Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, July - October 1916 - Part 8

                      4

& have got used again have fallen in the

soup as they ^they first [[?]] Corps have burned out to the 

prisoners in Germany. Many of these men

badly shot up & could give no proper 

account as to who they were & so 

lots of them were reported dead &

so the trouble happened to not you man

sure isn't you dearie before listening to

any other chorus or somebody wo will be

wanting my place. On our way back

^yesterday we called in at the Doctors place when

I was first billetted in France & they gave

me some snap shots of themselves for a

souvenir. The Dr & his son had been

home on leave but had gone away. However

the Doctor is now at a Hospital

quite near so you can guess they are well

pleased Well dearie pet I dont think

there is any more news, I have not had any

news yet from Jacky boy . But I expect

they have not much opportunity to write

letters down where they are. Millions

of love & kisses to you & the wee pets from

Dida Do.

                                                 France

                                                   27/8/16

My dearest love,

              I have just posted a letter to you

& here is ^a long the loveliest of letters letters came

from you to cheer one up when I was

feeling sad & homesick. Such a dear

old loving letter it was too. I am very

glad indeed that you told Deck Coster

not to publish that letter. I didn't think

he'd be gawk ^foolish enough to want to publish

it I'll just tell my dear old lady

in future. Jack Camlon was one of the best

of my old boys & I will be delighted to have

him back. He had a dreadful wound

too. There was a hole in his back you could

put your hand in. It is wonderful he is alive

at all. But I was disappointed about

Grills. He got a chance to go home&

grabbed it & was as pleased as ever

he could be to go. Poor old Geoff was much

worse than Grills & he was asked if he

would go home or rather he was told he

would have to go & he refused. I am

very sorry about your furs dear but

they have done good service & you must

let me get you some more some day

                                    2

It is all right about the pay dearie. It was

raised 7/6 & the Govt keep the odd surprise

& add it to my 1/6 a day deferred pay

which makes that 8/- a day & it should

amount to a good hit by the time I get home

I have not altered my allotment in your

favour yet. I draw 17/6 a day now

instead of 12/6 as I did before. I am

not spending it all though I have over

£30 saved up after paying for all the

pretty things I sent to you. While on the boat

& travelling about in France I had rather more expenses

than in Egypt & things are rather dearer here

as I made no charge. If you like I could

arrange for you to get another 2/6 a day or

3/-. It is rather a bit of bother to arrange

but it can be done. That is a splendid

indeed, Katie, for Geordie to bring my kit over

I wonder if I shall make use of the things

at all. I wonder what Geordie will find to do

but there will be plenty to do sure enough. Several

doctors have been killed in this last fighting.

I'm afraid Geordie might be a bit reckless

if he gets out in the field. He never thought

of saving himself when he was playing football

                                             France

                                                9/9/16

My dearest Katie,

                          Bob Smith came over to see 

me yesterday & I am glad to say neither

he nor Jack is a penny the worse for

all the fighting. That is lovely isn't it.

Strand that neither he nor Jack got the

letters I sent to them. I am go hoping

Jack gets leave to come over and see

me. They are only 20 miles away now.

It is pretty hot shop where they ae

though much worse than here. Here

all the country is a flat as a board &

we are just as good as old Fritz. [[?]]

to couple to four miles behind him he

has a long low ridge from which he must

get a pretty good view of our lines but

it is a long way to see & he doesn't get to know

much that way. Where Bob is now however

the Bosche has the top of the Hill & our people

are half way up so that the enemy

overlook them everywhere & straffes them

scandalous ^severely. As a consequence you can only

move round in due night time & then mostly

on your stomach. It is lovely to know Jack

is all right though isn't it. Also he is in

charge of their horses over there so will be

pretty safe as far as one can be safe in that

wretched place. I believe the old 7^th did great

work. Two were recommended for V.C's

and then was given the D.S.O. they have not

heard the result of that yet. They lost heavily

but I am glad to say not many of the

real old officers & it is two of these who

have been recommended.

There is not much else in the way of

news. I have had no letters for nearly a

fortnight now but are expecting a new

mail tomorrow.  Thank Mr Henderson

Ruperts father you know for sending

me the Melbourne papers so regularly.

     Hooray here is the postman now today

instead of tomorrow as we expected

Four letters from dear old Mum ^you & one

from Barby ^Belle & a lot of others that I don't 

recognize. Must stop now for reading.

Bye lovie darling.

Later. Three letters from you not four the latest

dated 25th July. One from Nanan & one from Barby

a Sperriky ^short one & a very nice letter from

Mrs Roberts which I enclose also others from

people in England. I have had no letters from

Violet. I cannot understand why she has

not written but in view of the fact that neither

Jack or Bob Smith got my letters to them it

looks as if some of our letters were going

astray. I had a little note from xx 

Geordie also. He must have just about

reached England by now. Have heard

nothing more about that French

decoration. Specks ^I expect is gone looking

for the one I might have got about

Lone Pine. Oh bye the way. Bob Smith

told me a rather interesting yarn

General Georgmore one of the staff officers

who was once Brig General of the British Brigade

& thought a lot of him saw him in

Egypt about the time I was in hot

water & asked Bob what he thought

of me. Bob put in a good word for sure

& Georgmore asked if he thought I would

make a Brigadier & Bob said he

thought I would. Nothing further

was said then. About a week ago Bob

got 3 says leave & went to England. On

the way over he met Georgmore on the boat

& Bob asked him how I was & what

they thought of me as a Brigadier.

xx Georgmore replied said "we think he is the best Brigadier

in the 2nd Anzac & do you know it

was only what you said about him that

prevented us from sending him back to

Australia.

