Letters from Harold Edward Elliott to his family January 1916 - June 1916 - Part 5

5
Doctor Gordon Ross at Tel el Kehir.
I I met Dr Foutor this afternoon while I
was down for a swim. Rumor has it
that if nothing happens here up ^to till
about the middle or end of march
we are all to go to France but it is
hard to say what will happen
Cousin Charlie is doing great well a
a L. Corpl will soon be a Corpl.
8 Jan No mail yet. So I will close this up
I am sending a photo of Major Lay ^ which he gave       
to me. It will be nice for Mrs Layh  that
her man got promoted so quickly
from Lieutenant. His  pay is so much
more, 15?- a day more. I have told
Layh  to ask  his wife to call on you.
you can tell her I regard Layh as the best
of all my officers & I will do anything I
possibly can to  help him along. He is its a
much stronger in character better than Alf Jackson - He has
developed all along the line whilst Alf has
stood still & I think he lost a good deal
of this nerve.  Layh was going to the 22^nd
where 'Bob Smith was given Commend
over in place of Crouch who was shocked
 

6 

but importunately some one named Norris
who appears to have influence in
Australia  for he never went to the
Peninsula at all has been put up
our Bob's head & is of course as
Layh would gain nothing by the
transfer & ever lose by it he
is going to stop where he is. I
am delighted in a sense that he
is not leaving & he says he is
Also so we have both content.
Dear old darling Katie. I hope you
wont think I am getting disheartened
I am ^actually cheering up real good although
I have had many disappointments
The 7^th although it has fallen off
from what it was is still the best
Balln in the Brigade & the 2^nd Brigade
is still the best in the Division
Bye now sweetest darling the dearest
truest of wifes.
Millions of love & kisses my
arms dear love. Kiss my wee pets
for me & tell them Dida loves them just a 
million. Love to Nana & Baaby & Mum
from Dida Dona
 

18^th Feb 1916
Tele Cl. Kebir
My darling love
I was delighted to get a
whole  heap of letters from you. First 
one dated 31^st August. Hasnt it been
a long time finding me. It tells me about
Ruff Tremearne worrying you to hear
my account of the landing  You were a 
darling not it be funded when  I sorted
you up for publishing it. Perhaps had I
been in the same position I would have given
it, also because I would have liked to
help Ruff along. So don't worry any more
about it darling pet. Tell Mr Roberts
I got your message at last & next time
I am in Cario I will send her a memento
Oh Katie You'll  be wondering why I am
back here. Well I'm sacked from finished with the
poor old 7^th for ever I am afraid.
I am now in charge of the 11^th Infantry
Brigade to your next letter will be to
Lt Col H. E. Elliott. C.0. 1^st Infantry
Brigade. They are all N.S.W. men
but I like them already very much
If I am only "Temporary Brigadier"
but if next (as I think I will) I will

 

-2-
soon be prompted Full Colonel 1 & just
"Colonel" & not "Lieut Col" & then
"Brigadier General" or perhaps both at
the same time. Wont you ^will be most awful
important person with a "General" for your
old man husband come you.  I we'll have Mrs Courtney beat
then wont you. The next after that
is "Major General" but I have too many
ahead of me to ever hope for that in
this war.  Also few Australians have
ever got that ^ honour. There are however (1) Major General
McCay who used to be our Colonel &
later Brigadier General. (2)Major General;
Legge & ^(3) Major General Chauvel. The other
Major Generals in our Army are all
Englishmen. The next Step is Lieut
General. No Australian has ever
become Lieut General yet. Then there
is full "General" & finally "Field
Marshall". So you see I have a long
big way to go to get the top of the tree
hill there are very very few like who
are even Brigadier General at my age
so you never know If this silly old
war will go on ^ you never know  what may happen
if God is good to me & you, I expect
 

you'll be wanting to move into a bigger
home wont you & you'll be calling in
the Governor General & sending you
Card this lady or something like that.
Mrs Forsythe's old man husband is a brigadier
General now. He is the same good old
chap. Some think he talks  or lectures them
much - I think Katie was one but I always
liked him. He has bad luck as our
Divisional Commander Chauvel doesnt
like him a bit, I hear which must be
very disheartening to him I [[alirgot?]]
now postcards for you dated 4 August &
another postcard of the 9^th Sept. 
The next letter was dated 27^th Sept with 
a lot of  wishes in it from Katie & Dear
& laddie & Violet. I did laugh at the
story of the laddie & Gagy Dhurack when the 
laddie said he was a " Toss using with 
feas or him to stop Gaga frm stalking
him. What a little "trick'  he must be
I would love to see & hear them talking that welcome
Them will be great for when the next
one arrives won't there. They will ask
you all sorts of questions I expect
 You'll wish you had got at me some then

