Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, January 1917 - April 1917 - Part 7

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might have happened raid or no raid. But the effect of

being up all night & the excitement sent my temperature

away to glory up & the Doctor man Capt Borg said he

wouldn't be responsible if I didn't go away & sent me 

to the Field Ambulance but our new General Man cried

right off & got me three weeks special leave & I was sent

off at once in a Special Motor car to here at Boulogne

& should have been nearly to England by now as the boat

was to leave at half past ten but owing to the fog our departure
has been put off until half past three & perhaps longer if the

fog is still bad. But you needn't be alarmed Katie I feel

perfectly fit & well & I will take good care of myself in

England. Our little General Man was very good. He said I

must not on any account hurry back. I promised not

to do so if he would wire for me when any big attack was

contemplated, which he said he would do. The Ambulance

Dr said I would be very lucky to be back in six weeks

But he doesn't know what a tough old stock ^bird I am

& the fact that I have never had an illness in all my life except that

attack of Pleurisy last year, must tell in my favour.
 

-4-

But your progress must be telling in my favor

dearie pet because everything I do these days

seems to go right. I sorted up old General

Birdwood over some officers again & he didn't

take it a bit badly this time. He even promised to

get rid of them for me when opportunity offered so it

all paid in the end didn't it. They can see now that my

Boys are trained better than the others & it is because I

insisted on getting rid of the wasters. I am so pleased

as muffin dearie pet about it all. I do hope I'll be able to

get well & back with my boys soon I feel sure that one only

has to take careful preparation as the French do now

& we could save hundreds of lives. Our artillery &

trench mortars are so perfect now that it is only very

occasionally that we should have to charge in the old

Bull at a Gate fashion. When our boys get into the
 

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German trenches they find what was left of the Garrison
literally paralized by fear so much that they had
to catch hold of them & drag them out of their
little dugouts. Not a single man of ours was hurt until
the thing was all over & we our boys started back to go home
& when some were caught by the enemy's fire but as I said
even then the total casualties were nothing to speak of. It is wonderful
how young Scurry trained those Trench Mortar men of my
Brigade. If ever anyone deserved his decoration that boy
did. When he gets home you tell his mother that I said so

& my word should go a long way. All the news points to the

probability that Duigan will not be fit for a long time for

a climate like north France so Norman Marshall will

almost certainly get that Battalion. I could not wish

for a better man. Well my dear Katie love. there is

nothing but a heap of "Skits" in this letter is there. If I

get the Legion of Honor I will have to start a 2nd row of medals

xxx as the top one is quite full already although I wear mine more there

already than some officers. Five in all as you will see by the clip I put

into a letter to Baaby. Bert Layh has given me his D.S.O. to have

[*sent to Mrs Lahy [[?]] to the Commonwealth Bank. it looks

very pretty. You must get her to show you it some day. Bert is

very proud of it. Bye xx xxx pet. Millions of love & kisses from your

very own Dida Don *]

 

 

THE BERNERS HOTEL

BERNERS STREET.

LONDON 21^st Feb 1917

Dearest Kit,

I am today posting

you a letter I wrote at

Boulogne on the way over

but as it has Genl Birdwoods

telegram in it I will

register it so it won't

be lost. I am to go before 

a medical Board

tomorrow to see if they

will send me for to a hospital

or just let me prowl 

around on leave.

Probably if they do I will

go & stay with Mrs

 

 

Edwards for a time.

I feel a lot big heap better

today. I had a real

lovely big hot bath nearly

scalded myself to death

& a lovely shower after. I

do feel clean. First Bath

I've had for a month

& first decent one since

we went to the Somme

front. Water plenty of it

is a great blessing. Kiss

the dear wee people for Dida.

Millions of love & kisses . No 

sign of Geordie yet.

Bye million loves dear old lady

from your very own Dida Don.

 

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Bryn Oerog, 

Nr Llangollen.

2^nd March 1917

My dearest Katie,

I am having

a most delightful holiday

up here. Every one is as

kind as possible to me

& I shall be very sad when

I have to leave them. They

are quite different to when

I was here last year. Pattie

Edwards told me she was 

scared to death of me last

time & this accounted no

doubt for the stiffness

that was always apparant

with her. Now she is

 

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more like a young sister

to me than anything

else & I like her very

much indeed. I have not

seen much of our Cousin

Gertie this time. Only

once for a few minutes at

afternoon tea.

Yesterday Mrs Edwards

took me to Chester a

lovely old town with 

such quaint old houses

I have got some Views

of it to send out to 

you. I am so sorry you

were not here with me

 

 

- 3 -

It would be lovely to take you round with 

me & tell you about the rethings for I have

read so much about them in History that

it is like meeting old friends to see them

I am feeling quite well again. so dont

be worrying your dear old head about 

me at all. There is nothing much in the

way of news dearie. Our people seem to

be getting a bit of a move on in France & the

Germans are falling back, but it will only be

to take up a stronger position to the rear

Bye now dear old wifelet Love to Baaby

& the dear wee pet bairnies & millions of

kisses from your very own

Dida Don

 

THE BERNERS HOTEL

BERNERS STREET.

LONDON 12^th March 1917

My dearest love,

I have just got

about a lot million of the dearest

lovliest letters from you & lots

of photos of the dear little 

pets so I am very happy. I

have had very little time

for writing as I have been

pretty busy. The last few

days I spent with Geordie

at Mr Scotts house at

Hendon. They were very

kind indeed to us. Geordie

has been give an extra

weeks leave & he is very

pleased. He will continue

to stay there. I have to

go back to France today

I am sad not at going back

but at the big hole I have

[* P.S. Ask Violet about this Mr

Scott is Aunt Mary Elliott's (Uncle Rob's widow) brother &

is very nice. *]

 

 

- 2 -

made in the £50 I had saved 

up for you. But I'll try

big & hard to save up before

June again. Tell Mrs 

Marshall that I got a

remittance of £100 from

Melbourne by wire which

I assume came form

the Comforts fund but no

letter of advice yet. I

shall hand the money over

to our Brigade Committee

of which Colonel Stewart

is President. to decide as

to its expenditure.

I went to Buckingham

Palace & got my C.M.G. on

Saturday. It is very pretty

I got my St Annes Cross

also. I have taken all my

spare kit from Cooks & left

it out at Mr Scotts place

That will save storage feeS.

Tell Baaby & Nana & the dear

wee pets I have their letters &

will write as soon as ever

I get back to France. I hope

you got all my letters dearie

[* I write every few days. I have a letter from Mrs

Roberts too. Tell her I will answer soon. 

The weather is very bad again. Bye love

Millions of kisses from Dida Don *]