Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, May 1917 - December 1917 - Part 17

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which blistered all my face & made 
it very sore. However that seemed 
to be getting well I went down

on Friday ( this is Sunday) 
night to see Bert Langh at
the Training Battalion. He looks
very well indeed & has already
made a vast difference in things
there. It was a scandal the
slack way that Jackson went
on letting the officers run up
bills for as much liquor as
they liked & go away owing for
it too. & to bring women out to their
huts. All that is changed now
I am glad to say which is. 
great relief to me.
However I arrived back here last
night very tired & the cold wind
of Salisbury Plain had inflamed 
the tender spots  on my face & caused
them to break open again & they
are very sore & horrid looking
today.
I think it is that owing to being 
so much run down I cannot 
throw off this trouble as easily as
I should - so I am going to
submit myself to the Medical Board
tomorrow & do as they advise. I
recognise that after my experience
the last two winter's it would be
very foolish to treat myself.
[*D.R.L 3297 (3^rd s)*]
 

Printed letterhead - see original document.
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in a weak state to the rough
time we are going to get out
there without a doubt. I

am so glad you have such a nice
little home & in such a nice
locality I got your cable all
right but it seems only a very

little time back, I think you

are right about all the babies being
too much of a good thing at
Elwood. I wonder what Lyn

will do now. Perhaps she will
go back to her Mother's place.

it will be sad for her poor girl

but she will only have about
£2 a week pension to live on 
which isn't much these dear

times & goodness know how the 
Government will pay all the 

pensions it has to find money

for these days. I am glad the
wee laddie wasnt damaged by
such a big fall - six feet is a long way
for a wee boy to tumble. Its a wonder
he wasnt all "boke broke up". Dear old girlie
[* D.R.L. 3297 (3^rd s)*]
[* 2 DRL/0513*]
 

It must be a very sad time for you
all just now. I am anxious to hear
just how things are with you.

these days. I don't know what 

to say to cheer you darling

it is all so dreadful but we
must just keep going & 

fight on & trust in God to pull

us through. It is a bitter debt

we will owe these Germans when

all is done. It is dreadful to t
find the Italians surrendering like

that - The Russians - were were bad

enough but - this Italian business
was so unexpected & so unnecessary

as far as one can see they were winning

there all along the line & were just 

bought over or something. One does

not know what may happen next

but in the end we will win through
but many must die to keep our homes
safe so if it comes to me my dear

old lady will be brave & not give
way. I hear they are going to
give us another rest so you need

not be anxious for a long time

again. I was going to send a ag full account

of our boys fight out to the depot but the
censorship is now so strict that one
cannot say much at all. The

weather is keeping very mild

so far - heaps of rain of course

but - no snow. Dear old darling Katie

I love you just about a million & I want‎[
to feel your dear old arms about me once
more. It will be lovely when it is all over
& I have my darlings with me again

[*for always they say the darkest hours are just before the

dawn Well the dawn better just hurry along good
& soon don't you think. millions of love & kisses from your very own

Dida Dony*]

Berners Hotel
11^th Nov 1917
My dear old Katie, 
I’ve written one letter
to you today but reading all through your
letters again I find I havent answered 
them properly, it’s been such a mix up
The moving about doesn’t worry me a bit
I want my darling pets to be as happy & 
comfortable as you can be. I think it
will be very nice down there at Elsternwick
& you will be near the others. I think
there must be one or two of your^ letters missing the
one I have now is dated the 16^thSept. In this one you speak
of a governess who is no good - this is the first
Ive heard of her. It will be lovely to get a nice
photo of you & the bairnies. I like the maps as well
to keep me posted in how they are growing up
I hope I am not long away from the boys & you are not
to worry about me. I eat & sleep well so that
is a good sign of a rapid recovery isn’t it.
I am glad the photos’ for the wee people were not
lost. I think that is the last photo I will
have taken.
Mrs McFarlane letter was very amusing
I was also amused at your ladies
being offended with Keith Murdock
 

