Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, January 1917 - April 1917 - Part 3

France
20/1/17
My dearest old Katie,
Here is a nice long
letter from you. It was the one you I should
have got last week. There is also one
from Baaby Belle but Nana's hasn't come yet.
You said in yours that she was writing. Yours
is dated the 27^th Nov & Baaby's hers the 28^th Nov.
You said also that you were writing more in the
morning. I specs expect that was a xxx separate
letter. It hasnt come along yet either. I am
glad Ickie Auntie Violet is safe home. ^again What
funny old weather you had for Summer
out there It has snowed here for two
days & last night there was a hard
frost & all the world around is like
a huge wedding cake with Icing sugar on
it. The post has made a hard crust
on the snow & it crackles under your
feet as you work. It is very pretty
but very cold. I myself dont feel the
cold very much but some of the boys
do. Poor old Bert Layh will have to go
to hospital. His rupture is worse
than it was yesterday & he has to
stop in bed.. I hope no harm comes

of it. I shall look forward with
interest to your next letter for news of
Lyn. I haven't seen Geordie of late but he
was anxious when last I heard of saw
him. I am sorry to say young Scurry
has to go away again yesterday The
wound in his hand broke out afresh.
I am afraid he may have trouble still
with it. I was very interested indeed
to hear about your gift afternoon & glad
that it was a success. Nothing has so
far arrived from the Depot for us but no doubt
it will come along in due course. I had a
letter from Mr McCrae telling me about the parcels
but last week but they have not turned up
yet. I am very sorry for Mrs Bowden &
Vaille. Their husbands were very good boys
both of them. I will try & find out
about Pte D. Wood & let you know. This is the
first news I have had of Hugo's adopted
baby. Have they given up hopes of one of
their own. I have not seen Eric Walker for
a good while. After we went out of the line
he went to England on leave & now
has gone to a School in the Back Area

I hope by the time that he is through that
he will be better again. I believe he has
improved a great deal by the rest. There
is a lot of sickness amongst the
officers as well as the men. I am still
troubled with a touch of bronchitis but it is
not bad at all except that I have to be careful
all the time against colds & it is a bit of a
nuisance. I wish I could get rid of it.
altogether. It is ^here just like it was at
Broadmeadows always damp - I recommended
Scanlan for a trial as Staff officer & he
is with General Tivey for a month on Trial
Tivey told me that he is very pleased with
him. Old Hobbs our new General man
is not well at all & Genl Tivey is to take
over the Division for the time being while
Hobbs has a holiday. Old John Gilpin
is very kind isn't he. Whatever has come
over him Katie. It is all very well for
these people to be saying nice things about
me now but what about after the war. Will
any of them come along & give me a job
of work to keep me from begging. But
its no use grumbling is it dearie

France
24/1/17
My dearest Katie
Drefful Very cold here
today. The ice upon the shell holes
is three inches thick & you can
dance about on them - even I can ^do it -
without breaking it. Big heap A very bitey
Jack frost. The ground is as hard
as iron where all was mud a few
weeks back but it is only a crust &
waggons & horses still break through
into the mud below. but It makes
digging into drefful dreadfully hard work
until you get through the hard
crust. A petrol tin of ice water left
outside last night was a solid
block of ice & the sides of the car were
all bulged by the pressure. You'd have
died to have seen all the men with ^moustaches or
"Chorus" whiskers. With their breath
blowing upon them great long icicles were
formed & drooped down & though they
brushed it off it formed again in
about a minute. They did look
funny. I passed a wire netting

fence about 10 feet high. The frost
was so thick upon it that it
looked solid like some semi
transparent silk. When I got
close I saw that it was formed
of particles of frost as pure & white
of the finest marble & making the
loveliest tracings like lace embroidery
& It was so dry & brittle that if you
touched it it vanished with tiny
dust which blew away with the wind
but if they fell on your hand they melted
& made it wet. It was a most beautiful
sight. The frozen snow itself is very
beautiful it is so pure white & clean
It is much more pleasant cold as it
is than the mud & slush we had a while
back I have inquired about the boy
Douglas Wood. but can hear nothing
He just went out in the Charge &
disappeared. I have no hope that
he is alive. Give my deepest sympathy
to the poor lady his mother. I am
asking Col Duigan to find me
news of Ptes Fackrell & Millman

