Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, July - October 1916 - Part 12

we came here first we had only to fire one
mortar into his lines to get the regular of
Salvo from all his guns about the place.
I think he has moved a lot of his heavier
guns away to the Somme front & most
of his ammunition also.  I was
interested to hear of Ine & her man
I may see him sometime. Col Layh is away in      
England on leave. Duigan, Stewart, & Linton are
all well. I have Major Normon Marshall with
me too. He is a son of Dr Marshall of terts
Church and a fine boy too. I knew thru of his
brothers in Ormond.  I am sorry indeed to
miss the Barnies growing up. But just hope you will

give me another some day. I specs it would be

dreadfully spoilt though wouldn't it. Being

the weeest with I'm grown up ones to love it so

much. I am sorry to hear poor Nana is so bad

with her rheumatism. Mother was also suffering

from it quite a lot when last I heard from 

Toke Tocumwal. It is a weary while that I've been away

dearie. But I love you & the wee ones just as 

much as ever & I want this silly old war

to end right away so I can see you all again.

Geordie said we had seen Violet & Johnny

Avery in London the other day & that

 

Johnny was now back at duty. Spect there'll

be xxx dearie's not in the way after that. Old

Andrew Fisher came to see me yesterday.

I'm blessed if I know why. He wouldn't

come up into the front line. He seems a

conceited old chap. Genl General

Birdwood was with him. The latter

congratulated me again on the St Anne

order & said he hoped he would

have all the Australians together again

before long. He told Col Phillips of our

Artillery (who have made very

comfortable Winter quarters for themselves)

that we would not be here for the Winter at

all. Probably he expects that the Germans

will be compelled to retire before Xmas.

We have had quite an unusual spell of

fine clear weather since Saturday (today
 is Wednesday) but already there are signs of a

change to wet weather. it is a great

pity as the wet ground always delays

our operations on the Somme. My dear

old Katie love. I wish you were in England

waiting for me to come over tomorrow. Wouldn't

we be just counting the hours until then.

 

Well dear old girl I haven't much news
to tell you I'm afraid but it is better so

isn't it than that I should have to

tell you of my boys being killed & wounded.

Of course a few get hurt still. One was

struck down by a piece of shell quite near

me this morning. They were spreading

earth over the blood where he fell as I went

by. I have got the boys pretty well educated

now into cleanliness. The lines are a

picture of neatness. I enclose a cutting from

a paper that they say is Dida oneself coming round

on his my inspection each morning about 7.a.m.

Notice the man getting "sorted" for leaving an
empty jam tin round the place. The rats are

terrible. They have complete possession of the

trenches. We are now making iron safes to keep

the food from these pests. Bye now dear

old sunshine lady. Keep Shining & bright for

me won't you darling. Millions of love

& kisses to you & the pets from your

very own Dida Don.
 

LONDON, 2^nd Oct 1916

My dearest Kit

Just a little wee

note this time to tell you

I am over in England on

a week's leave. Capt Hewitt

one of my officers who was

badly wounded is leaving

for Australia Shortly

I have asked him to call

& see you. He is a very

fine fellow. I got him the

Military Cross I am glad

to say. His lady love is a

nurse. She is over in France

& he has to go back now

to Australia without her.

It is hard luck.

He is also going to call & 

see poor Mrs Liddelow

[*P.T.O.*]
 

2

He Liddelow was Killed - there is now no

doubt at all - although

as we did not get his body

in he is still shown as

missing but we have very definite

evidence that he was blown

up by a shell & died not

more afterwards. I spent

last night & the night

before down at the Buckley's

It was lovely down there.

I got my clothes all right

from Cooks. I did not see

Geordie who has gone to France

& is in Bologne. I saw

Violet the night I arrived

She looks splendid but is

much thinner than I

expected. Says she has

lost 2 stone. She has not

altered a bit all these

years that I have not

 

- 3 -

seen her. My cousin

Charlie is now on leave

at his own home so that

they ought to be happy there

at last but are not for

I hear he wants to get

wed & his people don't

want him to do so for

he has nothing but his pay

& no real position to

take a wife to. This sister 

Izzie wanted me to talk to

him & advise him not to
do it, but I didn't. He

must just please himself

He is 26 now & I don't

propose to interfere with them

in that way. But he
 

- 4 -
must do his work.

I propose to go down

to Salisbury Plain & see

my Training Depot &

find out how things are

going over there.

Bye now dear old sweet

love. God bless & keep

you & my own dear darling

pets for ever

Your very own

Dida Don.

 

France 

11/10/16

My dearest Wifelet,

I arrived back here

two days ago & found two little letters

from you dated the 15^th Aug & 13^th Aug

respectively. There were the ones that I

missed getting before & explained

about Mr Gilper wanting Baaby Belle

to go to Warrnambool for him & of

course made plain what I could

not understand before viz Baaby's Belle's

absence which you had mentioned

in the last letter I got before leaving

England. Today I got another dear

letter from you dated the 21^st August

telling me about Baaby Belle having to stop

longer than she expected & how sad

Gagy Dhurach & the Laddie were about it. What

dear little loving pets they both are

Katie. I am afraid their poor little

hearts will suffer many pangs in this

wicked old world. But it is lovely

to have such sweet darlings for our

very own bairnies is not it Everyone

 

is in love with the photo of the laddie

in his pyjamas & tarhish & Gagy Dhurach in the

Shawl. Gagy Dhurach has such a merry smile

in that one, it is quite unusual

for her, she looks such a little staid

person in most of them. Did I tell

you about my trip to England. On

arrival there on the Friday I went to

see Violet & ordered some new clothes

Their dreariness of them was just something dreadful

awful. I'll send you the Bill but I

was looking a bit dilapidated as except

some shirts I've not bought anything

since I was last in England 12 months

ago. Underclothing is scarce & one suit

they could not give me at all but promised

to send it after me. it is lovely warm

stuff the same as I got last year. The

latter is quite good but has shrunk

a great deal so that I was not comfortable

in it mainly because the people who

wash our clothes don't wash them in

the right way. They are the sort of

Jaeger we get at home but even softer & nicer

 

 

to wear. The Cap was the knockout for cost.

It has two broad bands of Gold Oak leaves

on the peak. On Saturday I went

down to see the Buckleys at Relingan

& they made me stop until

Monday. Then on Monday I visited

some of my wounded boys & got my

clothes. I tried to find Bert Layh

but he was having a good time & I

did not catch him. He is back

here now looking the picture of

health. I missed seeing Mrs

Duigan again. She had gone out

to Harrow to stay with relatives.

She will be dreadfully disappointed

I promised to send Harry over as

soon as I got back but now all

leave is stopped again. It means

more fighting I suppose. We have

got a good lot of reinforcements

recently. Capt Gulls & Lt Scanlen are

coming along in a day or two also.

Well on Tuesday I went down to 

Salisbury Plain at a place called