Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, November 1916 - December 1916 - Part 1

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
AWM2018.19.74
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

Franc my desrest Katie I came lack to my 8/11/16 little tinbut out of the fasnt line las night. I had rtanted on foot a 49 pr & got here after 12. He mids wlust of tho why was quite up to the knew most & I had fotter over into man well holes is you can inageve the stitld was is but I found a beap of letters awaiting e including twod from you one a wee we percel written in the train & the other anice belle lone & two hor worold for oe. from D Geoffs fete wrn Fruddy St Mr McProe & out as I was I read them all before I went to blee & was quit cheered & comforted by ill kindness & we. I do indeed think Yr women are all wonderful & one of twinder r + of them all is my own dear theere nenhine ladye my fioyr joy has trae in the rrencher for the terrilt 2 night. ther they had practical 3 ta as they wer no sleef or hert for thetrche were had be
2 diep in water of ther are no three feet due but then for myself I had a ratht brerrow - an old girnan dug out 3 oper day int the whit chalk. the entractio very mall & narrows &c great lotheston oe that however it wa toget in bont. canfortate warn + my cold got neve bette while I was there. When I wen Isoppy round the truche of course Igot wet just like tho long but we Lad a pue is and of the day onts I promptlynent t fed the until my clother were try again & did not put them in again unto guitedr am very glad to roy that my nors old daifer is not hrt by the poll he ar I thought but the got tho othes da hoor old day tap her arnd u the to losing a lotg her Fell mnd Smyshleners However O hear we are 4X very likely to moe out of te line very for a new i h will get te decent shaer souble ogain for a littlewhile & stand
recover his spirit ago chare 6 comoe tell asl fighting. I to the pevin here owng tthe weath slight 2000 a p but the Bamlordnent ver Ctlier Jacky bays people as comergt tak oer the me for ie but Wamt th don't know for ture yet. 6 dear we laddiy smort ito pice the fire all by himself when was yeranat the telephoe. Tegl him sida was unto pleased to hear yout him doon E Suact that I tell dear little to that much cleverer that her old Dida because be desn't know how to play music piece. like the dear wee lady Dida will be delighted when he cme home & pear the bee girlie playing tuns for him. the must tlearn bycand lage tplay tho dea old screct Tlines for Didg& pertopso rngthen to hin. Then sida wont go away from him ever be ableto
more trie ys sta with he litte am cot her doo know who wa hetlaa Drday Ret. Bert dayh look thenti of health. He was not u i the fy lind this time as I had a got for him in nean. He is a good soldier right enough & o greatkely tive. Hlewaid Denar Balena all the rest on will. He dd y an near still I wald like very nil to steal Basts for the got his promoted Poordd Geof ner to Bill to sient tol. ther a o very lacep herral it is only in ragettedt any cares that they are higher kank afte heath. Sine Gedge got hlo K.C.B after donth but that was shll because he was then. G.O.C all Aushalren poop wark her with special & Ders Wel 69 8 nonor. b therein not much news of t0 to lett you about that will
4 owing to the cesorshy. Much of horror You nothing is & suffering but y dreadful as some kine. Here the cold beather reems to itof putrefacli of the todie I theys are no not are thelodies to offenive ccrowded thongh thick enough wal conscience. Her khind or line on our dead hie unare for, for all Yort is take with rupplying & wate t the the hoors with Good is dreadful that me are extasten 8 -morng ever a short distarc cove kens for you Hears melting of gwfe llitl have on my on tullooe for your & from Veryon Sr D me know alon tho weddr 4 G Sevrsh is well. He wantedie to tett him or day when ght is coming or ashe fuled to Pluntier tgo u in the po ine int 14 trar told him. Letthin 96
C pes cription has the be rejected. Pont that I feel tnt a Bardal our country has desgroce Enlor he in the El of Fravc ale the othe feht alle
France My dearest Katie Very I am by her. 9/11/16 pad for some reason our Hedsmail bag but gone astray & while all the Bastalions have got their mail in to the 18t Sept we at H.d's lave nr. got any at all yet since last week up at the Trnches or rather just as we got out them. We are all hoping it will turn up today. We are all Very ensfortably nw once mke We are a good long way back from thopering line. We had a ride som i motod Busses o thomes had I & the Brigade Major had a car to surreloes & had a very nice yourney We se Hed of the Brigade are now it is fine old country honor which is called in French "platean belingig to the Marquis de Tevigne one of the old French chistocratic Families. He has haded ovr
2 one bing of his houre entirlly hom taff. We have 10 Beddram a sitting Roon, Dening Roon & three worn which we ux as offices & another which u ure as a post office. In the Slatle & Barns we have over doomen o a lot of nores ro you car till that it is a pretty beg place. It is comfortally but by no mean luxurously farnisted. The Bedrooms of the wong we inhabit an floop. Htie corridor all on the reio down one side of the Building in cordor) which is very well lighted by wendow which oper into a roit of Court conidu & Yard or Luadrangle the Bedrooms stretity right across thhulding with he French Windows oreclorking a little park which has some lovely old trees o tho grounds are rother neglected just now as all tho mer an anser
queved at the war. I was very ad that Austialia has tied down conscription. I cannot understand it. I ruppose it was the Catholie that were against England as usual together with all the Cold footers Esters, I uonder what they will do now to keep by the supply of recrents to these Brigades we are already short of men. I suppose they will leger twake u when ir get depated thave t retreat again lke is lad I thenk the to i Mr Begenning. papers are a lott t hove for Alerays making out that we in lavily wareas every fot of ground bas tbe paid for by drzons& dzens of ver, I is true we have dower the Germans lack inone little place about 30 miles long about 10 miles aboutgos keep on aspon
(4 miles long & on all the rest of that nary way the Ternar is holdingls por & ever where we bey lave drimrack you can see nothers hitline of Tenches everywhere The French have ierificed thousands of thei lestment are now getting very Very short of men to fight with. They have lorne the buint of the fighteng for tidlong year it was up to bes thelp her out the year but Hintialia has dishonored the Cheque I wish maloney & all the pertof his crowd could b retdow here to ree the may there Serman dreated the people here. I have we will never hear anything moe about the loyoltzy the Fiist again. They are a lovely lot. I nden Wll trS o not

France
2/11/16
1
My dearest Katie
I came back to my 
little tin hut out of the front line last
night.  I had started on foot at 9pm
& got here after 12.  The mud & slush
most of the way was quite up to the knees
& I had fallen once into many shell
holes so you can imagine the state I was
in but I found a heap of letters awaiting
me including two from you one a wee one in
pencil written in the train & the other a nice
big fat long one.  One from Len Nelly & two from Harold
 

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