Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, July - October 1916 - Part 5

France

1/8/16

My dearest Katie,

What do you think

two lovely long letters from you today & one

from Baaby & one from Lyn. One of yours

is dated the 12^th June & should have reached

me some days ago with Baabys other letter

One is dated 18^th June just before my birthday

Mellin thanks for "turns" dearie. I am glad

to hear Dr Gutteridge is better. He is a

splendid chap like all my old boys. It

is terrible to think how they are all going.

I had some splendid fellows in my new

Brigade & most of the best of them are gone

too now. Poor old Geoff was very good & loyal

to me always. I am so glad we were able

to get his body in & give it decent burial

it will comfort his people. It is dreadful

to look out now on no mans land between

the line & see the distorted & swollen bodies

of the hundreds we have not been able to get

in. It is not so shocking as Lone Pine

though because there the dead were actually

in the trenches with us & we could not get

them away. Here if we once get them into the

trenches we can soon get them away & buried

I had news of ^from London today that two of my
 

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officer boys died. They were 24 hours lying out

there before we could get them in & one poor

chap had a very great chum who was killed

near him. He knew he was hit but not that

he was dead & he kept worrying & worrying

& asking every one had "Jack" been brought in.

There were three boys that I appointed at Tel el Kebir 
all from the Union Bank. Wally Vaille

Jack Bowden & Andy Morrow. The were great pals

& were happy together. They all went out in

the charge together. Bowden was killed outright.

Morrow got a bullet through the face which smashed

his jaws face all up. He was a handsome boy

too & the Dr said it was merciful he died as

he would have been dreadfully disfigured for life.

Vaille was shot through both ankles & his

arm was all smashed up. Morrow died in the

Ambulance & Vaille got as far as Calais. it 

was the exposure & loss of blood that killed Morrow

^ him. Yet when they were carried in both were

so brave & bright, not a word of pain or complaint

& Vaille never seemed to think of himself but only of

"Jack" Bowden. He wanted him brought in but

in his bravery Jack Bowden had pushed

far out to the enemys trenches & in spite of
 

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many gallant efforts the boys could not get his

body in by night. The Germans keep their searchlight

& flares going & the place is almost as bright as day &

any movement they notice brings a hail of machine

gun bullets. We had about 30 men killed & wounded

getting others in but we got in between 300 & 400

who would otherwise have had a dreadful death.

I have recommended a lot of these brave boys

for rewards who risked their own lives to get

others out of pain but I suppose few if any of them

will get anything while xxxx xxxx ^some tho one

you mention are made Commandants & so on.

I don't "check" ^the General's any more Katie. It doesn't

pay but there is no knowing what I will do if they stir me

up too much. I suppose I make a geck of myself when

I get so angry just like I was at a certain football match.

I wonder can my dear little gentle lady understand how

scandalous  'fended I get with anything like that. She

must try to forgive & teach me to control my temper.

You tell Mr Henderson that I have given up swearing

now. Perhaps if we ever get on the march again

I will have to break out again but hope not. I

would pass for a Sunday School teacher anywhere

at present. So you see I don't swear because I like

it but only when I have to - to get things done
 

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Little Bob Johnston is nothing like the officer Jimmy

was. I never had the training of him as I had Jimmy

but the laddie is a good trier & will eventually be all

right I think. I sorted him up in the trenches yesterday

for not doing things right I wish I hadn't him. I tried

to dodge taking him before. I hate to send him out

into danger after Jimmy's loss. I say that was pretty

hot Mrs Leighton wanting you to pay the postage 

on all that lot of stuff & useless at that of 

course I will see to the distribution all

right if it comes to hand but we are not much

troubled with vermin here because when they

are out of trenches the men live in houses others

in a big factory place turned into a huge bath

where thousands of them get a hot bath & clean

underclothing leaving their own in exchange which

is washed & ironed & mended & they get it next

time or if they dont come some one else gets it

I had a letter from Violet a couple of days ago. She

is staying at Miss Edwards place in Wales & is apparently

quite happy playing tennis etc etc. What dear wee

innocent mites those bairnies are Katie. I'm afraid

you wont be able to keep them as very long when

they have to go to school the poor dear pets but then

if they did not lean they would get into dreadful
(See Back Page 1

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trouble when they went into the world to battle

for themselves. What do you think of Essendon

as a place to live. I had a letter from Mr Goldsworthy

some time ago suggesting that I should come

to live at Essendon after the war. Perhaps if

you saw him he could tell you of the best place 

out there to live. My ankle is just a trifle weak

still but nothing to worry about at all. Don't 

you worry about me not seeing your wee home. I was

looking forward to it but you will take the name 

plate with you & my "Nirvana" - my place of Rest, my

Heaven" will always be by your side. It would only

please me if my Katie was happy there with me.

