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

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
AWM2018.19.75
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

onr sornys and the depued pay which the foot will oe me r that tere would then be just ttheret p th dep or a nce lttle soe of your ke the next letter & dsted the 3PNN leltere me about Major Hewittcmen to rec you. I am glad you liked herHe is a very good thew dont thank, he p illy at an dont it furny that teryone thirt n laddie i like we now then as greethers he neem the more like wark than anyou the pk of miking illi past what Hent roga I foor the meti of wealth sut may benedold lung ant heal right up. H cppt he ead at all o I would have fnrcked up with it allogthe, Poor old Durgan got had with it &had $40 of thospital at onc He rspretty had believe then is just in constation. Hhe ca
t wife ne England hd pust an Vo that for the I last mysth ady over in ogla tpili h I wouldn't mind pack t ree ber- one bit i td next letter is lettere about dyns gety. It is dated the 10t Nor nd ren Gordye for y comror is I saept for hm about mugh tbe is mnay. I hea be hes o hd old & look very the of all. the climats th ril at some of therepoor boys you asked aout last mad I have had inquiries made and they tell me that as regard bullioon nothing more i fm than that he wpnt out a the daye was nevn on agae Facktell is believed t have ybe see dead but regarding unnalso Iea oblan nothing definite
Iay now fame wamies made about pegle. Iles hower uptedp they seve le of Warthery are proitically mre tobe dead, to you know Wyt Billatin Frank Ferhe so ten ported to unter 90r60 the segit int 5,6 to little chase of a getting int are ad houlpe in then - not liked at alearce they are nevse hope your concert or oton a necessa your dres yu madel Mow that you ar not sohard by of i eong yu & theaxesar ought tgot the peatis oa tearcanonn J wh on dearest I like to drm had for the ph we what are they made of who made then At you larnh Wylhday wilk made u as if wenely by no you ought to have the fit g tafpete
and the tarh tho littl perch lady bought. Ido hope thet are wite I am vy abrutport old miss mcseod. Pdont think you told we about yeans tain. do yu knowher address in Lrdon I'd like to reeper ione time cnene me soet bick worting he ring u again btacat petal a tatthem lpo guna himself Hest of Cnglost hi horth dufas comet you soult surtaliNearly all ir sost address or card& tones Dye girl was noted One o Fet sache fnp yetafor in the good on written. It must to very cold i parce: Hopwish Iunssont you key y wan Id gladly gutgalf bulro me wkl you what is you think of that per a for to anypl & tor old me at ale
of kno ip th toest water nake ar apportoat tt he ofhe thewas to you nry fthe 16th Myate gift have auyzed up ws acdu of ame one efe go then we will b in the porttins a while et I will stae until we are laken out t not then will ask t leaint otte south of trancep a math wledoy. There is a tegulipl place near Nice which ione treallty yo asserted & t int a he hospital fo then with cheds buble all dear little & hurret that was io pleased with he titl lettey& I will sed itt tex Gordie the eastletter is dited the 120 Mor pamt that a lovely tot get tgether. Poor little pohuses &sam grrry to lear afout Lergetter alsenes marty thing like Mas hope t warke edtg
hosdear inemeto viy tcay poor you Kurrg t tpair tr Hond hoke ontaper & he exg very ctor sent lask thank he willl Nodoes be A Durhalm. will come t bee you an glad on like the MKay d Hanal MKay was slways a decentad, sort It is still peeng weather & y can att all the sell ws now. The ice gone of fie nche tck &tgrid jurt like won. You cannot seth pick into it at all ever in bed ois but bb like ie is you cannot unnder ine of i feel it fut nn oe wants thret mrt m of af weeks ag wck again Mhis crely boalk on f yroud again. Harent ue anyther
more of sa boy kipphys tnbyo leave getting ye pi aderge to 5 e le just aront all tt thats kno news Im f the Booch Killed m wys with steels yesterday itt Vellan, but i got a feld of him is bery then i of a letter dailar pt it por unconfortall & droty i red By inpet tothwge ten thig Yo dear with miltion of d Kun yurthy t Mi ay Drdar
tronce War Satee love The wail closes tr 6/2/17 soI will write just a littlel letter to you the time! I am still is iill he feeling rather better yesteday todog. At doylight tomorrow Geordil Brignde an ging Dlare a by attact I hope be well cme through it eply tll that the a spflitt of him in Mis Balle the 56o they wckon that the never was a Bath Hedical ofcis pitti but sy that he is working himself literallly to death for then & the ner thrs the world of him. Poot little lady the will be pleased particularly if the get a decoration The 16hin charge of all the medical people of the Dinsen came to ie me yesterday the didn't know seorlie yas my brother I spoke vey lighly of him time it a ft Bathan all Np men to then is no clance of ws boys meelugyn as my boys ole you & telling su about sendie
I am writing by the ail to a poor lady naned mrs selar 6/caps f take Kngston Victoria. Her we dient Bot Allan was killed on the pro Fedly a Sernan myer. Wwe las had a very rad life Her hushrd died p aterthey we seewt the wee laddie Capt You Parker was in touth Apica will me a very for felle be used to be a great seiloy pottalte He tok his jste the wel gastole toe to his place o they lored otth hn. He is a achelor & thoght the world of th ledde2 time Rob guea u wh a pue by a care to the way. He was sio felt high very fer intt blue eyes Very handome oper jare & clear the gatt thefoy & would pux for on office & nord be as dead only 21. His pror mother will he just about rettled. to Ir written the gust y cont oher a little noty too deare the las he of my loys & it might cheerber uy His ter were dreadfully out up & would not bury toy hear the trches because tht shells I might yeor itay again as is oftenhopper
Jan 14 194 1038 J

