Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, July - October 1916 - Part 7

namell putherland carred in a captured
machine gou all th way acrow no wan lavd      
your live wher he larded it in tar
opeer without saying a worle be ron
back to pick if a wounded nor lyn,
out there & was instantly killed
Another man th r the day was in the pont
trench when a stell but the front parsper
& explided. He seened tget suct a fright
that he junped up & rar outred thid
the trench. Had he stoppey when he was
be would have been perfectly safe but he rai
directly under a huge falling piece of the Shell
which crusted his head like an egg well
Killing him instantly. I seems very lord
that wer like poor Geoff Mc Crae & Leddelan
have to come back againt again the bit
until they are killed at last while others
stayat home loasing.
I got a pieceof my coursn Minnie
tredding cake. They was wved or the 3d
of the month. In my last letterI told
you Igotaparee from Mis Rogers late
980 a litterfrom her letter ve she lad
 

given you the rock aput in to th other
thin must tanten from you, you dear
old ting & I didnt know Willi poyue
dearest pet forthen. Yesterday got another
parcel with some very nice papert invelopes
which I am nongnow. By thwriting the
Bell
careful way it we cropped up I think Ba
musthave rent it although ther i
rase
ht
nothing writter upon it hut be suill owe he
a page for that too. Charlie has just ben wad
Lieut. I believe his mother is tembly
a
worried about him. I was speaking to
friend of Geoff M. Crae yesterday We said
he though th news would just about kill
Geoff Puster as whe thought the
world of him & they were great mates
Well darling Katio, I think the is all
f you thow th h bracs the cultirg I sent
Castlest it will give them arideawher
seoff is buried. They can find it out through the
official recolds also but we are not allowed
to albut present where we are. Whe is put
a bitt wooder cross uf now with a ling
Aluminuan same plate on it. I hope t got
 

4
 

a letter me put u, but we are not
allowed to put up a proper tombstone
yet as the Wello constontly destr,
them. The little mes are eanly restored
stock of then is kept & a couple of men told
off t kee the grate meely under the crones renend
until the end of the war when more permanent menorial
may be erected. Every day there cemetires
gow beggn thgger
well dear old nreetheort ant you come & rt
ton I thenk I wnt tar apal
on
in all th world exceptyon othe me pets see
my dear old offcer are gradually getting
killed & than who turn out Spiriite
I have no manner of use for So il
want you t lore me very very much
some of my younge boys are turning out enchalty
A bry named yurry one of my latest mder
kifles officiers cane over as a private. The ir
now a captain & doing pplended workin clauge
of a French Mortac Battery. Lebe Bastern beha
a real genis for woldiering. I only hope they
foth nervive the nar. Wethent love
tea

c
me lan alnp that
Weet lra tis jast it nceste b
meence ust yue lore m good to that you aee hillpeay you
Haid fr me tofar as I can see your old nor
 

Pagss 142 smetted
France
228:16.
to tive. I wont be doing any more soldiering
I think that will lat me out as it
in &or
used t do. Of course I have ben paid
back a hundred gold for the pains I spent
on theboy. It was made all the differenc
but I dont think I could go back tre
all again. If only some of them the Hendam
McClac & me or twoo more could have come
through it all right but it is terribl
to have the good mes go oe after ano thisg
not no any peally goot me yet in
right. I wish to gack rome day ago but
have not yot had any reply. Tell vana
we have no Preobyterion Waplain
We lave a mithodest nawed Browley.
from New Sorb Woles. A Churct of Eegland
Chaplain hawed Hatt ar Englestwa
but who was i lydney for some year
before thewar. Another church of England
parm namea Welliom a Ballardt
mar & finally ar R.C. Ctaplan
named Setbert wh did fert gale
the day of the fight terding the Evonded
& dhie without any regard to hern
roofeteg at all. Ins please youing
 

about the Depot deatre Perhaps Murs Sayan
a representing you would reen it for
you but I dontt if the is much struges
than you deaic the had a bad time fo
alfog time after her last buty. hear little
trme lady That is truly you place & y
make it just tholightest happiest place in
all the wrild. W will always be Nerror
tplace of rest from manner dear wher
you may be my onliest mreethears. I ro
never met Mrs Leightor &for wlatyou
tell me dont want b the must be a fearrine
so speas a Bsan tat
Lody
tll rand the gum are poaring
a booming without a moments paise. There
I am jurt utting & writing. It is wawellus
how use accustomes one to the rot ofthing.
The Loys are making head way with th girlo jeer
as if we were in Northerl or anywhere & yot
any minute a shell might just disfin
lot & no one seems teare very much of course
when a war, like pror self goes ire areall
Very and but there is no much to te that
one has littletime I dwell upon it except
for a few minutes sell Mor Hender I
 

