Letters from Harold Edward Elliott to his family January 1916 - June 1916 - Part 12

of you dear old sweet face again if you

come you must be prepared to be nearly

hugged to death - you dear od armful

of darling. It would be less dangerous I

think to go by the Cape Route but it is

much longer & the boats though cheaper

to travel in are not so nice & you are

more likely to meet rough weather - on the

other hand you would escape the Red

Sea heat but after June or July that

cannot be so very bad. I know I am

selfish to even think of exposing you to

such perils as you may meet when you 

could stay safe at home but I am so

longing to see you. So Katie will decide

of course you might wait months & months

in England before I would get a chance to get

leave & run across to see you but it would

be a great comfort to know you were near

on the other hand you may be miserable apart

from your dear wee pets -then there is the money

question it will cost a good bit & we need to

save every bit. Since my promotion I have an

extra 7/1 a day & when I have paid off the 

price of the little things I am sending you

for your birthday I could let you have

most of that for it only cost me a little

-4-

now to live as a Brigadier than as a Lt Colonel

I have a few little extra expenses that is

all. It may be different in France but I don't

think so. Now sweet sweetest darling

you have all the facts before you to be

considered. You would perhaps have a

chance of seeing Ullapool & all those

other wonderful places & perhaps might

share a house or room with Violet, but

now decide & you will know that whatever

you decide it will seem right for me

crochetty sorty ways won't you dear darling

Katie. You could quite easily if you talked

to him so sweet & kind & loving as you did

in your letter. He'd just be dropping down on

his knees & worshipping you for an angel. Tell

me you love me kit & won't be the your very own

Dida Don aways for ever & ever in this world &

the next & will always be my sweet loving

pal. Little loving mate. I'd like to have your dear

old cheek tucked away in shoulder now & feel

dear old arms around me. Give the wee pets

kisses & love from their old Dida

-4 -

Old Bob Smith is a sad disappointment to me

in many things but I like him very much & 

would give anything if I could have got him

in my Brigade to help me along. I don't think

it is that he doesn't like me ^or that he won't come

But he is pretty selfish somehow & would apparently

not put himself out any to help me. Perhaps because

I would do it I expect others to do likewise & am

unreasonably disappointed when they fail to come to light

I am glad you like Mrs Smith though. I wonder

if Maj Mrs Barton will call. I had a most

pathetic letter from her thanking me over & over again

for writing to her about her boy. She told me, what

I never knew, that Hector (her boy) was a cripple

at Birth & she never thought he would live &

now to be told by his Colonel that he would wish

no better than that has our boy would grow like

him is almost too much for the poor old body.

I am so glad I wrote though now, I wonder will

you like her. She said she would call on you

& be delighted. Bye darling loviest. You dear old

letter has cheered me 'dicklus. My arm is still

twisted up but is not very painful.

Millions of love & kisses from Dida Don

[*Pages 1 & 2 omitted*]
-3-
is also there. I have received a letter from

Mr Roddick which however was only delivered

by this later mail although posted for the previous

one as you mentioned. He says he met you

and the wee laddie who was looking the picture of

health with his rosy bright cheeks. Fancy 

you 'member

wedding

happens with me so rare that you remember them

so long & would you like Dida to come to the Beach

with you & your wee rubbishes. Tell Mrs Layh

that Bert is my right hand man. They wanted

to take him away from me a day or two ago

& I offered them the pick of three of my

Colonels instead. I have done my best to

get him made a Colonel for her & got myself

into all manner of trouble over it but I have

no regrets as it is not a bit more than he 

deserves. I've also sent his name forward

for Despatches. Whether it ever gets them

him anything - it a pure matter of luck

apparently as I know to my cost. It

is not merit alone which determines that

apparently but at least no unworthy names

will be submitted by me whatever happens

Egypt
2/5/16
Dearest little Katie love,
Heres another month
awa & me not home to my darlings own Folk. I hear we
are to be withdrawn from the very point ^line & go back
to the first camp we had on arrival from Tel-el-Kebir
where we had the row about the water, General Irving
who rather "sorted" me up at Tel-el-Kebir has been sacked
himself ^now because he couldn't do his job. I think he was
mainly judged on his march from Tel el Kebir when
as I told you his Brigade fell to pieces on the way
down. It was hard luck for him. He should never
have been ordered to do the march at all in weather
like that without water carts & yet he was blamed
for its failure. I did it - but there are not many
who would do what I did - to drive exhausted men
forward. I personally did what know no Brigadier ought
to find it necessary to do; to go ^right down amongst the men
to enforce discipline ^& silence their jeers by threats.
of punishment - -
If they had given me proper Battn Commanders this
would not have been necessary ^either, Irving had the same
difficulties but I saw it coming & was prepared
to act. He didn't see it coming - was non plussed
when trouble did arise & failed to do anything
to check nip it in the bud with the result that his
Brigade became a mob & he got the Sack.
Thus the High & Mighty Staff who are really
responsible high hide their own errors & mistakes
& blame some unfortunate for ^what is their own misdeed
PTO

