Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, January 1917 - April 1917 - Part 10

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

Page 1 / 10

you can morary it do tks it oot & them by all the pretty have things upon it until it took rike gold & the premp it toth Eddieboy for fida, d tha puett the ler eyerac tr that i got rbn sed Dear comwet I uupposether I will be o excitemnt from bett people other they see Wenne Rynell new Baky I rad a letter from Welpes avery th ottnday. He is a lopten the Dumethy Conpan& Regee w con inf the sr porsiat I mut tryds smething for tey soneda I am delighted tth mee people lord vorks Kiplings gard he Kone ought He on our bosterheloes somention at I bought it lnggo I think it we stell ther when I It is rather a lare sare His no very thak though
I wns ery intented to your stone of te wil people. The laddie was sart to ey that a teetotmet &a pito to top all out of his ltte head. Hat day light sarg them must te prnnyouthere. Hese it doesn't sen trake a lopplth of differnce. We put our clock so at him the other night There is a very long twilight here & it stadmite that otheri t fm atent tore oI goxa row withmy hocaptan segz the othecaye was very lozg getting out of ded in the onorring & the charge o th tue made it nen all the cork to him But the the morning the old Broche trok it into his head to attack my outhosty I mouled the doret a burry & syn disnt get enpaguiately by he night have sone isI with him he anoyueda but checky is I rent him into t rren wither note ryng I did not wrsnt hm any thke
lancy be got wvited up a fit I dont thenk I will bave bin an moe. I never guite liked him. Heir a mee bt endected & ner couldita conceit a office. I very muyndeed thear alone you ol I Terbridge. Have had a good many aamaltuanys theobut yp of my real old prads 2 sah larl to ray I lave ncommulled Lah& thirt Mr.M. ss Ht Dinehy yu D.S.O. aflded very true brosk & I hope tha say get their reward Hey met darlyn long wtle gidleo god then may you & the dear melitly boonre pet rape mnd for hidd milh cove& tim for youtthen om yor very
My om deaas Kater France I have your 30/3/12 letter of the 23rd gonn Atlens got it some days ago but I was is tery when I got it that when Spicken itup today in my writing can I could just tremeber eing sead it through I will beglas t know what you thought of the but & rent him I an in one of the nanan that it was in by tthe Senidon Rilles Wasn't that nice. I am delighted. I will like to kn the orce pet mights too so I lare a lot of valualle infornation from you when m ment letter coes I am poys you are io long about pudir a wye wh yon need a 1 charge is badl
must keep your health matere Whilst Tendsorce in aod or the ast time e poterghe people arsed me thave my phot lates ther Dannatir will the P.M.S. I met the proope & said I had no objecton to them publishing any of the threeposition. Sestu t but me a complimentacy lop of each. sreryine my they we very good. So todayd on prtire then e you dow md all three asut hme Ter thar it Toly t n. I think yo will like th pill gace with to had everyme I think likes that one bond new t joysy tho pllfac without tn bat but nearly alloe round to the ne at last & r
they like it best. I do too the amnt retouched outa lived duit & it waketh th particute eye seen very natural. The pople on i just to show you that sold nor rogetting may white about the temples not just as he is getting very sald up on the lop at ou head asge will see by the one withou thelat any posting you a copy of the Angae Bulleter. Wwill sire you an edea of the lighters We General Trys pertle teist into Banpanne & after that we purhed a must warte thar he did I got right lwny out into the country ent wheks Bulleter whih I will get & rad & you will leet you all aboud that. General sively made suh a wwank about cantaring Baupaume that be is the pke of the whole place the is know as Lord Zevey of Bay wont misd he pussed up when she bear that o Mrs Denga
was telling me that the smply lozes people t writd to her as Lady derey & nerce correct then & litle then they are guit wrong crent some people gurklet BBel Byth way tell Kal she xeednt clorry about Bob & mith getting ahead of me. He barrita hope at present. My boys lavedove sowill recently- is narkedly feter as anythe others that it nam poirly certain that if another magt General is ever wanted will git it. put it is novr too gwere to aboolutely count on then therg ss, I gu not goingt do o. As long ar tho Loys good work ts recognized that it all asnt & I swuld rate tleave then now e for ponotion icare I could no longer watet over them. But you must pray lard in me an pt of thas I wont make mistakes & the hurto
I pray boys bit alays a the right thing as I have done othe presuite Hll the oer reen tbe getting uouderful confidene & it ould can done your beard good t res the day the 59602 50 me wnt nt action jut As steady as if they wirl or parade & transtart a lite woree of the Ballets Gevelne severy wies sephen your kobtan with the 59th grns killed be tell. We snt the tody into Baxan t general yeny whe could ene est properly furned & a tronbolone put agon it. decrasamry fine ladd guitt yog ts. well demost I have writh just about all the news since yesterday when I wrote a pul ong leter t your. moulder A. Gnd hen Okey setest you now & always - You the peparlen fot em ell tloe & kroow t meall yr m Teryo tndn
1 P.S. could tyom please pick out a conples Age ycypistan ys card o victorio eevery Mas. Fefor Mor Mfalo Newa Ioant to guve then to didi was onar ieori topt then fo 3fon mather te wilt anyts derned makes ffthe t yer po
Iame My desirst Katro a/4/12 gust a few lines. I hear there is a mail clomyfor Austratia today We hav had a very quiet day or two Gertiday then wo a lt of excitenets whe a Brocke stucoplance came onr &en up one of our Captive Ballown guts mean. We wan lany church Parad at the time & son a paid thetozs didnt pay muchattention & theparm fr a vit Bernagreat sight noth our sh or the Ballon jumped out aho the Ballon caught fre. they give thang parcohete now & boch excaped inhut

