Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, July - October 1916 - Part 1

France         3/7/16
My dearest Katie,
Here we have bee a week in
France & no chance to send a letter yet
We have thave a new censor here
it is so much more strict than in

Egypt & he is 

 

oorOOOT

also
twho
a miss their name is Bris
is about 20 years old. She is wuch - quite    
little monoe quit different from your
edea of the frend girl might be - I must
may the is different to wary other I see
abont uts are giit as ready as a
I ever rais to dlace the boys but she is
Very my. I think the must be very
and of her brother & father because the
seens ro rad looking at limes Perhop
with this Verden Bactlo going or talways
hearing the round of the guns the cannot get
the Edea out of her mind that any moment
they may be cashed to preces. I like her all the
better for beng that way Perhaps she has a young
war away at the war to. I asked her one
day H she said you she hadn't but the
only french word I know for wweethear
mear an engaged weetheart murhs has been
betrotted as they call it & josnally ergaged
given the ringt ro or but the may
have a best boy all the some nayis
the Her oun brother I father are very yood
They write rearly every day & that is agreat
bering t them. There is a bother doughter
a gill about 13 or 14 who will le very very
 

COOO
pretty when the grows up. She is very
Very fair with eavy han thre cyes & very
clear pink skir Went door there isa
wee tiny dot of a girlie about 2 years
old & the also is nect a dear little was
wayy
doll of a gerlie with yau bai & bg blue eyes
I saw her this morning in a church.
arid
Set
proceision & the in nicelyto begged
up to white with ucbo i her hair & afternard
her muny brough her in to rplace I
whn I gave her a frane the sat or my kneet
when her mother tolaher the gave we a Rios
& said "Merce monsieur which means Thank you
tir a nct a dear little taby voice like a little
have
gvey hird. I wiok I could shown her to you
he was like & little girlie in a picture we sen
somewhere. The weather at present is perfect
awind
& the country is smithing glorious so
wonderfully fertite & the people are very king
&once think some of the Erglish poldiers
very
who came here were not once. I ann they
secred t think all frincl Buts & women
Brummer. At any rate when we were
placing themer in the different honres
was always very careful t tell then that
if the mer ever annoyed then in the
 

rOO
4
leare to come & tell me at once & I would
frimust then very necrely & one lady
nearly cried & said thank you very very
much indeed. She is the wife of the schoolmarle
in the village & has hathera tee house. Her
hustand go away at the erah & she rened had
to have t take the men into her house & quia
brightened up after I spoke to her. It is mondful
nows rome of the girle have leavned to speak Eglt
morth there who are fond of the coldiers
& walk with then or are sering in the shops
sl
They speak splendidly-but little lady
tere knows hardly a word of boglish. I have
tried Dpermade her to try out the reems
too my or mnething + I dont like to reem-
worry her by arking her again. I have persuaded
her mother to try godwe can get alongguie
we
nd I will my fote French & the with
Tarling
her broker English. You would die thear
us but wo can manage to get hold of
nearly every word of east others meaning
but rometime we get stuck & we lave
to get out the family dectinary to find
out wbat the other is talking about
There is another rather pretty girl hin
Her father is mayor of Ch Vellage & they had
 

booooool
have a bautiful houre. She has a wondeful
collection of troptics thells sords Fernon
officers belnets etc sent ther by ypar
who were quartered here from time to time
I think she
ther nentor to th Gront
must te
io a bit of a flist myself. The writeseny
week to a lapt Haltors a new South Wales
Officer a nephew of General Holmes who was
here awhle ladk but is now in the Grende
the has a nice complection without much
color but is pretty fat. She has however
Very pretty teeth & a rather nice smile
which whe knows how to unh roas
to show her pretty teeth. I showed ber my
plotos &f she says the will take me fone
to rend tyou & the is going to akk a
friend of theie an English coomar who
has harned a Frenchman and lives nearh
to come & have lunch at thew place
with me. - most important persor me
now Hate- Le General de Brigade - they
call me or then French, my account
I forgot ttell
would not be completd if
madame the lady who keeps the
you of
Villte Gotameret or Pisb. W you'd die
with langoi
of you heard her. the must have benn
 

