Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, January 1917 - April 1917 - Part 14

for robbing a dead man. Well
hi, he said there's my mate
up the road there - the sole
has come right off his boot
in the mud & he cannot
march with his bare feet so
I told him I'd come up here
& get him a boot off these
Germans." So I had to smile
& ride away: Give my love to
poor old Miss McLeod. I am
very sorry for her. I am so glad
that Dear Belle fixed up your white silk
so nicely. Isn't it a fraud that Miss
McNab wont make up your own stuff
for you. I enclose a letter from the
little French lady. It is such a
long time since I heard from her
that I thought she had forgotten 

Me. The translation seems like this
"Sir
"I have proposed for quite a long
"time to reply to your kind letter
"but time does run away so quickly
"For over the last two months
"we have had continual goings &
"comings in the house
"My brother came home on leave
"for three weeks. At the same
"time my father was for six seven days
"here convalescing owing to a
"fall from his horse. Happily
"his injuries were not serious &
"he is now completely recovered
"We always have ^keep on having troops here always.
"I don't know if I deceived
"myself but I think I saw you in
"a Motor Car on the Hazebroek Road 

the day before yesterday"
[This was not the case as I've not been near
'_there of late H.E.E.]
"I hope you keep on getting good
"news of your wife & your wee
"children. Mother joins with
"me in congratulating you on your
"decorations"
"Here all our family enjoys good health
"Pierre & Therese are on having holidays now
"O..n Saturday last we buried Colonel
"Constant whom you called on at this house
"here. He was only ill for three weeks
"The English troops buried gave him a military
"funeral. [This was a nice old French
[Colonel who was Governor of Dunque Dunkirk]
"Have the kindness to give our
"kind regards to all your officers
"Kindly receive sir, the expression of my
"distinguished sentiments."
(This last is equivalent to our "yours sincerely) 

She writes very nicely doesn't she.
I enclose also a letter I got from
Wilfred Avery Johnny's brother.
It is a real Wilfred Avery letter.
Heaps of Skite. Do you know
your Cousin's Murdoch's address
I might be able to do something
for him. Eric Walker is quite
all right again but this weather
is just something dicklus dreadful again. Yesterday
was bright (& (out of the wind) quite warm
Today it is pouring rain & sleet
& bitterly cold. Isn't Dhusach a
dear little pet to want to go to
school so as to learn things &
astonish Dida". You must buy
a History of England by
Rudyard Kipling & someone
else. It tells History like a
Story book & the wee pets will 

enjoy it & they will (as they pay
so much attention) learn quite
a lot of History that will help
them later just by listening 
to it. Isn't Baaby good to take
so much pains with them.
There is another Child's book
by Kipling called "Puck of
Pook's Hill." If you could
get that that would help them
quite a lot too as it deals
with Historical matters. Then
there are some books on Indian
Mythology & Greek Mythology
all of which will be of interest
& a matter of 1st Class education
to them when they grow older
I bought them not long before the
war. They have some beautiful
pictures in them too but you 

ought not to let the little people handle
them much until they are older
as the books are valuable ones. I bought
them mostly out of "Sivears". No sign of
a letter from Fogey Flory. So you had better
just tell me all the news & not trust 
to her sending it along. If you see Violet
you might tell her that Mrs Edwards
seems to expect a letter from her which she
hasn't got yet, & Mrs E was very good to her.
yet she hasn't written a word. Also if
you see Mother please ask her
to let you have a loan of the photos
of her father & brother to get copied
for me. You might get three taken
of each. The Edwards people are
all anxious to have one each &
they have been good to Geordie & I.
me. I liked the snap shots very much
the bit of the garden showing is very nice 

Now that you are out at a nice place you
must keep your eye out for a nice new
little house to let that will delight you
& never mind about paying more rent at all
No sign of a Servian or Montenegro Decoration
for me. I dont think I was recommended
for it. There are at least 3 other Col Elliotts
in the force & all have done. well. None are
yet Brigadier may soon be so there
is every danger of confusion so if I am
reported wounded or killed be quite
sure of it before you get alarmed. There
are at least half a dozen others officers
of the same name Captains & Lieutenants in
the force also & goodness knows how
many of the name in the ranks. I had
no idea the name was so common
until I saw the roll of the force.
Mr Henderson sent me the clipping from the
Herald about myself. Someone in Ballarat 

appears to have invented it. No news
yet of any further decorations but
it sometimes takes months. I am
practically certain of a C.B. & there is
some hint that I will get the Command
of the new 6^th Division that is being
raised but I have nothing definite to go
upon yet so dont count upon that
1000 quidlets a year for a little while
dearie pet. If I get it the thing that will
be most pleasing to me will be the happiness
of making over this money to you. You were so
gob & patient & saving in the old days you
poor old sweet loving pet. I suppose I
will would be easily the youngest to Command
a Division anywhere in the British
forces. I was for a while the youngest
Brigadier but now Bob Smith, Henry
Bennett & a man named Cannon have
all beaten me. They are each of them 

only about 33. Carl Jess who had the
2^nd Brigade for awhile is also that
age but the previous Brigadier Brig
Gen Hearne who was wounded in
the head came back & Jess has
gone over to England reverting to
his old rank of Lieut Col. It was
a great pity as Jess is by far the
abler man. ^McNicoll is a year older than I am But I don't think
any of these have a chance for a
long while yet of becoming a Major
General. Tivey has I think the next
best chance - perhaps even better than
mine as the event may prove. Wont
Mrs T. be simply overjoyed if this
is the case but at present "my stocks
are favourite in the market". I think it
is because I fought so hard for right
in Egypt & proved myself right in my
fight & now my boys have done 

so splendidly proving that they
like being under me & General
Birdwood who was as Scotty annoyed
with me because he thought I was
wrong now is pleased with me
because I have proved myself right
It would be very decent of him to
admit that by giving me a chance
now wouldn't it