if you can manage it. dearie
Take it out & shine up all the
pretty brass things upon it until
it looks like gold & then present
it to the wee laddie boy from his
Dida. Never  mind thanking me for the
pretty things darling -your eyes will
do that for me I know when I
see you again. Dear loving sweet
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx. I suppose there 
will be more excitement for our little
people when they see Winnie Bignell's
new Baby. I had a letter from Wilfred
Avery this Thursday. He is a Captain in
the Tunnelling Company & Reg is a
non Com in the 8th Division. I must
try to do something for Reg some day
I am delighted the wee people love
books. Kipling's "Just So" stories ought
to be on our bookshelves somewhere
dearie pet. I bought it long ago &
I think it was still there when I
left. It is rather a large square
book not very thick though - 

 

I was very interested in your stories
of the wee people. The laddie was
smart to say that a teetotum must
be a sort of a top all out of his little
head. That old daylight saving Scheme
must be funny out there. Here it 
doesn't seem to make a tuppence
of difference. We put our clocks
on an hour the other night. There
is a very long twilight here & it is
rather an advantage than otherwise
here. For some men it used to seem
ridiculous. I had a row with my
Staff Captain Legge the other day. He
was very lazy getting out of bed in
the mornings & the change in the time
made it seem all the worse to him
But the other morning the old Bosche
took it into his head to attack
my outpost & I wanted things
done in a hurry & Legge didn't get
up as quickly as he might have done
so I sorted him & he answered a
bit cheeky so I sent him into
the Division with a note saying
I did not want him any more

 

I fancy he got sorted up a bit &
I don't think I will have him any
more. l never quite liked him. He is
a wee bit conceited & never could stand
conceit in an officer. I am
very sorry indeed to hear about
poor old Mr Trowbridge. I have
had a good many casualties amongst
the boys but very few of my real
old friends I am glad to say.
I have recommended Layh &
Stewart for C.M.G's & Denehy
for a D.S.O. All did Very fine
work & I hope they may get
their reward.
Dear sweet darling loving wifelet
goodbye & God bless & keep you
& the dear wee little loving sweet
pets safe & sound for Dida. Millions
of love & kisses for you & them
from your very own
Dida Don

 

