs H.S Illi 29 Witchell P Northert Victoria constrated
My dearest Katee 9 Ward you will no donte surprised Helplis Hogula togget a letter addressed from oou. Not ^ -26/10013 ten I am in the tome old ward or last may. It is m lep foot thes time but not ahellet ever the hun only damaged ludor in my on they were afraid it was tken but the I rayphy to they lood at shows that the tone is wnote ge no aureprittgrose. I veliev y are to commence narraging. g sant it perfectly duiting that I keep or geetily no awdy from the voy likt to enstame I got the Doctor to wake me a crutet + decermin that I would guck stout re with moroyst the lnd bt the general heard about it of se atonce so that I could notdo me a written order to be enclosng the order It wsover anything tusolr arge of the Rear Geard of th right desappotnting. I wasd Tr boildus wvere tleave at medoigh Fank in the retiren last Siday At 19 Jt S I inspacted off at Midday of the day witead afte I had made all arlngement seflyon One of my Dordor Boys cnverted was eviseig bearbi a methed of waring frifles fired i the Trenthe f a hour after the ahad all less & I got it adopled thiy ho thto corp I was splended. And the at th tastr bare then & let others get the credit y any to have t o aways &th lartparty to leave. I was never isdippointed alout a thing parievearly as I have reason to believe I was to be made woll bolon I tenponny, pryate Seneral knen hat rondly pheon fou to epet. But there mind we mussfust chen, up. Ian gettirn well gotinng soeny cany oree my yerterdan He has t lomaliscent hoptal at Helonar. He looks a bit the I hear dack & Bot smitt are all night <ap y g <youcap Deda om som
DONATED RECORDSLIST 3297 Hem B 3rd Series serr Or Sch Mrs H. Sllevit 9 mitchet? Northcote Victoriu Surtialin 20


H.M.T. Olympia
28th Nov 1915
My dearest wife,
We are still here and are all getting
frightfully disgusted with everything. We can
hear no news of any kind & get no letters. The
weather is cold & windy & generally disagreeable 
We are not allowed to go ashore & I can get 
no idea as to when I am likely be allowed to
rejoin my Battalion nor can any of the others
There is some talk that we may be sent to Egypt
again. Many of the officers on board are drinking far 
more than is good for them & there is considerable
gambling amongst some of them.  One officer is under
arrest on suspicion of robbing money out of another
cabin. He, it is said, lost a deal of money gambling
& was seen to come out of the cabin from which money was 
missed subsequently.

One of the men on Board attempted to commit suicide the
other day & one can truly hardly wonder at it. There are 
no books aboard & no amusements. If we had a few
sets of Boxing gloves aboard we might amuse them in a
wholesome manner. Not that I care ^greatly for witnessing these

exhibitions myself but the men are fond of them.
Well dear old lady. I feel pretty homesick today & you are
very far from me today somehow. I dont feel your dear
presence any where near me to cheer & comfort me
at all.  Everything is bleak & cold & gray & miserable
& my heart feels the same.  I wonder are you keeping
well. It is seldom I feel like this
down. Mostly you feel near
& I am cheered & comforted.
God bless xxx xxx dearest
one. Kisses for xxx Bairnes
I hope your Xmas will be Happy in
spite of our separation. Please God our 
next may be together,
your own Dida Don
 

 

DONATED RECORDS LIST
3297
3rd Series
20th Nov 1915
Mrs. H.G. Elliott
29 Mitchell St
Northcote
Victoria
Australia
HE. Elliott 
2DRL/0513

 

5th December 1915
My dearest wife,
I have left the Ship & am now on
the Island but hope to go to join the
Regiment at any time. There is no
particular news. We went for a walk
yesterday & visited some of the local
Villagers. Doctor McClure is at the
hospital here but I haven't been to
see him yet. I trust however that I
shall be able to do so before I leave
I hear that Major Jackson has got
ill again & that Major McCrae has
taken over command again. I also hear
that it has been bitterly cold on the Peninsula 
& that some of the men are suffering from
frost bite. We came ashore the day before
yesterday & we were all delighted to get
away although this [[?]] the discomfort
of sleeping on the ground & pretty rocky old
ground at that.
I have heard nothing of Jock or Major Smith but
I believe my cousin Charlie is still in
Egypt. I have charge of about 800 men for
morning purposes at present all details
of diffent regiments.  Love to the Bairnes. I
hope to write you fully ofy my arrival at the place
where the regiment is stationed
Yours ever
Harold 

 

DONATED RECORDS LIST
3297
3rd Series 

5th Dec 1915
PASSED
PASSED CENSOR
Mrs. H.E Elliott
29 Mitchell St
Northcote
Victoria
Australia
GJ
H.E. Eliott 

2DR/0513 

 

Gallipoli
9th Dec 1915
My own darling,
I am back again with the
boys and it is very pleasant to be with them
Bob Smith & Jack are quite close. the
7thBattn are in Reserve i.e. they are not
in the Trenches but are carrying food &
water etc for those who are. The 22nd
Battalion have done no actual fighting
yet. In fact since I left neither the Turks
nor ourselves have made any attack except
down on the extreme right when the Light
Horse made a little advance. Both sides
have confined themselves to artillery fire &
a little sniping They ^The 22nd have not lost many
men from casualties but have lost a good
many from sickness. Jack looks very
jolly & happy. He is a full corporal
now. Bob Smith looks thin & is not

at all happy with his Colonel. The latter
is another "gun ho [[?]]" - I think
he will be sacked one of these days
Everyone in this Battalion is hoping
he will & that Bob will be Colonel.
My hope is that Bob is making good just
as all my boys have done. Henry 