-3.
won't you. I must have missed a letter
because in this one you tell me that Mr
Dent isnt going to bringout Mr Frases
& see you but the letter which tells of
him being there has not arrived
Fraser was my Regimental Sargeant
Major at Somerton. He came out with
me at R.S.M. He was promoted to be
2nd Lt but was badly shot in  the Ruthven
charge as no doubt he told you. Do you
ever hear frm him ow. Oh I'st mined
one letter now. There was another one letter came
dated 1^st Sept., Poor old Geoff McCrae
is still ill. It is very hard luck as very
many promotions are being made
I am very cocky to have left my boys
I wonder will this next big family
like me as well as the old men did.
I'm afraid you wont like me won't
hear so much of me now that I am
away from them. I shall always
drop along & see them whenever I can
though
Wish these old letters I got find new
ones. One dated the 9^th of January
& another dated the 16^th January so I 
 

-4-
am pretty well up to date but I think
one about the [[?]]must be missing but may
be not. You Tell Mrs Finlayson that
I have quit swearing now I am a
Brigadier & am away from the 7^th
 that was the only way I cold
- That was the only way I could keep that
old man of hers & the other brats ravels in order 
I'll "sort" him up when I see him next
for telling tale & you me. I was very
interested to hear about Jean  McLeod. Can
you give me her address. Now. I will
remember Lt Clark & look him up
I don't know where the 3^rd Light Horse
Brigade are - the 8^th are with them - I
think they are still in Cairo. I am delighted 
to hear you praise up house you little home
I suppose old snr Gribble will be raising tho
rent on you next when he raises the price of
his place. Tell Gaga Dhurack that I was delighted
to hear that she knows five letters ^now. The dear
little nice pet. She will be quite a grown up
little lady  when her Daddy comes home. She
will be quite a 'little pal' like Katie you
Dr Gutteridge has gone lack to Australia
marked "exempt from further service". I believe

hs heart is affected very moush pom
his illness I cold you in aplerions
letter about weeting R.D. Mr Leod. lapt
De kain has gove back & Dustialio, als
Lt Symns who got his .6 at lone Rinewill
me capt tuth also is going have I believes
perhaps Major Warrns Lomons & Iuils arl
come lack but I dont thens Mas wice
fro neres are boulting him I hear, I should
like you toweet hymon & full. If you hea
of thei arrival you can diof then anote
I shall try i
Call
pask them
stick at out as long as my nealth drings
larts & you must pray that I shall be bave
& wise enough ott what is lest for my new loys
as for did bclore for the ls old
for though ther als not my loys so mut
Aoy
Hild they have loong nes athome waitiry forther
&your old man Dived may mean like irdeath
to 2000 of them. It is a dreat of canforerespnt
I hope I shall be worthhy of it. I told you
that I brought lharled over NN 20 the
very last thing I did fefoce I left then
was to wake her a tergeant & lave
a recommedationnn th Made
 

He has had an excellenteducation
Hetis coigor Very as
a Dr Leeuberart
& is pretty nne to get a com
in
hra t
exeayng
You Jockest

commension as I rangert officer the
would do well I am ture wt chagge of the
horses & It wont be so mery danlaas
as with the hachno our peter sit
is very important work all the same
You must seme
att me when I
amuong
come back all the c
io lates My loye
have lold you i you have heard. Hey are
driffic me I think that bapoy mer
lerat tere I am notvee
Butly Kanede we mnolter
Sanl
sy oo as if demont saied
it reen edtooh I hest you hould
send me of my Bundon Rifle copladges
to Mrs Milne Vila Pattache Whulra
hess. She is little Mayor's mother &
admired then very much. She was very
kined toe when I war io caise. of you
have none Mr Denoult get for one foralort
1600 is. Wans the thardet dear bill
guit no to bal tancy ha beng all to
wrech deution
sell ogn
 

I wall be Relighted when Seroes
Docon writened bitt letternced
herself a ever writ te name o me one
a the dearece laddie to. Geve in
lve to Mrs Lyne Lletther I am guit intiprl
mokingI would gue it
with the nasbe I an
our
all tobe lack with you at my can puuside
Whata shome that the poor little thewel
wee trope are already starting tdecag but
will o came
I suppose new one
Now
qutte
old will the see fat be on th7 waich, Is it
give or nx, in sine I frget. I got letter for
Basly dar too dwill tr Banneth
tomorrow, don darl dae
dat its gettinng very oI have the
up with the pparints is you pack of
to you bed that me go t me cy
of san wany
tgt
gavn
tus song met what heef
ce
nlet anything Itry o
myoer time the tose fd ble
Beyr
you him all larn witen
of lore
Relmes bym & the mee nreet
pet te ant Baaty Lyn & Seoe
dedat
&gll of