Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, January 1917 - April 1917 - Part 5

so they carried him back over the

open for over four miles to a little cemetery

It was a terrible journey over the shelltorn

ground for the body was a dreadful weight

- he was such a big chap. But they got

him there at last. I am so sorry for the

poor lady though. She will have nothing

left to live for now.

I've been sorting quarreling with Birdwood up again

like I did in Egypt & again over officers

but he seems to be taking it better here. They

are beginning to know one better. My M machine Gunner

beat every body at the Schools. My Trench

Mortars licked the tail off the Guard

at a one School, & lastly Bert Layh's Battalion

beat everyone in the British Army at

Musketry the other day so they are beginning

to sit up & take notice. The other day

General White & Genl Birdwood called & Genl

White say saw the photo of you & the bairnies laddie on my

table. He said there's no need to ask who he belongs

to. Genl Birdwood said "[[?He is?]], determined looking

little devil!! I did laughed. It was a joke wasn't 

it after the way you've been telling me how

the laddie will always do what he wants.

 

 

whatever you say or do. I think old Birdwood

is coming to the same conclusion that poor you

old Katie have had to come to, that Dida's my way

is right a few [[?all is right]] - he has & I have to have his my way or there

is heaps of trouble about it. You'll

have to be telling him that you tried to cure

both me & the laddie & had to give it up

& so he'd better do so too. But is is a 

joke though isn't it to thing of your old

man sorting these great people up.

Another poor lady who I am writing too

is a Mrs Plowman. Her boy Capt Hugh

Plowman was in Geoff McCrae's Battalion

& was killed in the same fight. I

enclose her letter. I am suggesting to

her to call & see you.

It is still most shocking dreadfully cold here

Although I am in a dug out 20 feet

deep my sponge is a mass of little icicles

in the morning, if it is left the least bit

damp, while the water which bucket is frozen solid each night.

Trillions of love & kisses for you &

the Bairnies  from your very own

Dida Don

 

 

Jan 4th. 1917

 

DONATED RECORDS LIST

3297

3rd Series

 

France

7 8 /2/17

My dearest Katie,

Here I am

still in bed but I am quite recovered

However the cold is so intense that

until we get some sort of a stove fixed

up in any dugout the Dr wont allow

me to risk another chill by getting up

it is so cold even in the dugout that

my sponge has icicles over it every

morning & the leaks from the roof

become long icicles &. The place is

so damp that the old Sheepskin

rug that I found in Lone Pine belonging 

to a Turk & have still kept is wringing

wet. The evaporation from my body

goes through to it & so then condensed

by the cold making it sopping wet

If I put my boots on to go out

to Micky when I come back I have to get

the boy batman to rub my feet - because the

boots are so co cold not being worn for 

so long that my feet get frozen in

 them. Isn't it sad that some of my

letters to you have gone astray Katie

 

 

- 2 -

I wrote while in England & told

you about meeting Mrs Duigan while

on the way across. I came down to the

Rly Station at Boulogne in a motor car

& was looking round when a lady walked

up to me [[?]] General Elliott [[?Munro]]

Harry. Where is he? I didn't know the

lady from Adam or Eve I should perhaps

say. Wasn't it wonderful that she knew

me after all that time but when she

told me who she was I was able to tell

her Harry was now a Colonel & quite well

& would be given leave so he could see

her as soon as I went back. I was

afraid she would embrace me upon

the street. I am glad that the concert 

was a success & delighted that your

silk dress looked so nice dearie pet

I shall watch out for Lt Thompson & also

Frank Fisher if he comes. Tell Bert Wilson

I congratulate him. His letter hasn't come

to hand yet. I am very pleased to hear

about Pritchard & will do all I

can for him. If he is a good chap

& true he cannot fail to get in & rapidly too

 

 

2 (G)

Speaking of photos reminds me that

someone gave me the other day a snap

shot they took of me walking along the

lines in Egypt. I enclose it. Not much

of a likeness except about the [[?Singy]] is it.