2
I know him very well indeed 
& often give him paragraphs for
his papers when he comes to see me 
in France. I dont know who are
the “popular “ officers he is “Boosting’
though. I wish you had sent me
the screed. There are all sorts 
of opinions as to who are popular.
I don’t think I am popular with 
the men while they are here. They
are pretty scared of me. Then
when they get away off they think
over things & find that I tried
to look after them better than others
& they speak well of me when 
they go home. I think that this
is the best test from a soldiers 
point of view: dont you. [[Reb?]]
Jackson tried to be popular by letting
his officers do just as they pleased
yet none of them has a good word
to say for them him.
You were  darling to tell me 
about the table cloths & serviettes
’cause I do want to get you something 
sometimes. I’d like to keep all
your letters but I cannot carry them
 

3
I am always sad when I have
to burn them I called on Mrs
Ronald Dickson the other day. She is
very nice indeed. Not very big & 
not very good looking - she has a
good complictis complexion & a
long oval face like Mrs Lyne & a
mouth like her so that she shows
her teeth when she smiles .- but
very nice all the same.
She has a nice little flat near
Victoria Station in London &
she says she will visit my boys
at the Hospital if I tell her
who are there.
Mrs Buckley was awfully 
good to me there & the nurse
was very good too.
There are all sorts of rumours
about that the First are going to rebel
again & so on. I hope they are
taught a lesson  this time if
they do rebel again. They should
hang about half of them
Millions of love & kisses
from your very own Dida Don
 

Digswell Place
Welwyn
14/11/17

My dear old love,

I wrote to you a few days ago &
today I wrote to Belle. Her letter posted at
the same time as yours did not reach
me until todays. I enclose you a
little note that I got from the little French
lady at Steenbeque. She says,
"Sir
I have received your letter of the 18^th 
(the day) before yesterday. I thank you for
the news ^that you sent (communicate).
Unfortunately they are very sad.
Believe me, sir, that all the family

shares with you the cruel blow which
has struck you & sends you
their deepest sympathy.
Father was very sorry not to
meet you on your last visit to
Steenbecque & he hopes very much
to receive a visit from you on
your next return from the front
We have had the pleasure of having
my brother home on leave for 10 days
He has left us full of courage
& determined always to do his 
duty bravely
[*the words in brackets are understood & not put in)*]
 

My parents & my family & M.
Fieux & Mademoiselle Yvonne,
their best remembrances & wish you
"good luck".
[*(This gentleman and his daughter Yvonne are friends of theirs. The daughter plays the piano beautifully)*]
The last part is the way the French ending
their letters - it corresponds to ours
"yours sincerely" Literally it is 
"receive, sir, the assurance of my
feelings most respectful feelings (or
sentiments or regards) only they say
"my  feelings regards, the most respectful".
Here endeth the lesson dearie pet
but I'm afraid you'll be a long time
learning French from me. I can red
it quite well but have mighty little
idea of speaking it or writing it
correctly. One can guess such
a lot from the context when you

have the writing before you. I

also enclose a note I got from
my 2^nd Cousin Admiral F. Loftus
Tottenham C.B. I told you I think
that I met him & his wife in London
last time I was on leave. I liked
him very much & her too but she
 

as I thought myself & as Mrs Edwards
confirmed was always a bit of Mrs Curtney "importance”

" she was always 'Mrs Admiral" if you
know what I mean & heaps above everybody
else not so high up & very gushing
of course to anyone higher up in the 
scale. But Mrs Edwards said " Henry
is a dear"....

 

Digswell Place
Welwyn
herts
16/11/17
My darling Katie love,
I have dear -

such loving letters from you
by this mail 23^rd, 2^nd & 20^th Sept. - all at once,
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all over. But I do wonder when this silly old
war will be over. I've still got Capt (Noro
[[Ingios?]] Steel) with me. After studying him
quite a lot I find I can manage
with him by doing all the thinking
myself & just letting him issue the
necessary orders. Even then in this
last stunt by not passing on all
the orders to all the people who should 
have got them he caused a lot of bother,
but he is improving. Of course it all
meant in the heavy fighting that
a very great deal of added
anxiety fell upon me & it all
helped to get me down. I am very
much improved in health but you
would laugh to see me - they wont
let me shave because the razor was spreading
the infection & every little nick was becoming