y pretty in her youth & is will very
nece looking - the root of womer mrs
whu
Malcoen might al be about 40 years
old. Woderfully energotic & mhove
al the t
Worker & talks, about 16t tho dozer
Very clear & neat a muling alway.
cid just like the old hcolet ware
anounte
Ihith womer the rays themost
things to you as of they were nothing at
all. She has your children. The said
that g was quite enough het as the
German have killed io many the
suppooes shell have to rtaik ogac
after the war t make up a few
We had our meals there for a few days
lefore w settled when we weregoing to stop.
She had a look at me (I am fatasen
now) & said to the Interpretes. Wouldn's
we (prenting to we khind my back & heney
make a fine pair in ld together & she
wared her hand up & down to show how
the bed would go.
He told me what she said when she
went out & other I saw her vestt
I told the interpreted to say I was very
perded at what she had said about
 

me. He raid th me she had nid no
ich then. Thy in English. Ther she
rounded or him is frenc ot cnjunn
to watet her. She told him she couldng
ray a thing thin beet
murt
To
Your tongues sun loma hill dyn meaged
& flather all round the Village, it jew
days afterwards our paums arrived I
sent then over t have then dinner there. the
spotted they wire paroous & tried to take a uix
out of then is she didn't let o the knew
but fond ot that they knew Frendh & bit
After talking a bt she pugled her chai
up by me of them & asked him didn's the
think the had a very five figure &
asked him t feel how hard she was. The
had previously fixed up for rome of thoother
officer the able to look theougha little
window o see the fion.
is
There another trick of a girl - who
care to get a permit to sell t chicolato
to the boyes. We didn't isnt to give it toher
but the legged for it. She wanted the money bade
the said because English Rapitar had
left her a sonvenir & pointed therself
brorgh they was a buinice upon the wray
is we gave bee the pass & the tell all the
boys they must buy clocolate from her bcause
 

the Erglish Kapitar's ronvener & i spited
it all we seems buight & happy & theboys
seem to like her & treat her just as nicely
we
as if she the best. I am very pleased
because I think some of thes girls have bee
hadly used. One I heard about (& that is the penny
thing the good ladies here are the same as at
home & like care everybody hears of them)
a very nice pretty young lady & was going t
marry on Eighst leeuterant heve & it turned
out he was morried already in England & now
she has a e baby boy for a convenie &
no husband at all. The Interpretes man
rays that the Indians when they were here
learned to speak Eglish Very well indeed
some of them very very handsme five looking me
& the girls were quite farcirated & he rays he
knows Fillage where there are now five little
Indians -through guts bengfoolin & Brady.
We expect to go, into the trenches Very hor
now to relieve some of the fews Denoion
& perhaps we may nee jack or mone of the
others pretty yson.
Fric Walker came to see me yesterday
He is looking very well. I am going to
try if I can five him with a communsess
 

t
He seem very difficlent & why about taking
a commitsion just like poor ken way
was. He sid he would like the in a
fight just to ree how he felt 1y he
would be all right bfore takeng it in
It told him not Dnrry we all gelt piel
much seared when a whapping bry shell
goes borg in your las & masked men up
Gere Hidas fore lack again & the dear wee
laddie& lettler beda was pleased wt hir
little mersage thathe wroton the letter
I san in the Punch a an account of Henry Clarkon
widding. Do you ever ree You Petman now.
He should be over here the Speriik. He could
eanly get thea officir I had a letter
from Violet the is well & is a nurreata
Hospital to fel her time until johny geto
leave, the met on courn Mrs Edwards
another courin Mrs Carter that I went to
ree while at Weymouth is very sad poor lady
Her elders son who was a pleatuanc in thonary
was with Admiral Sir Robert Arbuthnor or the
craw Mhy Defence" in the north bea Baitle
They fought the my wonderfully beavely
but wver blown to pieces & the theg +
everybody on board of her wend doin
togethed not a donl
raicd but they
beig
 

made the Germans pay the pill piece
He left a wife & three littte children one.
whom had just arrived & in just me or two
dais (he had got leave) he was coming home
tm
to see the wee pet His mother & brother who
came home frow India or leave went as by
the tran to Sdenburgh to meet him who
he should come ashort
&the poor things when
they got to Edinhergh
of the papers will
the news of the Battle & that the Defence
had gooe down. It was very had ws
it. I had a letter from Capt Baster. He is
Very will & wanted your address to rend to his
mother who want to call or you but basn
your address. It appear I forgot to put it
in my letter. Wasn'td a gawk. Well
dailerg
I must stoy now or Chilectere
go oan the evrlose at all.
Millios of love mises my dear old
darig pet fon Sida
H.S. Piolet & Mrs Edwards met at a
flower shw in Lndor by appointment
I had a good time together