got an envelope from him with a lop of newspoper
cuttirgs about promotions but no letter with is
I am wondering if he left it ont by mistake
I look as if you would have tgid
conscription in they to make up frall
our loves here. There is rome rumor that
the ls known will have to rend usa
lot of thee mer for reenporcements. I
AN24
wonder did you get the Mac Book. I son
heard yom unte for me time
I told you aboust our littlefight on the 19th
didn't I when fifty your men stoteverint
the Sernan live & captured nuching
Fur from them but tro of the ofpece with
then were killed as well as 6 others +
Iwourded. The General was very pleased
Belle
Wt Nubltte Joo. Tell Baaby tothers
was a spirick of a letter & I went annue
it for a long whilet nrre hew the litte me
thenee laddie is getting more like ar Hlten
day & that t wee lady io very like mepartientantly
Her eyes. Now what dryo thent katie. I am
wordering of Thurck will knowm or thas
photo which was taken of me backn
the first Fridt Villar we comped or
 

I is met a musan not being alle to
tell you when we are or and you
jucture porteard of the places ware
at Bno I suppos it is all done for
the best. There is a runor that we will
be taken out of the Frenches he a ppell
in about a fortnights tem. Col Suigar
& Lagh are bott well & happy. I an glad
I was able to help themwolh I it is
lanly tlave then. I am not too wre
of Denehy I mot I could have kept
Geoff of had bot truith. Ther I would
sare her perfectly Cappy. But he will
no donbt do qunts will wortly.
this is all thnews darling pett welting
of love o kind for you ottenee Barrnce
por gout goueyon Vitta Dor
Fore to Mara & Woraby
 

lor
 

France
26/8/16
My dearest Kates
I feel very lonely for you triay
for some reason or another It a dl
while snce I war myfet Wuldn't it belovely
if I could hap or an acroplane or something
I sail right away out to you. hear tutle
meetheart pal Herens you a loving samg little
geil t pay off all that money. But you must
be careful not to rtent yourself of ther you
really need Remember I need you most of
every thing if you go short of clothesr
proper food fo your dear old self I might
fin any dear old pat oher Icrme honeo that
would be woist of all the me thought that
shapes itself in my mend now as the happier
country
of all is that of a holiday in Byo
where everything is quiet I kate& I are
walking along holding suct others Land
& letting cut other all the news. To do you
to mne & be there or Heda would be very very
had. Yesterday by way of a change from the Zunches
I had a motor car try about 50 miles back
into the country. It was lovely toget away for
a little. We went over really to recan
ary school when this are training romn of our
 

boys toke ypus is place of than killed. It
is an ancient monastery which the Government
closed about 15 years ago. It has alovely
sitication right or to of a hill with
losly wood all round. The boys go there
for a months training othey all appeart
enjoy it very much indeed I told you
in my last letter about the ling vesiting
uo. I now enclose mne necspape
cutting of him. the ne where he is smiling
is very like him. He is going grey
slightly in his Beard. In the other
petinte is starding alongsid senl
Mclay watching amme of one boy
practicing advancing up a trenat. Yow
car tell the Prince of Wales also by his light
colored breeches. Now ree if you can find
Hiita. When you wis you old mon you never
expected to me t picture with the kindid you.
It a given world deart lore But nere mind I ha
Katies lave thatobertof all If I have anyluck
at all I ought tget a decoration of wom kind out of theis
last fight of onry I wear the big one on the 19th July not the
butts card oth9 By although enryme was satupen
with warrargement in the also. Will I leavns
 

something from tho last also which I hope
will amst theloys if we have to carry out
another one.
th
Hnd to stop for three of your houro
to ask me tgo
Kit. Finl McCay came pound with
him round the trenches. He has just
gove have again. He told me he had
recommended me for a joreign decoratin
but 1 course didnt know if I would
gett it. He didn't say what it was
I expect it will be M French Legion
of Honor of oe grade or another
I'm just telling you is you gont be
prised like of it cimes of but you
needn's my anything Danyore hit
Belle about it in case rome re aloe
meaks in ahead of me like they did
before. and as In got used tthis
it irnnt disappoint me any
know com to my deat wefelit
& Bairs lose. They are just tho best
deart thing in all the world, I saw in
todays paper that a lot of ladies who were
in a hurry to get wed again after their men
then reported the kifled in the war