Perhaps you will find an equally nice place to live

in in Essendon - but just please yourself dearie. It

would be nice for the bairnies to be near the sea but Elwood

was always considered very damp. Brighton was where Bob

Smith lives would be better. I don't know whether the

Kiddies at Essendon would be much nicer than Northcote

They would be better at Elsternwick Rippon Lea or thereabouts

or Camberwell Kew & so on on the other lines. I bet you wont play

any tricks upon me with the laddie. He'd just say

here I am Daddy & that would beat you: Minnie

Uncles Roberts daughter is to be wedded on the 8^th Aug

& they wrote over & wanted me to give Charlie leave to go
[*See back of P.C.*]
 

(6)

over for the wedding but that is quite impossible. They

had a lot of casualties in the Machine Gun

Coy where he is & are very shorthanded just 

now. Miss Rogers was very good to think of me

I am glad you saw Dunstan's presentation. He is

a very nice boy. Only about 20 years old I think.

Do you know if he was quite recovered. It was thought

he would be blind. Oh wasn't I a grant ^am sorry I forgot to give

your address to Mrs Barton. She wrote to me to ask for

the address. I sent it to him some time back. The old

Brigade have been fighting very bravely at Pozieres & I 

am dreading to see the casualty lists for

fear they have some of my old boys in as they

are almost certain to do. Did I tell you
General Plumer called to see me the day before
yesterday & was very nice & complimentary to my
poor boys. He is very white now to what he was in
Africa. Has a bright red face as rosy as can
be & snow white moustache & hair but has
not otherwise changed. I got the photo all right
dearie. It came before the letter. Katie if you have
no more of the other one I like you must
go to Sears at once & get some & one must be put
away in the bottom drawer for me when I come I home.
Now don't you rest a minute till you get it. Do you
mean to tell me that you have given them all away &
 

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kept not one for ourselves. I love that photo 
dear little pet clinging & you like little possums
Don't risk sending it to me! Cause it might 
get lost but have a frame put upon it
& I will have it in my office when I get back
always & I will leave it to the laddie I like
the posture of the important little man he is in
the me I've got now but I like the other one of Egypt
of you letter. It is just like you were when I first
knew you my own dear Sunshine lady - the best &
dearest girlie in all the world who just gave up
everything for me. I am dickless proud of her &
that picture just brings out your dear sweet
loving nature. It is just yourself my own dear
pet so just be sure to have one for me &
you might keep one for yourself because little
Gagy will want one for herself one day the
dear wee pet. Bye now dear old lovey sweet
Katie & God bless & keep you & the dear
wee pets always ever for theirs Dida Don
P.S. Nothing much has happened since I last wrote. We
each bombard east of their lines & today the old
Borche was dropping some big howitzer shells about
100 yards away frm this house. He was trying to hit one

of our Batteries which is a little further back but did not 
succeed
[*OMIT*]

France
31/7/16
Dear wee Laddie,
Some of my soldiers in Egypt thought
they would like to ride camels & fight like
that yrs so they joined the Camel Corps &
were left over there when we came away
They go away out in the Desert &
keep the old black Arabs quiet. One
of them sent me his picture taken with
all the others on their camels &
I am sending it out to you. Aren't these
nice camels, not like the usual
ugly old ones but groomed & fattened till
they are all sleek & glossy. They This sort of camel can
gallop very fast about
10 miles an hour lots faster than our tram
cars & could run all the way up to
Uncle Rory's place & past it in one
day & they can go for days & days without
a drop of water but they dont like it
much & like to get a drink every three
days
Goodbye dear little laddie & look after
dear Mum good for Dida until he comes home
Bye now Mum & Gagy & Dear Nan & wee laddie
With tishes from Dida for all of you
P.T.O.
 

P.S. I sent you two picture
books from here. I hope
you got them all right dear
wee boy
 

France
13/8/16
Dear old Katie,
I was in luck today. I got
a big fat long letter from you & one from Dear Belle
telling me that your silks arrived on
your birthday. Wasn't that just lovely splendid,
But for some reason you still addressed
my letter Col - instead of my new rank although you
had just got the letter telling you of my promotion.
It was lovely that the presents arrived again
upon your birthday. I hope you & Baaby Belle
were not disappointed that the Black
silk didn't turn up for you & her. Mrs
Milne got the Shawl at another place & cheaper
than the first people wanted to charge her but
she got them to put it in the same package
I do hope your hearing gets all right darling again.
With regard to the Depot for the 15^th Brigade
I have consulted my officers regarding it &
they seem to favor the idea. I think
perhaps Mrs Duigan would help you a
lot. All my boys are Victorian
& only one Battalion the 29^th of Tivey's
Brigade are Victorians so you could
probably get much more support