               3

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 5th 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

 

                     4

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 10th 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

 

                       6

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

12th 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 McKays

old Hannah McKay 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

 

more of Jacky boy. But Layh

is still away on leave getting

his xxx ^injury attended to.

This is just about all the news

Katie dear that I know

of. The Bosch killed one of my

boys with shells yesterday the 

villan. But we got a few of

his too.

Sorry this is such a xxxxx ^poor

of a letter darling but it is so

uncomfortable to write in bed.

Bye now dearie loving sweet

wifelet, Goodbye & God bless & keep

you dear darling love

With millions of loves & kisses for

you & the wee pets

         from

          Your very own

           Dida Don

 

                                    France

                                       4/2/17

Dear Katie love,

            The mail closes tomorrow

so I will write just a little [[?]] letter

to you this time. I am still in bed but

feeling rather better yesterday &

today. At daylight tomorrow Geordie's

Brigade are going to have a big attack.

I hope he will come though it

safely . Tell Lyn that they think

a dutiful lot ^ great mind of him in his Battn

the 56Bn. They reckon that there never

was a Batt Medical Officer like him

but say that he us working himself

literally to death for them & the men

think the world of him. Poor little

,lady she will be pleased particularly

if he gets a decoration. '

The Cl in charge of all the Medical people

of the Division came to see me yesterday

He didn't know Geordie was my brother

& spoke very highly of him to me.

Isn't a pity his Batt are all N.S.W.

men. So there is no chance of his

boys meeting Lyn as my boys are you

& telling her about Geordie.

 

I am writing by this mail to a poor

lady name Mrs ZAllan C/o Capt. T. Parkin

Kingston Victoria. Her son Lieut

Bob Allan was killed on the 1st Feb by

a German sniper. She has had a 

very sad life. Her husband died just

after they were wed & left her with the

wee laddie. Capt. Tom Parkin was in

South Africa with me - a very fine fellow

he used to be a great Geelong footballer

He took his sister & the wee laddie hoe]

to his place & they lived with him. He is a

bachelor & thought the world of the laddie. In 

time Bob grew up such a fine boy & came

to the war. He was six feet high & fair

with blue eyes. Very handsome-open face

& clear skin - just the boy I would pick

for an officer & now he is dead only

21. His poor mother will be just about

settled. So I've written to her. Just you write

a little not ^to her too dearie. He was one of my

boys & it might cheer her up. His men

were dreadfully cut up & would not bury

the body near the trenches because the

shells might hit it up again as so often happens

 

Jan 1st 1917

 

 

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