I saw by the papers yesterday that Bert

Layh had been to shake hands with the

King at Buckingham Palace & got his D.S.O.

presented. I remember Dan Maloney well

he was a very good chap who used to

amuse us in Africa by his dry [[?]]

sayings. When he came back he was for

a time a policeman later married a

girl with money & now is a gentleman

of means - or at least he make a good

deal of money by buying houses & had

land about the suburbs doing up the houses

etc - selling them at a profit. He is mighty

shrewd about it & likely to die a rich

man. But although we've always been

pals he has never once put a job of work

in my way & he could have I feel sure

many a time. Now you just of xxx in

a old & hard old lady. You've been

sorting up quite the wrong person

 

- 3 -

Now as to General McCoy -

I never wrote anything of the kind you

mention to any solicitor in Melbourne or

anywhere else so  you musn't go sorting

me up in such a dreadful hurry as all

that. I'm not the only person in the

world who writes home to Australia & says

what he things - I scandalous for dxx

with you. Also whoever wrote that

didn't know what he was talking

about. The only one who can in any

way be held responsible for that attack

was the C. in C. of the British Army for

it was undertaken up his direct

orders as I happen to know & he

sent several of his personal staff to

see it was obeyed. He was thus

arrived beyond all doubt that we

did all that man could do & though 

the attack failed Honour & Decorations

have been simply showered on those

who survived - very different from

Gallipoli in that way. So tell

girl & everyone who mentions it that the 

General McCoy to whom you evidently refer to was

not in the least to blame any more

 

that I or poor Geoff McCrae. We all

simply obeyed our strict orders which is

what in the end every good soldier

must do no matter how hopeless he

thinks the task set him may be.

Someday I hope to see or hear an

explanation of that attack put

forward for it was an impossible task.

Perhaps the C. in C. had wrong information

or perhaps he wanted to make the Germans

think a new offensive was starting up there

& so to distract their attention to from the

Pozieres Battle which took place

immediately afterwards. - Perhaps

it was after all a success. It if did

for a four days time prevent the Germans

going to Pozieres to oppose the

attack then the C. in C. was quite justified

in sacrificing our men to win a the greater

Victory elsewhere. That is the very very

Highest Generalship & men who are

thus sacrificed as some must be provided

they do their job & die bravely costing the

enemy as much as they can, are

deserving of great honor & this we got

 

Thousands of instances of this have

occurred in this war particularly

in the Retreat from [[?Mass.]] In order

to get the rest of the Army away

safely the Battalions in the Rear

Guard must be left to fight their

own way back or be killed or captured

whatever their luck fate may bring. When the old 7th

was pushed out to be the Rear Guard

of the Right Wing at the evacuation we

all recognized that if the Turks attacked

we would be slaughtered at the last

moment but as I told the boys at

the time someone has to do it & it is

a grerat honor to be chosen for the last

as only the best & steadiest & most

trustworthy troops can safely be

trusted to carry out such a perilous

task. So, Katie, you can tell anyone

you Mrs McGowen or any body else

who speak against him McCoy that he is not

in the least to blame & probably if

one knew all about Gallipoli he was

not so very much to blame their either

He tried to do his duty. If a lot of

 

 

the people who spoke against him

were in his place they'd have done a

great deal worse. And don't you

believe too soon that your old man

has been skiting

Now your sorted I'll let you off

if you promise not to do it again.

I am anxious to hear how all

the wee people got on together. Did

Gaga Dhusach & the lad like little pucky Did &

[[?gude]]. I hope they did. I am also

wanting now to hear what Gagsy Dhusach thought

of Rose Walker Elliott & if they let her

hold her. Isn't Gaga & dear wee mites

It is funny about the resemblances

Aunt May thought Violet the image

of me. She could hardly take her eyes

off Violet the just right she was at

Gateheads And yet we are not really much

alike. Who do you think is most

like Tikie [[??]] Violet [[? ? ?]]

I am so sorry the black silk was not

with you for Xmas but my later

letter would explain the delay if you

got them. It should have reached

you by now. Old tarkie my