as soon as he lets me know I will let
you know. Poor old Bert Layh has had
to go away to have that rupture attended
to & Major Gulls is running the Bn.
I am waiting to hear what you
thought of Hewitt. He was one of my
best officers, I am afraid he will never
use his right arm again. Tell Janie
I haven't got her letter yet. It must
have gone astray. I have not met
Andy yet. I am looking forward
to getting your photo darling. If it is 
as good as Baabys Belles I'll be delighted
with it. Won't you have one of the Bairnies
taken too. The little garden must
look nice. Who looks after it now
that Nora is laid up.

a funny old compliment you write
when you say "What a dear little
"boy you must have been if you are ^were as like
"him. ^the Laddie As people say he is like you, Grandma
"must have been sorry when you grew up."
I'll sort you, up for your cheek some day,
I hear I was a rosy cheeked nipper &
Mother said (about an old photo that she
has of me - I think I showed it to you
people used to mistake it for one of
Geordie.)" The Schoolteacher said you
"Looked so nice in the little suit you
"had that you ought to have your photo taken
"in it." I was just five then, just a
little older than the laddie & I expect" a
"mischiefy thing", just like him. I'snt he
a queer little chap. Do you love him 'dicklus
Katie pet.. I havent much news at all
darling. I am enclosing a letter from cousin
Nellie & a picture of her bairnies. I sent
our bairnies pictures to her, & asked her to
return them to me which she did. The photos
of her children are not good. When I saw
them Alick was such a fine looking boy
with clear rosy skin & very regular features

In this one he looks thin & ill. The ladies
are friends with whom the kiddies
were left while their mother & father were
in Newcastle attending Uncles ^Roberts funeral
I had a very nice letter ^from her which I
enclosed in Baaby Belles xx letter (& told 
her to give it to you) to save.
this one from being too fat. Well dear
old lady the shelling is not very bad over
here but of course with the renewal of
attacks it will start again. Tell the
dear little people I'd rather have them
for my wee pets than all the medals the
Kings the Czar & everybody can give
me. Dear darling old Katie pet. Little
sunshine lady love. God bless & keep
you & the dear pets always safe for
their Dida.
Millions of love & kisses for all from
your Very own Dida Don.

1
France
2/2/17
My darling Katie,
I've been
neglecting you something scandalous
of late but those sperriky Doctors
have made me stay in bed ever
since the 26^th January. a whole
week & it is so hard to write
in bed. I received four lovely long
letters from you & one from
Nora the day before yesterday.
One a sperrik short one is dated the 28^th
November & should have reached me
by the last mail, The Photo came
all right it is a nice photo
but it is not - my smiling
sunshine lady at all. Now when
you get this just you go back
again to them & take another
one taken When you sit down
& the man is just going to press
the button just say & imagine
you see Dida Don coming
down the Gangway to be home
for good & to show him how you

-2.
will look then. Take the Bairnies
too dearest & have some nice ones of them
taken too, Please dearie Kit for Dida
Don. The sperriks of Doctors tell me
I'll have to go away for awhile soon
to get rid of this old Bronchitis.
I am asking to be sent to the
South of France where it is warm
England with all its fogs at this
time of year would be no use
whatever to me. The Dr's say
I will get Pneumonia or Pleurisy
if I stop here much longer so I've
given in to them at last. I am very
sad to have to go & I wanted to be
good & saving too to send another
£50 quidlets to my darling old
saving pet for June. Perhaps I will
manage it somehow dear old
love. It is lovely to be paying off
that old debt so nicely & that the
interest is already so much
less now. I hope we get it all paid
off & have the £300 now deferred