 

Bennett has gone to England. I believe
he has a sort of Typhoid. I was
delighted to receive one of the snap shots
of the wee ones & you.. Jack gave it
to me. The wee laddie is sitting on your
knee with a dollie cuddled in his arms 

& himself is standing aside you & there is a
toy dollie at your feet & you all look very happy
& bright. Jack What a sturdy wee rogue
the laddie has grown now. Jack gave me
his last letters to read. This was the
first news I had that Johnny Avery
had come away: I asked some of the
Doctors afterwards & they told me he
had arrived in Egypt. there was a
pretty severe bombardment of the Lone
Pine Trenches a week ago & Chris Fogarty
amongst others was Killed by a shell
Tell Banby dear that I got a pair of socks
from her with a letter dated some time in July
tell Nana that I got a letter from her dated about
the same time. I will reply to both later on. The
nips boys have done a wonderful lot of digging. We are
having fine weather now but a week or so back it was
bitterly cold with snow. So they are making huge
excavations deep in the earth for winter quarters
& also as places of refuge from the 13 inch howitzers
we hear the Germans are sending against us
P.T.O. 

 

We are told that the weather will be very severe
next month. But we have plenty of clothing & ought
not to suffer so badly as the Turks who are very
badly supplied so we hear.
well dearie pet this is just about all the
news just now. It was lovely to see the dear
wee pets again in the photo. Tell them Dida
liked their photo & they must sit quiet next
time &  have good ones taken for Dida.
Jack tells me he got his cake all
right & a number of parcels.
My cake hasnt turned up yet but
I expect it will do so one of the
these days. Bye now my own dearest love
& God bless & keep you safe for Dida
Millions of love & kisses from Dida don
 

 

Gallipoli
12th Dec 1915
My dearest katie,
We have been told that we wont
have much chance to write for some time after
this. I don't quite know what is in the
wind. It may be only that as the weather is
expected to finally break there will be great
difficulty in getting or in forwarding the mails
or it may by that some move is contemplated
There is little to tell you in the way of
news. We moved back into the trenches on the
10th but things are very quiet. A few small shell
came into our lines but did no harm. I
believe the people that hold the Lone Pine Trench
got some hard knocks from shells yesterday
A week or so ago they got it rather badly officer
Fogarty amongst others was killed. Tell the wee pets Jack
& Major Smith gave Dida the Kisses & Dida was delighted
with his pets for remembering Dida good him. I have not
seen either of them since we went into the Trenches
again but I saw them both on the 10th & they were
quite well. Jack was made a Lance Sergeant that
day. He seems well up in his work on the Machine
Gun now. I went to see the General the other day
& from what he said I think something will still be
done for me over the Lone Pine Fight. Would you be pleased
if I were made a General, or something of the Sort dearie
pet. Keep cheered up dearie if you dont hear
from me for some time if
this report turns out correct
about the mail. Millions of love
& kisses to you all from
Dida Don.

 

 

Mrs. H.E. Elliott
29 Mitchell St
Northcote
Victoria
Australia
 

 

My dearest Katie.
No 2 Ward
Heliopolis Hospital
Cairo 26/12/15
You will no doubt be surprised
to get a letter addressed from Cairo again But
here I am in the same old ward as last May. It is my
left foot this time but not a bullet even this time. Only a
damaged tendon in my ankle. They were afraid it was broken
but the X ray photo they took just shows that the bone is whole. It
is still pretty sore I believe they are to commence massaging it
today. Isn’t it perfectly disgusting that I keep on getting 
away from the boys like this I had leave. I got the Doctor to make
me a crutch & determined I would stick it out & stay

with the boys to the end but the General heard about it & sent

me a written order to leave at once so that I could not do

anything but obey. I am enclosing the order. It was very

disappointing. I was in charge of the Rear Guard of the right

Flank in the retirement  The last of us were to leave at midnight

last Sunday the 19th Inst I was packed off at midday of that

day instead after I had made all arrangements & everything

was working beautifully.  One of my Essendon  boys invented

a method of having rifles fired in the trenches for an

hour after we left had all left & I got it adopted throughout

the Army Corps. It was splendid. And then at the last moment
to have to go away & leave them & let others get the credit (if any) of
being the last party to leave. I was never so disappointed about a thing
particularly as I have reason to believe I was to be made full Colonel
& temporary Brigadier General. I knew that would please you too
dearie pet. But never mind we must just cheer up. I am getting on well
Johnny Drury came to see me yesterday. He has the Convalescent Hospital
at Helouan. He looks a bit thin. I heard Jack & Bob Smith are all right
Well dearie pet, millions of love & Kisses to you & the wee pets
from your own Dida Don.
 

 

DONATED RECORDS LIST
3297
Item [2]
3rd Series

HE Elliott
On Active Service
Mrs H. Elliott
29 Mitchell St
Northcote
Victoria
Australia
26th Dec 1915
2 DRL/0513

 

 

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