Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, November 1916 - December 1916 - Part 2

Sh here are a lovely lot of letters for
un arrived is aup to
y10000
me shict a bgoton from you & anntion     
little one from you wlt dated the Sep
& a postcard from the dear rice people
and a little letter from Bille
Dear & a letterfin in Hudemar
Eudor & one from poor Mr
Morrow at Ballaret replyig t
th letter I wrote to her about poor
Andy & me from Mrs Masoner
Englland telling me that Chailiohas
arrived bick there I will trye
find out for you about the boys
you meatioon. I am very much
afraid though that it will not be very
definite. In proctically all there
cares they lag out in port of our
lines &we were unable to get them
in although onr boys iried very
hard tobing in all they could.
much of the fighting mow Mh
dank & no one knows how
dd died or anything alout then
 

(6)
10W
I have been enquiring about those
bois you mentistedd. In
regard to Mcaaren all we know
is that he was with Geoff McLese
in the clarge on the Gerssar Trenches
Guly & never came buck
on the
againt no one knowe what happened
him. We have not yet her inforwed
that he is a prisoner of war. I
is almost certain however that
some of there boys were captured
With regard to genker. Do you
remember that I told you that after
the fight or the 19th uly a lot of our
wouder wce lyting out is pont
of our trenches with the Sernans
firing at then + a lot of our boys
most led by Mrs Marshall's soss
Nornan Morshall rescued over
300 of them but about 30 of the
reocuers lost then laves whils
doing io. Young genken did
splended work all night with
one party + revned a great
many. The others were knocked
senker went out
l hit
 

1
 

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again is the early down about
half past four & never came
lack any more. He said bfore
be wentons that he had seen
another wounded man out ther
& he would go & get him is
Ir all pittability ho was killed
while doing so. Please tell his
poor mother all afouthin Katie
& tell her the whole bregade is full
of admiration for the gallantry
& devotion of her ion & the olarer
boys who also lost then lives whils
on this work of mercy. To wrk
wusfully deserving of the P.C.
& it is only due to the fact that is many
of our boys were eager to resk their
lives in this work that it became
imporrible oget recognition for ther
all that in nearly all cases it had
t go unrecognized. another way
a M. Routley who lives at 8 Hightary
Geove kew wrots tome about himon
Scret. Routley who was missingn
the same fight. It was reporded in
ths Londo Limer about 20Ock that
 

(8)
he deed of his wounds as a Prisoner
in Termany but of that I have lad
no ofpical notification is I cannot
vay whether it is true or not.
I have suggested that of he makes
himself know t you & dever
bear any thing further of her boy
I will write aouthin to you
& you can letther about it. ihe
Commarder a Chief Sir Douglas
Hing is coming t see me tomorrow
& Teneial Birdwood is coming
to Church Parade the day after.
Sunday. During our Plast turn
up or the Trenches General Burdwova
wanted the 14th Brigade which is on our
Dension to do an attack. I went
uep into the line because I was told
that the 15th might have to late it on
in the event of anything preventing
the 14 from attempting it. I had
a good look at the rlate of the
med & the Frenches & caweso the
 

conclusion that it was madness t
attempt on attact is the circumstances
& told Fenl McCay yo or my return
McCay could not go up himself or
account of the dreadful mud +
nis lame leg which presents him
getting about. McCay trote my need
enterety & told Teneral Birdervod
ttathe would not take the responatchly
of ordering the attack. to it erasput
off. The Brigade who relieved us
belonging& Mr Divisen Jacky boy is
with bowrener tried to do chattack
In General Birdwood as he wanted
+ got a very lad doingthad to
Come right fack & wher they
rturted. I am glad I rared
our poor boys from the altempt
but I don't expect I improved my
position with Genl. B. much. Howerce
the result rens t more that Iwas just
about right docont it. The mid was
up t your kness-laney attempting
 

(10
a charge under those circumstances
gon't the wee laddie a rogue - He settled
your fairy wo nan all right. I
wonder if be discovered you wre oe
cheating him of ter all at. It is
a leautiful day Kutre clear ofright.
& very fresh & biting out of the sten
but very nice to the nr. I had a side
over to the bttl Village about 3 miles away
loe terait his boys are katind.
They have a lovely country Villa or Maurin
sautifue
thre in. It has a lot of coty old
coalnut furniture & sme lorcle
made
marble omaments or the fuest white
marble. He is looking splendid. I had
dinner with Col Layh the nightlefore
last. He also has a beautifulhouse
so we are all very confortable for a
week or ro- ther tuck t the tunches.
I saw jucky boy for a fewmonent
He was passing along the road with
his croggons going up as ne ever
coming out. He lookr as bright
 

C
and cheerful as ever. I did not rec
Bob. Smith though. I hear he is all
right. I had a notifion Geordie. the
are still is the same place a fair
distance behind the pering line. Te
toldmne that Lyn Corens Hawld Barker
was bloss int the air by a beg shell
but got off with a verybad shakeng a
a broken leg. Gebidie was very imprivo
He was called tattend an wounded
officer & found it was young Barkew.
He wns very lucky indeed that he
was not hown to pieces for it was
one of Tritz's gack Johinton's &
usually there cont muct left of the
way they get mixed up wth Fortinately
at prevent the md is so sof
that the effect is very local as the
whsheels
furyr themslve des into the lacts
& the piece dont ppread much bit o
they droy or you it is haid to pi
chaugh of you tbirg. I had a letter from
 

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Mc Levd of Aiggers Rest. He wanted a recommedation
from me that he was a motor Driver. He wants
&tranfer into the motos Tampostoy
Hell the dear little people I was delighted to
get the letter from them with the dear little laby
on the card. The old Marquis here has alot
of lovely doys. As all the men have had be
go to the was he has a couple of furny old
womer looking of ts then &he lad rowe
photos takes of them. He gave me one &
I will rend of to the laddie Dertold
Kodne
l
tat
ners Sanly
DareS
f d len
T
& tey you till them. Tell Mc Rock
that Iws feeling very sad or the 8t No
I had just heard of the failure of the
Conscription Refrendem. I picked u
the little vook of Duily Light to gave me
I really dont know hiw I have managed
to preverve it all througTallipohe & France
but I lave it still). I turned to the
 

page for the day November 8
In party
it then is the parsage + He will mwallow
ey death in Victory: and the Lord God
will wipe away tears from all faces; and
the rebuke of his people shall he take
away from off all the earth: for the Lord
bath Spoker it
I dont know how I came tpickey
the book but the parsage caught my
eye as roon as I opened it &
it cheered me i guits a led
hereby tho was will not last another
year but I must my the Gernor
show mighty little regn of ixakenn
anywhere. I guess he will feel very
much encomaged wher he hear that
Hushales has turned down conscciption.
now dear old Katie I must hot
meetin
Glonel
Wasnt it a pke aboutoc hield mrs
bruicky
I to a uonder he didn't give me
a character wre enough for the
way I usd t sost the possole
clap up wns something readalous
 

14
but the or old chap is nuely the
Lemit. And so you think the litle people
are getting like me. I hope theis heart
ale like yours though Kate- trus
good & nreet & buight like my
runsheretady then then looks wout
malter. the woods about here have
lovely antunr tent just now
There was one lovely beach tree
an the park at theplace where
Col Sterart is. It lad all with
of tades of gold & trown or
it leaves &looked gloridar
th bright aton. There was a
unnderful old chestnet sree
there. It was a real picture of Under
the preading chestnet tree. I had
hardly any leaves lift, but it must he
be a glorious rady old tree in the
hummer. Stell on the whole th country
heabout is not so puttynocase
thhors is nice as in Enland