Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, June - December 1915 - Part 10

Devonport Military

Hospital

17/9/15

My dearest Kit,

There is not much in the way of

news to tell you. I am getting on

quite well but very gradually as I was

terribly weak. I was allowed up for a

couple of hours this afternoon on the Balcony

It was very bright warm & pleasant but I

was glad to get to bed again it made

me very tired. I had a little note from

Uncle Robert asking me to come & stay

with him when I am able to travel. I would

like to see them but I dont know what time

I will have at because as soon as I am

strong enough I want to go back to the Boys

expect however there will be a couple of weeks

after I am fit to leave the Hospital before I

would be any use in the field as I will

have to regain my full strength & during

this time I may go up there. I wish

I could remember ^the name of your mothers village

& I would try to have a look at that

also. It gets just at the Back of my mind

but I cannot think of the name, I remember

about the old lady you yo used to

call by that name ^of the village xxxxxxx.  The

weather is very nice & fine here at present.

They say it has been dry down here this

summer. I feel a dreadful loafer lying

here so comfortable & my boys still away

out yonder. Dear sweet old Sunshine

lady I do hope you are not worrying

about me. I have no money to send a

cable just now. I cannot find out how

we get paid here & I have not had any

since I left Egypt last. I have no

idea where Capt Finlayson or any of the other

officers of the 7th who are in England are located

Millions of love & kisses to you & the dear

wee loving pets. Love to Nana & Baaby

from Dida Donny

[*You will be glad to hear that your photo wasnt lost at

all. my Batman had just moved it away very

safely & nicely & I have it now to cheer & comfort me.*]

Devonport

Nov 17th  15

 

Mrs H E Elliott

"Nirvana"

29 Marshall Street

Northcote

Victoria

Australia

 

DONATED RECORDS LIST

3297

3rd Series

Sunday 19th Sept.

Military Hospital

Devonport

 

My dearest old Kit,

Here I am again writing

to you. I am improving slowly. I get up each day for a

couple of hours in the afternoon but I am still really wobbly.

on my pins & glad to get back to bed. One of the ladies of

the room a Mrs Crowe wife of one of the Doctors here

called to see me. She was born in Ballarat & lived

there for many years, what was strange was

she has asked me out to her place when I am well

enough. They dont live in town but some distance out

on the "moors" as they call it. I suppose her husband

no drives in [[?]] his car to see his patients or perhaps

they have retired. He is the Bacteriologist to this

Hospital. Well darling old lady I haven't the least bit of

news to tell you 'cept that I love you little sunshine lady

I love my teo dear wee bairnies. I was very sad

when I thought I had lost your photos but was

correspondingly delighted when it came to light again

I wonder if you have seen Walter Conder. I bet he

made you laugh. He is a funny little chap.

Major Blizard will be with you also before this

reaches you. He had improved wonderfully when 

I last heard of him & was quite out of danger.

When I last heard of poor M^c Nichol he was in

a very bad way & it was doubtful if he would

recover. He has had an awful time. The bullets

lodged right in the leg joint causing frightful pain

at every movement & it was almost impossible to get

at it to remove it without cutting the leg right off

& he at last got so weak it was dangerous to

attempt operations at all. Poor old chap.

I hear his nerves are just broken up & he cannot

bear you to touch him even to shake hands
I saw Lt Tutt at Malta. He was looking very
well but the wound in his arm had not
healed up. It takes a long time for Bomb
wounds to heal. He won't be able to
hold himself if he gets the V.C. He is a funny
chap but he is very brave - not a good officer  by
any means usual standards though good at the job I picked him
for looking after horses but he got very xxxx muddled
about the work administration of his Company. Quite

Sept 19^th 1915
Mrs H E. Elliott
"Nirvana"
29 Mitchell Street
Northcote
Victoria
Australia

