Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, January 1917 - April 1917 - Part 4

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our songs and the defence

pay which the Govt will owe me

by that time would then be just

the thing to pay the deposit on a

nice little home of our very own.

The next letter is dated the 5^th Nov

telling me about Major Hewitt coming

to see you. I am glad you liked

him. He is a very good officer & I

dont think he is skiting at all.

Isn't it funny that everyone thinks

the laddies is so like me now

when as a wee thing he seemed

the more like Nana than anyone

The joke of my being ill us just

what Henry says. I look

the picture of health but that

blessed old lung wont heal

right up. It cant be bad at all

or I would have knocked up

with it altogether. Poor old

Duigan got bad with it & had

to go off to hospital at once.

He is pretty bad I believe. There

is just one consolation. He can

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see his old lady ^wife over in England. 

Won't that be just lovely ^splendid for them. If

I had my old lady ^wife over in England

waiting for me I wouldn't mind

being sick - to see her - one bit

The next letter is telling me about

Lyn's baby. It is dated the 10^th Nov

I haven't seen Geordie for some

time of course as I haven't been

about much & he is busy. I hear

he has a bad cold & looks very

thin & pale. This climate is the

very devil.

Oh aren't regarding some of those poor boys

you aaked about last mail.

I have had enquiries made

and they tell me that as regards

Sullivan nothing more is known

than that he went out on the 

charge & was never seen again

Facknell is believed to have been

seen dead but regarding him also

I can obtain nothing definite.

                          5

I am now having enquiries made 

about Pegler. Unless however

they have been reported prisoners

of War they are practically

sure to be dead. Do you know

what Battalion Frank Fisher

has been posted to. Unless

he gets into 57, 58, 59 or 60 there

is little chance of him getting into

them over here as transfers are

not liked at all once they are

here. I hope your concert was

a success dearie & I do hope

your dress was made nicely.

Now that you are not so hard up

& the bairnies are not so tiny you

ought to go to the theatre or a 

picture show or concert occasionally

dearest. I like the dresses you

& Barby had for the photos. Tell

me what are they made of & who

made them. Are you having the

Birthday silk made up as an

evening dress. By now you

ought to have the bits of taffeta

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and the scarfs the little french lady

tonight. I do hope they are nice

I am sorry about poos old Miss

McLeod. I don't think you told

me about Jean's son. Do you

know her address in London

I'd like to see her some time

Remember me to old Dick

Coster is he rings up again

]]?]] is turning but a great

worker I suppose is people

work how he is half gun on

himself. A lot of Comforts fund

stuff has come to hand mostly

from South Australia. Nearly all

had address on cards in the

boxes. One girl was very bold.

One of Bert Layhs boys got box & in

the care was written. It must

be very cold in France. How I wish

'I was with you to keep you warm

'Id gladly give myself to have man

"like you. What do you think of

that to put in a box to go any old place

& any old man at all.

                      7

Dont know if the boy is to wait &

make an appointment with her after

the war.

So far none of the 15th Brigade depot

gifts have turned up & we are wondering

if some one else got them.

We will be in the front line for

a while yet & I will stay as Led

until we are taken out for a

rest then we will ask to be sent

to the South of France for a months

holiday. There is a beautiful

place near Nice which some

wealthy man has rented & turned

into a big hospital for officers

with chest trouble.

Tell dear little Dhunach that

I was so pleased with her little

letter & I will send it to

Uncle Geordie.

The last letter is dated the

12^th Nov. Wasnt that a lovely lot

to get together. Poor little Dhunach

I am sorry to hear about her getting

absesses & nasty things like that.

I hope Mr Clarke fixed it up good

poor dear wee mite

I am sorry to say poor Young

Scurry had to go away again. 

His wound broke out afresh

& his eye is very little [[?]]

I think he will be sent back

to Australia. If he does he

will come to see you

I am glad you like the M^cKays

old Hannah M^cKay was always 

a decent lot ^sort

It is still freezing weather & you

can skate on all the shell holes

now. The eye ^ice is four or five 

inches thick & the ground just

like iron. You cannot stick a

pick into it at all.

Even in bed one's feet feel like

ice as you cannot wonder some 

of us feel it but no one wants

the wet slush & mud of a few

weeks ago back again. It is

lovely to walk on the firm ground

again. Haven't seen anything