Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, May 1917 - December 1917 - Part 1

 

France

4/5/17 

Dearest Sunshine Lady

I have just got                  

your letter of the 23^rd Feb which came 

right out of its turn the one dated the

4^th Feb but is evidently 4^th March because

the first 23rd was just when you arrived at

the new home & the others - a fat one - was ^written when

you had been there some time. I think I have

got all the letters now all right but it's a queer old

way they come. Isn't it strange that Jacky

boy never dropped me a line to tell me he had

gone to Hospital. I never heard a word till I

got your letter. Their His people are a good distance

from us & I mostly used to hear of him

through Bob Smith but the latter is now

with a N.S.W. Brigade although in the

same Division. Did I thank you for the

lovely notepaper & the other parcels that came

with the speckly socks & all the other nice little

things. Thank you just about a million you

dear darling old loving wifelet. Katie dearest

would you like sometimes to send me just a 

teeny tiny packet of tea. Owing to duty 

tea is almost 10/- all in France & hardly

anyone drinks it. It is a luxury pure &

simple. All the poor people drink cheap wine

& the others coffee or more expensive wine.

The [[?]] tea if you have it weak as I 

like it is tasteless & without flavour. If

you make it strong it is black & bitter but

no flavour at all. The coffee is very good

indeed - mostly you buy the essence. The Cocoa 

is in Tins - Cocoa & milk & I don't like

it much. Perhaps it is not made properly but

sometimes I am just longing for a cup of

nice fresh tea like Katie  you used to make.

Owing to the sinking of so many ships there is real

danger that our rations which have been simply

wonderful up to date maybe seriously curtailed

in the future. it makes us laugh now & then

those wonderful tales in our papers of the

"Alarming Germans" Well do you know what

- Well a damned An old Bosch came over 

& surrendered the other day to us & he had

a great big bag of bread with him because

their papers all said "we" were starving.

No doubt their poor people are

suffering dreadfully but there is not

the least doubt that the army face full

 

 

and plenty & have no notion of ending

the war except in their favor so take 

no notice of what the papers say in

this respect in the future. We are still

resting. I am taking the opportunity

of running a school for officers &

non coms. But I doubt we will

not be much longer at rest. Today we had

an order to be prepared to move at

4 hours notice so I expect will soon

be hard at it again. The boys are a picture

of health but there is an epidemic of

Influenza complicated by a mild form

of Trench fever in many cases & quite a

number have had to go away. All the 

people you know are well though. Do you

remember Billy Williams who used to play

footy football for the Varsity wing, full back, just behind Geordie

a Doctor man. He rose to be a Colonel - Dr man in the A.M.C.

Well he was killed by a shell the other day.

I was so sorry to hear it. He was such

a good chap. We are having Divisional

Sports tomorrow & my boys are very 

keen to win again. I think they will

 

 

too. Young Scurry has just come back again

I have fixed him up with a good lovely job

for him. Chief Instructor at a

Trench Mortar School. There ho

will be safe & comfortable & doing

work which will just suit him

down to the ground for he is one of the

very best Instructors I've ever had

Anything to do with & when he gets

tired of it he can always come

along to us. I am so pleased when

I can help the boys along. I think

De Ravin will be coming along to me

soon. He wants to too. But poor old

Bartin got a dressing down from his

General Man for daring to apply to

come across to me. It does make me

angry the number of Speritky Jimmy

Courtney officers you meet round

the place & the way they get on by smoozing

& flattering - It is beyond belief. I may never

get on Katie dear but Katie I could not

swallow - the things they do - I'd sooner be a private     

than free it & the men know them for what they

are. Do you know while I was in London

 

recently it was actually suggested that

I should stand for Parliament they

said the returned solders vote alone

would put me in but I wasn't taking

any.

It is still very nice weather.- thank

Heaven. The ground will soon get nice

& crumbling even where the hedge was.

It is good ground for that & the grass is

springing up beautifully everywhere

We have had lots of French people up

here searching the ruins of their homes

for money. One found ₣2000 & a lot

of family papers quite safe. Another

got quite a lot of wine. The poor

bodies were quite delighted to get

it again.

France

14/5/17

My dearest Katie,

Your letters of the

18^th & 19^th March reached me while I was

up in the front line again & hardly

knowing how I would ever get out

again. I is said that the Bosche

has never subjected any position

to such an awful bombardment

as he did this position we were

holding but my boys stuck it

out in the end & not only

did that but when I planned

a little attack by way of

keeping our end up they

fairly jumped at the chance

& put up a glorious fight

I enclose some documents

which will help you to 

understand it. It was

One of the best little stunts

we have put up so far & 

too much cannot be paid for

the pluck & energy of Col Denehy's

boys. It was simply magnificent.

When I was getting a letter to

one of the officers typed out I thought

it would be a good idea & save

myself much trouble if I got an

entire copy struck off for you to

read. I will send a copy &

Mrs Marshall so they can tell

all the people about the bravery

of their boys. I am going to

recommend young Moor for the V.C.

for carrying on with his jaw broken 

& then other wounds as well.

It is very nice that

the wee people have a nice little friend

already. What did you think of 

Dorothy & Ruth .Did you speak to

them. It will be lovely if they like

going to school. Tell them Dida is just

delighted to hear they are going to school

& wants them to learn such a lot there

I'm afraid that Russia wont be

much good to us for a long time
Katie. A lot of labor ministers have
got into power & they only think of
giving the soldiers a good time
to get their votes. Abolishing
Saluting & voting for the election
of officers sound all right to the
private soldier but are liable to
lead to his being soundly licked
on the day of battle. Already
the Bosche is fighting fiercely
for every foot of ground & is
bringing men from Russia to
help. In England they have

actually raised the age limit to
50. What they expect to get from
these old grandfathers goodness only

knows. I hope the young loafers
in Australia are soon brought
to their senses now Hughes is back
with plenty of votes behind him.
I'm afraid there be no 'versary this
year darling unless you come to England
to visit                                            Auntie
going to give her house to lonely soldiers"
he met her. They were only with each
other a week weren't they?
Poor old Bert Layh got mixed up

with a gas shell & had to go
away. I am very hopeful he
will be all right but that gas 
is awful stuff. It often seems
to cause a sort of consumption
in people who have ^ once got into it.
The cure lies in perfect rest for a good  long
time

time. I suppose poor old Tivey will be
more jealous than ever now but I am just
the Right [[?]] with our little fussisty
General man. wonder how long it will
last-. Oh the prize