[* I have been given
2 months sick leave
from the 19^th Sept
but I dont think I
will require it all
I ought to be well enough
to go back in a month*]
27/9/15
C/O Lt Col Buckley
DIGSWELL PLACE,
WELWYN,
HERTS.
England -
Dearest Kit
I did not get the enclosed
letter posted as I intended as
I was sent away last
Friday to London as
Devonport was not agreeing
with me. It is a sultry
sort of place there. I am
now staying with Colonel
Percy Buckley the
Commonwealth Military
Adviser in London.
He was one of the sons of
the original "Buckley" of
Buckley & Nunns in Melb
& of course has heaps of money
His mother a very old funny old
lady is still alive but active
though very deaf - One of
his daughters unmarried
lives with her. Oh Katie

2
you would love this place. The
Grounds are like our Botanical
Gardens only more so . More
perhaps like the Fitzroy gardens
Lovely great big old oak
Trees & Elms & Chestnuts &
Cedars & up on a hill
where you can get lovely wonderful
glimpses of similar
places all round. It is almost
20 miles due north of London
& near Lord Salisburys place
at Hatfield. Mrs Buckley has
promised to take me through
Hatfield House some day & also
through St Albans cathedral
which dates from William
the Conqueror & is made even
then of Roman Bricks taken
from the Roman Villas at
Verulanium which [[?]]

the Roman name for St Albans it is
even then a sort of Country
Suburb of London where the
Roman Governors used
to live because it was

2 DRL/0513
[*(3rdS)*]
-3-
so pretty. Mrs Buckley is a Scotch. She & her sister
Mrs M^cCallum who lives with them are  more than kind
Also Lieut Whitelaw who has been with them for 3 months
& Capt De Ravin ^ both of the 7^th Bn are here. Whitelaw who has lost oart of
his foot is to go home to Australia next week. I will
ask him to call & see you. There is hope that
De Ravin who had part of his Big toe shot off will
be able to rejoin. The wound however affected the toe joint
& it is being managed which is gradually but slowly
reducing it to its proper size but he has to be very
careful as if he walks on it much it swells up. I saw
Capt Finlayson who is at a Miss Ireland's which is
just next down adjoining but that means nearly half a mile walk
through a lovely old avenue of Elms called the
"Monks Walk" because [[?]] place originally belonged to the
old Catholic Abbots & the Irelands place was the church
& their house is built against it while this place was the
Rectory where the Monks live. There was a nunnery where
the Irelands place stands & they say there is an underground
passage connecting the cellars of the two places but it has
been bricked up at this end. Lt Rogers ^ [[?]] is there also. His
foot is still bad but he can walk without crutches. All
the officers except Finlayson look the very picture of health
Finlayson is as  cheery as ever. He is being fitted for his cork
leg. He is rather thin & pale but is the life of the house.
I hear Col M^cNichol has had the bullet taken out & is
getting on splendidly. The air is lovely here & a very few
days will make me quite well I hope. My darling love
Havent met any girl I could love as well as you yet dearie.
Millions love & kisses for you & the wee pets from Dida D.

                                   1                      1st Oct 1915

My dearest Kit,

               Just a hurried line

to catch the mail which

I have just learnt closes

at 2pm today. I am

still with Col. Buckley

& going on splendidly.

A bit weak still & if 
I hurry & get a [[wit ?]] of

stitch in the side that

brings me up short

but I feel splendid.

I only wish I had your

tins we sweetpets here

with me. It would be

      2

glorious. What splendid 

news there us of our people

in France these days.

In guess old Raisin

Bill is thinking hard.

I have just heard that

my poor boys have been

relieved by Major Smiths

regiment, & have gone

back to Lemnos for

a month's spell. I 

suppose you are full

of anxiety for Jack now

you poor old darling.

Isn't it hard luck that

I have missed Jack all the 

time. I could probably

get a Commission for him

in the Y now as we are

             3

terribly short of officers still

I wonder if he would take

it. I suppose poor Lyn is

very sad about Ken. I have

been intending to write to

her ever since but feel

somehow I cannot. I

think it would break me

up completely if I met then

he was such a fine boy - they

loved him so much & he was

as fond of them too.

 And when I think of all these

things I cannot write either.

You will have told them all

& how sorry I was for the 

ld. With tons of love to the

wee sweetpets & heap of

kisses for you & Banby

for you Dida Dorm.