Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, January 1917 - April 1917 - Part 9

28/3/17
my devier nate        
I am afraid I bar
her oodly neglectiry you thes lost
treck. But & have ben fighting
& marching all the wextt long

my fo sarhe
Haking a name to themseloss
They lad out reached the Britert
& aver the Aurtilian & fo threy
while day ere ever absolutlly
pridder tadvance one step
further to allow the other to
catet up or east side of us
Every day then was some new
explrst that brought cinatuti
to badtate o throther
Bert Layt & Henast will east
get th .M.S.I thonk & tench
will get the D. I the dont the
gure solly well ought to wer
the t Commander s Si
yough who it is good is the
g reatest fighte n pance & who uldo
proms dryone actually came
Mory restridgy to see usd senve
days before in nent ine nattapt
 

lapt Pierce t lake note of my
mithto attock which will
simply sparolygen the lt
Booch. Capt Nea yu Communuct
not Reported came alonalis&
vade conon notes about all
on perfornances is you should
near all about it lave before this
ceaches you. Numbers off t 197
has done waredousl bave
thergs for me Lester o this
We had taten a Vellage. The Broche
made an altacy &got wind it
We had an oppeci mme with
b mchiree giv in a ruined
prom then. They got cut off ta
part 1f 10 of the eninp picke
oer whe got leteree them & us
The officer just a loddee he is no
Her called on his men tollow
him & let them rightent
the Brocher shorting otty
right & cott. The party had one eas
&ore wvinded p
got then on
a way rakly no ws earl athe
morning sephr daw that daes two
 

Leadtorn
 

2917
 

boocher got into a mied house
woinded oof on over myingfon
a blecy t will. Frod Gransmen
wrere bit its duk Heran gota
rifle shayolt bn crentout alont
get thed pooe hes in reverge. He ceanle
upto the house & peped in the door. te
mr on sorche pust withher with at
his shoulder ready t motthther
standng neve with thei lacks to hem
Iaking careful am be shot the
Dorchey who was giving the sefle through
the sead Killerken St deadnt
other got a terubl fright & jumped on
a mined wall & startedd
sa home
erv then done an our empty
gun & neged that of the dead Boscke
& shot the escaping me deadalss
Then be rearched wl t bodie brogh
in come very viluable paper from
the pirt one without other Borches
ppo mnall about the place eng
him anthat mast 8
an endey his nam
i forthS
I do hope be sits it. We cantied
retan bu ave heve gav t
8
 

light & a trenchmortar. Thus Seneh
bad t direction affares or the
occasin Kewart Layh oDenenhy have
ke imply pleaid I an sor
not I not doran drarshall
awoitth school as he would bave
dont ppludedly here as hnmer
would follow hem anywhere
The Borches one playng, all porte flow
don tricks. They have som up every
hor except mhen & thn nearlyall
thee have clockwosk tok hidde
any wewher them the town lale
at Bayon
left gent good

& the P.M.P.A. people toote itm
a a conting. Then oneday it weat
Bang & turied about 3men.
Iwhilst Bob toueth mer were gute
then sut a guad of Sernar pur
payred by. Ohe was met a wolther
he guinned at om men whe were
carryng out the poor crurted wretite
& called out some jury In a mon
all the oner dipped then wrrk x
maged roud them D anther
n minutertheyd rall all be
 

thaw tree left in
hanging
Banpaume fist la pol Sith
toppered to be on the Spot & got the
oner to lef ther off ganen the
might scarld lot of Bosces
in that party & n more geering fom
them. We lave been getting
Fran
conratulation letely dene t
ate o will lave bedt
$
o kaybe nn Ithing
to
likely IlltPB ot of the lot
hereby be sot more fighting yet.
To you must kegpan proning your
old yon will have wiodocouge
worthy hi isl to for I lavent d
a mgl theng wrone & taken all
-all & everyore go astousted
at the mleren of the lan with
which ire ear accomplised is
much to ae not a igleoffer
las ben killes thongs m was
rather ladly wouded & thiee a
ou other ightly wouded. I suppose
about 60 mer have been reccled & alout
300 wonder for over a creeks fighting &
lare at lime
th erna
 

ben imply dreadful. I one beap i a
mke ond when on wechigges
caught then then 10 dead pele
a o each othe th
ercape from the plan of Bullet
We lave had about 26 presomn
After oe attack the Bosche made
lpatillage at las gagned
we got ompresn He ase im if to
thought his Regiment with come
again. He said in Bornan no theyse
had a norfull This is a ser

expyersin gralent tout Bellsull
Bat thaugh I give ml

noshence

a

what semthe sene
eltdemcual
Diga es to have a rest in surday
becel write & tell tem now he hay
soldies
yo pusted dow tlast
of tt wll & clair thold trnon
for muile Killedl a lat & they dieed
to stophd a little new wale the
ad biild & Sidai loys kn
en
it don okilld tome
 

France
My dess peolon
9/311-
I renover lad asip
chance of writing to you in eeply
to your letter of the B1s Gar
what I woo put delighted sccd
a breek or so ago. ad
neeoneetp
We arelack lavers a yitte nst
today we mnisted by lgst nght
Iitoned dearly hare lored to tare
purted or & siptade to otpe hetl
Vellages fom the exery, I ad all th
poor
a ready itt
toyere so peed out rad sone
it ppladidly that thate
Densenal senpal Mend Dlate
inout I nised in Hjedio I
am more pleased than u now
because the gain is jout coming
downir sheets & although
here
all the dellage an jent cnly
mens for the Bophe ke b
all at before we lift yet in sts
of it att throm car my uy slling
amongs the remt Reothen
 

pretty dry & bast is guit impomill
closts of the enery. Butevenve
is deighted tb any portd
& plart of the druckeb. &uther
one ly cgaratuely carly rec
a Beet tle. The gras is Popin
py& it is wile te alle to cante
all over the helds. The old Brocke
cnnud fight very well is thoope
& my boy were ping it out &a
he
leand
eaper for the sob. It is et
e them fight. Tey outosif
tey were songta hrade nevl
a check or galt & then see
the do Brocher ping out & in
forthen live we igit a pe
hundred youd poo them & om
gous oft upon the a mark
then as they net to cover. M
of the world. we
as just the ir
for camnatter
sare had a gro
wank po stell fin The Borche
tt thot
re the guita
ther be as noot a a dinch. We
are collectiry quit a mce lotg
hophen to nill home machene
 

Yous, drench mostar & tarh
lighty I hope they whow thenin
t depos i the peoplecan se
tut then boys hare done
m nothing of gucky
I fear they are likeen
our a spell panyde
e oery tome alon t redine.I
ran Geordee day before yesterday
He is very well. Tanrem
a pot le wheve als3
same out. One of my doctor me
was killef this teme while we ever
inthe pont. I am glad mrs geaker
got the oews of her boy all right
Poor lady it is nary red. Ido
hope yur faiell gave ruply. I got
a ty shiny black leather Serno
Bilmet with all ports of the ban
spikes & soden over it This is bng
sent orme to blard by a officer
who is gond ovr thete in ado
or ten Henill put it in a box
& reginted at & send it out the
saddie sont lethen bi soldier
lat is coming etil it come the