Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, May 1917 - December 1917 - Part 21

 

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& sparkles in the sunlight - for after

snow the sun often shines out brightly

but is so low in the sky that it 

has no power to speak of - it is

almost dark by four o'clock ie as

dark as it ever gets when the weather

is fine. On a cloudy night it gets

like pitch. But as I was saying in the 

sun the snow crystals sparkle until

the branches look as if they were all set

with diamonds.

I am heap lonely for letters dearie pet. I

hope you are not worrying too much about

all that has taken place. Try to think

that all is for the best - but I wish I

knew how you all were..

   What a funny old world this is Katie

darling? I enclose a negative & print

of Geordie's grave. The officer buried next

him is Capt. H.S. Dickenson of

the 57th Bn. He used to be Col Stewarts

Adjutant & was very fond of him

PTO

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Well dearie old pet I don't think

I have much ^more to tell you. All the ^my
Colonels are well though at times

Denchy looks as if he had pretty

nearly reached the limit.

I am hoping to get from

Col Mason by next mail some

news about Dalzill for you

They gave it to me before but

I did not keep it by me

so had to ask for it again.

Now dear old sweetheart love

I must say goodbye. I feel

somehow very lonely. I don't

care much for any of my present

Staff. They are quite different

to the last lot. Wreck & Legge

& the others. I have a whole new

lot quite strangers to me & there

is no comparison in their work.

But never mind Katie dear

so long as you love me just a million

-just the same as when we wed - dear

nothing else really matters. If I said

(lines pasted over)

you & keep you safe always - Love from your very own Dida

 

France

31st Dec 1917

1

Dear old Katie

Here its is the last day of

this sad old year 1917. I think it has held

more of sadness & disappointment than any

other year of my life. I am particularly

in the Blues today. It is bitterly cold

& there is nearly a couple of feet of snow

on the ground. There have been no

home letters for more than a month.

Australia has turned down Conscription 

again & England is as short of men

that she needed everyone we could give 

her. Having no news I dont know what

position my business is in with Roberts

& it is very worrying. I enclose a note I

got from Col Marmor Dalziel & Crow,

We have really no news of them. As was

so after the caos in that Fromelles fight

these men just went out & disappeared.

I have no hope whatever that either of them

is still alive.

I enclose also note I got from the Australian

Kit Store showing that Geordie's stuff has all

been packed up & sealed & dispatched

to Lyn at home. Uncle Scott thought that in view of the

difficulties of shipping it would be adviseable

to send all the stuff through the Kit store

as they assured him that every possible

precaution would be taken against pilfering

by sealing all the packages & insuring

them. My dearie There is nothing to tell you

PTO.

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I have given Col Marshall 14 days leave 

to England & he went off a couple of days

back looking very happy indeed. The boys

have a good deal of fun in the snow tobagganing

down the hills in sledges & snowballing. Doctor

Dory had his forehead cut open & ^Capt Bob Rolland

broke his leg. They are both in the 60^th Battn &

they seem to have been a bit careless or

reckless. Stewart Denchy & Mason are

all well. Lt Simpson of the 60^th who was

badly hit & invalided to Australia has come

back to us. His right L arm is still very

much withered. He says he met you over there.

I think I remember you telling me about him

   Some days Mrs Garbutt who lives in South

Yarra may visit you. Her husband was our

old Headmaster at Ballarat College. I have

just been able to send her son to a School

in England & I wrote to her & gave her your

address. So she may call.

It is very sad not getting any letters. The 

snow is keeping the Bosche pretty quiet but

I expect there will be a big fight as soon

as thing get a bit drier. I wonder what

the people in Australia are thinking of. One

cannot wonder at the boys here voting against

conscription with the people at home encouraging

them. If you had a referendum tomorrow as to

whether they would go home you would find

most of them or at least those who voted for NO

putting down their names to go. They have

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not the same class ^spirit at all as the old men we had

The difficulty once was to restrain their impatience

^for action now we find men clearing out to avoid going

into the line at all.

I suppose there are now hundreds of men

serving sentences of imprisonment rather than

go into the line. This is because we

have not punishment of death for those who

wont to their duty.

All the other forces serving shoot anybody

who won't do their duty. But Our lovely govt

wont do that but puts them in gaol. & keeps

them safe until after the war. As they

feel certain that as soon as the war ends they will

be let off all punishment & taken home the cold footers

don't mind this a bit & when we have let some

out on suspended sentences they just clear off

again. There need only be one or two shot to stop all

this. I don't know of any particular news that

is going around Katie love. I am by heap ^very lonely

for you. I see no hope of the war finishing for

long & long yet unless we give in. This failure of

Conscription seems to me the first stage of giving

up & all our sacrifices will be in vain.

It is all a hopeless muddle as far

as I can see. Millions of love & kisses for

you & the dear wee pets God bless you all

I have arranged today to remit you £50

in the usual way. I expect it will be some

time before it comes along. I hope to send

you some more soon darling. My dear old sweetheart

[* I wish I could see you just for a little while. Give my love to

Nana & Baaby & the little pets. Bye now my sweet pet

Dida