That's a joke isn't it. I don't think

Bob would make up a yarn like

that do you. I felt it in my bones

in Egypt that it was touch & go but

I never backed down or such & I proved

that I was right. It is some satisfaction

that they are commencing to admit it

now. Its been a long hard fight dearie

but I'm ensuring through at last at home.

Tell Mrs Layh & Mrs Smith that their

old men ^husbands are looking splendid. Bob

is a bit sad at the way his poor old

Regiment was chopped up. Not quite as

bad though as the poor old 60^th Bn.

though had enough. I am afraid poor

Ackeroyd won't be back any more

his elbow is shattered as he had one

of his private parts shot away. It must have 

caused him great agony but he is bearing

up well enough. Tell wee Gagy ^ Dhunach that

I'll be delighted if he can play me a

little piece of music when I come home

& I am waiting for her first little letter to

come. Tell her that Mum & Barby tell Dida all

about the Gaga ^Dhunach & the wee Laddie to Dida likes

that little news best of all in the letters. Tell

her Mrs Roberts told Dida's stories about the

wee pets too & Dida was so pleased that

they had both been so good & nice to

Mrs Roberts. What a funny wee chap the

laddie must be making up stories about

shells & kairies Bill like that. But you must

tell him he mustn't be a "skitey" little person

about what he has got. I sent "Barnfathers" 

Fragments from France & "more Fragments 

from France" to the laddie some time 

back. They are simply lovely I think they

come sit in the "Bystander" rather a grand

of a little paper hit everyone buys it over

here just to look what Barnfather has

in this week. They are so wonderfully

tune to life. Almost everyday something

similar occurs in our own experiences.

Harry Duigan was telling me that one

of his Coy cooks had just got the dinner 

all cooked & a big shell lobbed right

into the pie & sent the pots & the fire & the

cook house all over the blessed paddock.

The poor old cook looked thunderstruck

for a minute, then grabbed his rifle

& rushed to the parapet & fired it off

as fast as it could go for almost

10 minutes at the German parapet

opposite [[?]] ring like a trooper all

the time. Also in our big attack a

big shell blew poor old Bert Layh

into a big shell crater full of stinking

sloppy mud & water. You never saw

such a drowned rat of a sight as he 

looked& he had got such a fright & with

the cold & fright together our teeth were chattering

like castanets. I suppose he didn't see the

fun though. The shawl looks like a nice one

dearie & the wee laddie looks a dear wee chap

in his tarbash. Thank you a million for

sending the little pictures along. Tell Mrs

Lisbon that her son is well & is doing excellent

work & the Mrs Duigan that her old man ^husband is well

& is getting along splendidly. He is of course having

had work building up the Regiment from its fragments,

Thank you a million dearie ^times for your [[?]] abut the old

hats. You did quite right in everything just as you

always do. In the Anzac Book you will see

one drawing by poor old Geoff M^cCrae. I never

hear a rocohetting bullet now but I think of him

& that joke of his. The thought it was a lovely

one. I hope Nana will be better when the warm

days come. It must be very sad for you

all when she suffers so much. I'm afraid your

little Fluffy dog must be a bit of a nuisance

having to be washed so often. Nana says it xxx

is a Lady dog. It would be better if it had been

a Laddie.There will be trouble when one of the

Laddie dogs come & see here. I wish I could

see the dear wee people some times but the

photos help a lot. My word the laddies is catching

up. She is only 8 & is heavier & nearly 4 years older

The wee rascal must be pretty sturdy & strong.

Well my dear old sweet love I must

stop now. Millions of love & kisses your dear old

sweet loving darling wifie. Thank you darling

for your love. Course you love me - don't you dearie

pet Little tender hearted sunshine lady. God 

bless & keep you safe always. I am glad the

wee man tells you he loves you Katie. Dida 

sent them now to whisper that to you & the wee boy must 

take his place. Bye now once more dear

old Katie love millions more love & kisses for

you & the wee Bairnies from Dida Don.

                                      France

                                        12/9/16

Dear old Katie,

                          It was lovely getting

another letter from you today. This

one is dated Sunday 30^th July. Poor

Mrs M^cCrae had need to be anxious. I

am afraid she will feel poor Geoff's

death terribly. I like young Linton

very much indeed. You will have the

news by now no doubt that Duigan &

Layh are both Lieut Cols. & in command

of the 60^th & 59^th Bns respectively & both

are doing their jobs very excellently

indeed. Geordie & Grills will have 

reached England by now I suppose. What

a clever little lady Dhunach is getting.

Knitting so many face washers. Jacky Boy

came to see me a few days ago. He

looks splendid. I will tell Bert Layh

about his wee laddie. He will be delighted

to get the photo. I had a letter from Uncle

Roberts wife Aunt Mary. She said she had

written to you. She said also she was

expecting Violet up on a visit very

soon so I sent the little photos over

there for her to see & send back to me

You poor old tired lady. Do be careful