(2)
There is not much other news to tell except that I
heard definitely yesterday that the 2nd Division
with whom Jack & Bob Smith are at a place
called Armintieres near Lille which is just on
the border of Flanders & North France quite close
to the Coast. This of course explains why Johnny
Avery wanted Violet to go to London He could often
get a week end leave & run over to see her.
How would you like to come to England for the same
reason if I go over to the Same place. I don't
think I could let you you know on account of
those wretched submarines. I would never forgive myself
if you got drowned coming over for what would my bairnies
do without you their dear mum who is getting so sling & well
that you get your name on the weight ticket at
Coles or I won't believe you if you make out you're
about 10 stone. I. Don't know what Janie wanted
with my address. I've not heard from her so
far. Tell Mrs Smith that my informant (an officer
who has just come back from France) tells me that
Bob is doing splendidly as a Battalion Commander
(just as I thought he would). He is the best in that
Brigade easily. Tell Mrs Layh that I sent in
Bert's name for mention in Despatches for
continuous good service from the time he
joined until now. He may get a D.S.O. I
hope so but tell her she musn't count on
anything. It is quite possible for any other
[*D.RL. 3297 (3rd S.)*]

(3)
officer who was perhaps not in the Peninsula at all
eg he has some friend or H.Q's to get his name
put in instead of Bert's. But we must just
hope for the best. We will know when we get back who
are the deserving ones. I am big heap lonely for
my darling these days. I cannot get about very
much with my "boke up" shoulder dearie & so I
have time to think of you. I would like to be with
you dearie & see those dear wee rubbishes & play  jokes with
them in the Grass. General Tivey reminded me the
other day of seeing me in Royal Park with the two
of them ^rubbishes plucking grass & throwing it over me. Ask
Dhusach does she remember that. She might but the
Laddie wouldn't. I wonder how much the wee
lad does remember of me. He was such a wee
tiny laddie when I left that he surely cannot
recollect anything at all. I wonder what the dear
wee clap would say if I came home suddenly.
When you hear that I am coming home will you
tell them Dida is I am coming or will you wait till
I arrive. I wonder which would be best. I expect it
could be better to tell them. We'd like to know wouldn't we
if anyone was coming like that & I expect wee pets are
just the same. If you come to meet me at Adelaide
or anywhere I think it would be advisable to
leave them till I got home much as I am longing
to see the little darlings them. 7^th May. Nothing
P.T.O.

much further to tell you dearie pet
We had some sham fighting yesterday
behind the front line & General McCay
& General Godly both said my boys
did their work well. I damaged my
ankle a bit again the one I sprained

on the Peninsula. I am pretty helpless
getting on a horse with one arm in a sling
& the mare got a bit excited & plunged
about when I was getting on & I noticed my
ankle sore after I got off so I had the
Doctor look at it & he found water had
come back on it again so I have to
lie up for a day or two. Isn't it just
beastly luck.
We hear that the Turks are going to
advance & try to break through shortly
I think we can give them a warm
reception.
Bye darling sweetest loviest love
Million fo loves & Kisses for you
& the dear wee mites from Dida Don
[*2DRL/0513*]

Egypt
8/5/16
My dearest Katie,
I am enclosing with
this letter a flower of the tree whose
seeds I sent you recently. I hear it
is an Indian Tree called the
"Gold Mohur Tree" A "Mohur" is
an Indian Coin like our Sovereign
so I suppose a translation of the name
would by a "24 Carat" tree. And
sure enough it is 24 Carat all
right. I admire them more & more
every time I see them in Ismailia
I have a bit of news for you. Do
you remember Russell Goode Berts Goodes
brother. He is here with me as an
officer & doing splendidly too.
I am delighted with him. I am
gradually just as I have always
endeavoured to do, building up round
me a very fine lot of young officers
& getting rid of the useless ones. Some
are scandalous very offended annoyed when I sack
them - I guess if you meet one or
two of these they won't tell you much
in the way of flattery but if you hear
one sorting me up you just ask if I
sacked him for incompetency.
P.T.O.