Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, November 1916 - December 1916 - Part 10

9
the third night & got young Doig the old
Wi foottaller who is now burgans, welor man
to gove & re me. Ao the recult of the fire
home say I lad last night
2 fcel as
good as new but I am ffended with thas    
old tuits who woke me u at pu. It was
a rilly trick A play upon a body was nt it
the old Villan is still at it. As I write I
can hear the sercan of the bry shellcoming
about every your or jime minutes & the
"bang. One was quite near from the sownd.
but II larn't ever troubled Sgo o rec. It is
astounding hi carelen & collous me get. It
is impooille to explain. Our dug outs one
made of bent steet plate like the half of a
galvanized vrou tank but stouter of couse
U were they a runker the eailt for
protection but the top is still exposed wth
just a little earth thrown over then + I
course are a good protection against pplenter
but of the shell lobbell straight or top of them
they would simply crumple up & me never
knows when an hears the wherae of the Brg
theels that me wont lot right through ir con
 

70
of you yet here in every dirgontofpei
& Nowcoms are writerg orders & makin
uy accounts & in most instances
taking not any more notice of the
buroting shells than one does in Melhourse
of the paring train bells. I often wonder a.
the marrelors adoptibility of the humarmend
some people of course cannot stand it at all
&roor break in. we ever go quite dippy
th danger & worrying
& if one klept thinking
over it on must go catly but the rast majority
get is care lardened in a little time & there as
so many messes & the hits. If half or a quarler
of the wills fired killed a man they w
would soon not be a soul left toight but
hardly one shell in thousand of all that expered
hurts anyme. Lots f times the gunner has notten
timeshlitte
luck. He just missed by the tences
but getting a bog. as in the care of the shill that mirsed
me to in the end though the fate of the man who is
but fairly seem dreadful mer go about without
takeng the least notice of course they avoid or
are compelled by the officers for some are

scardalous carelers of the liver -t avoid gettenn
will toks wher they can be seen by the Boshes & iidean
 

fire i everybody including themselves but apart
pow that every ther goed or as usral. The woods
are crowded with Vehrcl of all description.
buct strung & ss of motor torries et ct
have never rear ever a London. It is worderul
I spite of all m effortoay t date the roads
have ben guagmues but now they are actually
having the roads with wood just as if it were the
moltowing or London Streets was to lightenthe
anful lator of keeping them clear tell that Baale
the oa drefful wet with her prophery about the
telks o the interpreters nster. I'd poke my
longer ont at her if I ia there th check of her
reckming shed know what Id do I am wani
to hear about Lys's littleme. Gedrdie has never raida
word that we is coming & neether lave I mentine it
thim. He mayhe thinks I dint know Georde Lushan
a lad cold I hear but is better. I haven't reen hem pince
I last wrote. Their can is a mile or ro away + the
roods are reardatons + I am pretty bush. Well
deaice weet pet. If I dont pst soo the
litternilldea fat as Baabys. I think there two
the me I wrote forterday the me today will just
about equal the intia fatore I wrot to Baab, but that
look te twodays t do & I did oner each day to
 

till
you. I will leave thes open tonight, in care
any other new come along. All the boys with
We you know are well Bert Layh Harry
Dengar Sanlar Deneby - Tullo is rather
poorly got a dreadful cold whilst up in the
Minches Byenow dailing loving precters
old ladly I knot you were comenfover to
England.
d just about die with deligh
Harry Durgan got a fright the other day.
Heo Wittle boy wrote + raid that hes yourgjent
notes who was left with relatives in the country
had been typped out of a higgy + cut her head
badly. Harry had letters fou the rllatives of
about the pame date who said nothing at all
of the accident - perhaps they did not with to
have him worried but of so the boy upset thange
& Harry gos drifful annious & got yeare to go to tho
neacelt tom + rend a cable home you further
particulars- He has not heard yet but I griees
the relatives will sost by the Boy for cannirg all
the trouble. Millions of love & kinco dear for you
& the dear little lonng pet for youvolon old Heda Dn
 

t
712
Vear

2
tal
the Irer
Jor BeltLon
is out no
were relieve
Jh arve
He Waster
7
L Smith
in Besder

Brigadier
General Wlnn

bing monoted it is guite certan
that pot wil be pryadu
has ben made
my prd
tto bet

iil
ald Very ie
it S
at good
6
talk
care Suns
6
et

ten
O
out all right
three
8
 

et
the
I dont
fula
stranght
attert who may it it
0
poe people
2
A
Wolt
o
Ald
Aresnt lik
will
nt would m
is shrewder that

7
n
but I dt
think Al
will on th
to as will ao
2
Sir


mine nep
Wher
they ty tle
ly cndice
limts I had
General Warts
 

th po
told
7
t his
do thers
t dtarent much news the
tio dearre Lots t do getting
more on he are goinger forthe hack
pow the live I have a real good
rest thi time. to letter thes week
so I harent much inspiration.
have ported a picture Paper t the
laddie also d card which Bot
whif
swith gave me o oi Brigade
had had printed. I am rinding
it on to the laddie as I did not get
anotherone of t5 Br cards like thr
I got for Shurock
Bye nos deare willingplose I
Kelses my cold is a long iy letter
but o nt quite better oet
waber they you all dearce ft
for Ida r
 

Frave
My dearer & atro
5
Hererouversary 26/12/16
& set a blesk cold old day o is
But let on see the versary is
tomorror sont it. I guess this
place wouldn't wit dear. There is
harddy enough coul to coon
our teals with is we gust
do without aes as best we can
I go living in the house of a
butcher wh has his shop nev
door &rs & doing a great trade
with theboys who enjoy frest muttor
for a crange after Bully beft
stew in the Trencher for a month
they tought b every Nerkey,
wore duck or pir in the Vellage
that tho people would sell Turkeys
vent up to 35/ for a big ne
& dozens after it at that
have had a number of letters
but none fromat I enclose
one from my cousir Gertee Edad
It was her motherwlo sent you
 

the letters. Jack when brother.
He is now in egypt as A.B.C.O
the General out there I evelose
also mrs milnes letter the Photo
of herselft husband since mayone
We are will near enough
near the Booming of the sun
along the front live like heavy
thunder but no one takes the
slightest notice. W is pouring
rain too. I go tbed purtaples
dinner at night because
cannot keep narn anywhere
elss. majo wieck was far from
well as I gave him a hulnday
EEgland Iarranged prpin
to verd £50 to you. I hope
they concaling all right
you will get tthei through to
government as you did the last
lot I will tryt send you more
later deasee is you can pury
abt off the Musters loanto
aHll dart on dom
ms
larely sortth interest wil
 

be very muh less wont it Im
very witte news this time cleane
cept to letl
you youn a darlin
We lad a fat turkey
denver yesterday &a timed
plen pudding. Low of the
parcels that yog md
from the mitual Score
turnedis
I rent we
Col Dengar & give to your
Bray & gave thoother ad
one of Col. Stewarts mer
ulo had no parents. I will pig
his nameout premitt t
you know. Young Bay io a
nice little toy dvey th parces
was quits mact thother had
evidently ten marked but wos held
together by the clock wrapper.
did not opes eittreng then a
examine the contents but
just rent then in ar ther
were. The Interpreters niste
told me o rather told himf
lettere that the ulks ner