Letters from Harold Edward Elliott to his family January 1916 - June 1916 - Part 7

2
Where they are I never want to take them
away but if they appear negleted or
unhappy I always try to get them
near me.  Poor Charlie would have been
only a private yet but for me. I had him
made a Sergeant & hoped to have made
him an officer as soon as he was fit for
it for I would not promote even my own
brother until I had trained him fit for the
job. I think Jack's people will move off
soon & leave us here. I cannot tell you
where they are going. Poor little laddie tell
him "Dida'” is very sorry to hear of his Chicken
Pock being so bad. Tell Dhusach & the Laddie
too that I love them good & never pass a day without
looking at that nice picture of them where they are
both looking up at you. I've shown it to everyone
about & they think it is the best Snap they have
seen., I had a letter from Fogy by the Same
mail but I did not get Violets letter. I Don't
Know where Johnny Avery is at present. I does
love oo – dearie sweet darling confie pet – Oh swet a big heap
lot & I am longing to hold you tight in my arms & tell you
all about it.
By the same mail I got a letter from you dated
the 22^nd August in which you told me that 
Geordie passed his exams. When you get
my camera you will be able take good
Snaps of the Bairnes by focussing it but Belle’s
are really wonderfully good. It is just lovely to
get them , I must 'ward Belle some day.
You tell her if men are to be allowed to have two
wif wives after the war I bar first ask of her
She is a darling to look after you all so unselfishly
& good. Tell me were you pleased with the Box
of old shells & things. I have made my old
 

-- 3 --
Batman Sergeant Stafford Brigade Q.M.
Sergeant & he is as proud as a Peacock of his
new Stripes. His wife may call on you some
time but she has five bairnies so may not
be able to come. He looked after me wonderfully
well & I am glad to be able to pay him back for it
He was telling me he labelled one of the Shells which
just whizzed past me one morning while I was
having a wash. Did you find the piece of paper
I am enclosing a couple of pieces of paper
for you to Keep for me.  They are lists of men
who distinguished themselves for great bravery
in Lone Pine. I got my underclothing from
Mrs Buckley ^by the same mail. It was lovely
to get it again. I have been wearing the same
army issue stuff. By the Same mail I
got a Postcard from you dated the 24^th August. 
Some letters however must be missing still. I
wonder if any of them got drowned. Your letters 
are dear sweet lovey things Katie & I love to get
them & you are a darling to love me so good
as you do. I am not a General yet Katie love
but I expect they will soon make me one
I love you dear & wee Sweet pet wife. God bless & keep
you. Millions of love & Kisses to you & the
dear darling wee pets & Baaby & Nana
You are the best & loviest & sweetest
people in all the world. Give my 
love to Nana particularly. I know she will
be delighted with my promotion & 
about Jack's chance coming along also
Bye dear sweetest with all love from
Dida Don
[* Omit *]
 

Egypt
1^st Mar 1916
My dearest Katie,
Here I have got my new
Commands down here with the old 7^th But
a hitch has taken place. The General ^General Smythe
who had charge of this Brigade before me
was going to get a new Division & be
Major General. This has fallen through
& he has asked for his old job to which
he is entitled. So I am getting the Sack
I may go back to the 7^th for a bit but
it is very uncertain. They are practically
certain to give me the very next job
of the Kind that is going as I think I
have done pretty well until this one although
so short a time has elapsed since I took
over. There is not much news to tell you
Katie love. You saw I suppose that my
name was in Sir Ian Hamilton's latest
despatches. I expect this will mean a medal
or order or something of the Kind at the end of
the war ^or before. By the way Katie do you think
you can manage to get me a post
card photo of the presentation of the
Colors at Essendon. There was one
I want to show one English officer
here. It is a beautiful straight
line. I never saw a better "dressed" 
 

Egypt
1^st March 1916
Dear little laddie,
Here is a postcard that was sent to
Dida the other day with black ladies playing
music & one had a black veil on with a gold ornament
on her nose that looks so funny. All the women ^here wear
them. When they cannot afford ^real gold ones which
cost about £5 they wear brass ^ones They are ^really very thin
tubes with a sort of raised frill round the middle of 
them. They arent pretty to my mind or I would
have bought one for mum. Some day I will
try to buy a watch with the figures in the dial
in Arabic figures which are quite different to
ours now although ours were originally got from
them. The laddie would like that wouldn't he ?
I hope my little laddie has been a good boy & nice
& loving to dear old mum who is sad because
“Dida” is ^far away but the laddie cheers her up good
And dear mum tells "Dida" what a good brave little
laddie he has been. Goodbye now dear little
Chap. Give Mum a big love & Kiss for Dida.
& tell mum that Dida loves her more & more
every day. Give Dear a tish too. Ask her
if she will have a Dida Kiss or a wee
Bookie Kiss from Dida.
Heaps of Kisses & loves from Dida 
 