France
30/3/17
My own dearest Katie,
I have your
letter of the 23rd January. At least I
got it some days ago but I was so
busy when I got it that when I picked
it up today in my writing case
I could just remember having read
it through. I will be glad to know
what you thought of the Cup I sent home.
I saw in one of the papers that it
was won by the old "Essendon
Rifles" Wasn't that nice. I am
delighted. I will like to know
the wee pets weights too so I have a
lot of valuable information from
you when your next letter comes.
I am sorry you are so long about
finding a house when you need a
change so badly 

 

You
must keep your health whatever.
Whilst I was over in London this
last time "Elliott & Fry" the big
photographer people asked me
to go & have my photo taken there
in connection with the C.M.G.
I saw the proofs & said I had
no objection to them publishing
any of the three positions. Yesterday
they sent me a Complimentary Copy
of each. Everyone says they were 
very good. So today I am
posting them over to you. Now
mind all three are to be your
very very own & you are not
to part with them to anybody
'cept when you die, to your dear
wee bairnies. I think you will
like the full face one with the hat
everyone I think likes that one
Some seem to fancy the full face
without the hat but nearly all come
round to the xx ^other one at last.& say 

 

they like it best. I do too. They
have not retouched out all
the lines quite & it makes the
eyes ^particularly seem very natural. The
profile me is just to show you
that your old man is getting very
white about the temples now
just as he is getting very bald
up on top of his head as you
will see by the one without the hat.
I am posting you a copy of the
"Anzac Bulletin." It will give
you an idea of the fighting. We &

General Tivey's people were the first
into Baupaume. & after that we
pushed on much faster than he
did & got right away out into the
country. Next weeks Bulletin
which I will get & send to you
will tell you all about that.
General Tivey made such a swank
about "capturing" Baupaume that
he is the joke of the whole place & he
is known as "Lord Tivey of Baupaume"
Wont Mrs "T". be puffed up when
she hears that. Mrs Duigan 

 

was telling me that she simply
loves people to write to he as
"Lady Tivey" & never corrects them
& tells them they are quite wrong.
Aren't some people ^a joke. given the lets
By the way tell Baaby ^Belle she
neednt worry about Bob x Smith
getting ahead of me. He hasn't a
hope at present. My boys have done
so well recently - so markedly
better than any of the others that
it seems fairly certain that if
another Major General is ever
wanted your old man I will get it.
But it is never too wise
to absolutely count on these
things so I am not going to
do so. As long as the boys good
work is recognized that is all I
want & I should hate to leave
them now even for promotion
in case I could no longer
watch over them. But you must
pray hard for me dearie pet so that
I wont make mistakes to the hurt of 

 

my poor boys but always do
the right thing as I have done to the
present. All the men seem to be
getting wonderful confidence & it
would have done your heart
good to see the way the 39th &
58th Bns went into action just
as steady as if they were on
parade & taking not a bit of
notice of the Bullets. General
Tivey wifes nephew young Robb was
with the 59th & was killed by a
Shell. We sent the body into Baupaume
to General Tivey so he could have
it properly buried & a tombstone 
put up over it. He was a very
fine laddie quite young too.
Well dearie pet I have written
just about all the news since
yesterday when I wrote a fairly
long letter to you. By now dearie
sweetest pet. God bless & keep
you now & always.- You & the dear
wee darling pet bairnies. Millions
of love & kisses to you all from your
Very own Dida Don

 

P.S. Could you please
pick out a couple of
dozen nice picture
post cards of Victoria
Scenery.- ^Big Trees, Treeferns
Mount Buffalo Views as
I want to give them to
Mrs Edwards who was
very good to me & Geordie
If you post them to me
I can send them to
her with any notes
I could make on them
for her information

 

France
2/4/17
My dearest Katie,
Just a few lines as
I hear there is a mail
closing for Australia today.
We have had a very quiet
day or two. Yesterday there
was a bit of excitement when
a Bosche Aeroplane
came over & blew up one
of our captive Balloons quite
near. We were having church
Parade at the time & I am
afraid the boys didnt pay
much attention to the parson
for a bit. It was a great
sight. Both our observers
in the Balloon jumped
out when the Balloon
caught fire. They give
them parachutes now
& both escaped unhurt

 


 

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