“28”
Egypt
8^th March 1916
My dearest Katie,
I have been neglecting you
for a week but I have been very 
busy at my new job. I took the 1^st
Brigade down to where the 2^nd Brigade
was. Then I was transferred up here
to command the new 15^th Brigade. I
was delighted at this because it
means I have Major Layh & all the
other 7^th Boys who were sent 
over to the 59^th Battn under my
Command again. I have the
57^th, 58^th, 59^th, & 60^th Battalions all
Victorians & all old 2^nd Brigade
men. We will all have to work 
very hard to Knock things into shape
but I love the work with my own
men. I was very sad when I was
with the New South Wales men
in the 1^st Brigade. I have been promoted
also to Full Colonel if you please
So dear old lady my address
will be (& I hope it will not change
any more) will be Col H. E. Elliott
O.C. 15^th Bgde ^Brigade A.I.F.
 

2-
I do hope I will be able to lead &
look after the boys as I should
Bob Smith at present is very
displeased with things. They
put someone ^Norris in over his head & 
Bob was scandalous ^very disagreeable
to him & he had to leave because
he could not get on with the officers
Then Bob got some one put
in over his other officers because
they were not good enough in his
opinion. Now they are all angry
with Bob & want to leave him &
he wont let them. I don’t quite
Know how it will end but I
will try to get him over to command
the 60^th Bn & then I will smoothe
things over. No one can handle
Bob as I can.
Katie you were quite right
about Forsyth. After all I have
done or tried to do he served me
a very mean selfish trick & I am
not pleased with him any more
I will pay more respect to your
judgment in future. [* Omitt *]
Now Darling I must Stop. Bob
would not let Jack transfer over
to me but promised me he would
give him a Commission in
his own Regiment So that will
be all right. It is mighty queer however
he only decided to help him along
when I wanted to do so
Bye darling Millions love & Kisses from
Dida Don
 

[* P.S. I am enclosing you a letter I got
from General White & ^a copy of my reply
to him. I was pretty sorty
when I wrote as you can see
Keep them for me. *]
Egypt
20^th March 1916
My own dearest one,
I got my mail just
this minute. There was a
letter from you & one from Nana
& a wee one from Baaby & a wee
one from Jack Campbell which
I enclose. You will be delighted
that Jack is an officer now
You will see what his new
address is. The M. Gun Company
is a new formation attached 
to each Brigade as the ^no of guns are
much such increased. We will
have a better chance against
the enemy now. It was their
machine guns that settled us
in Gallipoli in the early days 
 

2
I am so delighted darling
to hear you are really & truly
getting better & fatter. What
do you think about having
a little trip to Tassy yourself
one of these days. Baaby
would send your letters
on. You’re a cheeky brat for
what you said in your
letter about Lyn & her being
not so well a few weeks ago
It would be a joke wouldnt it
for the wee pets to have a little
Cousin happen along wouldn’t
Gagy be pleased. She’d want
to have it to nurse all the time
I suppose poor dear wee Kid [* Omit *]
There is nothing much in
the way of news. It looks 
 

[* D.R.L. 3297  (3 vols.) *]
(3)
as if I had missed one of your letters somehow
I suppose it was sent on to the 1^st Brigade or something
of the Kind. Anyhow the last I got was 24^th January
or thereabouts & this one was 8 Feb. &or nearly a fortnight later.
I got Charlie transferred to the 59^th Battalion & sent his
name on for a Commission. I had arranged for him
to attend a School of Instruction starting
today but he was laid aside by an attack of
sciatica. I am afraid he is not really
strong enough to stand campaigning. I have
given young Bob. Johnston his Commission also
I hope he has better luck than poor old Jimmy
had. General M^cCay arrives today at Suez so he
will be up here tomorrow or next day. He is
to Command the 5^th Division so there will be
some more slaughter I suppose. The opinion all the
men have of M^cCay is that alt he is personally very brave
but utterly selfish & he would cheerfully sacrifice
thousands of lives to get his name into the paper
but I am by no means sure this is right 
 

[* D.R.L. 3297 (3 vols.)
(4)
It is strange ^of couse how the desire to be famous obsesses
some men like this. I think ^possibly he imagines that
if he gets a great name he will be able to get back
into Parliament again but I doubt it very
much. He is not a bit popular. ^somewhere with either officers
or men & he will find his mistake out some day.
Bob Smith is Lieut Col now. He will be pleased
He felt very sore at being passed over before. I had
a good deal to do with getting him the Step. just as
in regard to Jack. I applied for him for my
brigade & they woke up in each case ^to the fact that they
would lose a very good man & so had to give
them a rise in very justice after refusing to part
with them. Katie dearie I’se very lonely for you my
dear little wifelet. I love you so much. Little sweet lady
Wont you come & sit on Knee Knee dear darling pet
& cuddle close up to your old man & Kiss me & tell me you
love me & want to have me always with you & never go to any