Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, May 1917 - December 1917 - Part 4

War. They (her people) have bought some
lovely old place in Scotland
Castle "Something or other" &
live there. So Ronald has
done very well for himself
hasn't he. When he comes
back I must write to the
lady & thank her.
I should have told you too
that I had another letter
from Jessie Campbell with
her photo which I am
sending on to you. I didnt
get as far as Ullapool
this time. I was delayed
through having to go down
to Salisbury but hope to
go up there some other time
Millions of love & tishes from

Dida Don

P.T.O
 

P.S. Did I tell
you Col Denehy
has been given
his D.S.O. Lt Moon
the V.C & Lts
Anderson & Lt (now
Capt Dawson) the
M.C. These are all
58th Lt Knucky
of the 57th got the
M.C. also. I hear
both his arms were
amputated. There
reward & award for
the last fight.

[*DONTATED RECORDS LIST
 3297

3rd Series*]

France

30/6/17

My dearest Katie    

Three dear letters from

 you this morning one dated
the 17th April which somehow
ought to have come with the last
mail & telling me again that
the parcels had arrived. I've
let the little French girl know
(through her brother the Interpreter
man) how delighted you
were with the parcels. I hope

she will be pleased about it.
 

In regard to General McCay
You didnt say that Mrs McLaren
had said straight out that it was
me I  but only that some officer had
written to a Solicitor in Melb & told him
& I thought that you had inferred
from that - that it was me. If she
said straight - out that it was me
well then I am glad you told me
& I could as I have done take steps
to tell you differently. I would
not like old Genl McCay to ever
think I said that of him. I
know some of Tivey's men wrote
all sorts of things about Genl
McCay & I think Tivey encouraged
him. Old Tivey was rather very jealous
of McCay & was quite glad when

he had to go away. Tivey thought

The world of his Brigade & hated

McCay to find fault with it which
he did particularly on one occasion
When they made a march & arrived

in a very straggling way all over

the place just after we arrived

in France & Tivey never 

forgave him. I shall be

delighted to get the good strong
 

envelopes again. There French
one are very miserable & the gum
wont stick them down half the
time. I never know where I am
with regard to parcels. I got a
parcel sometime ago with a
horoscope in it but it was quite
a long time before my birthday
which I spent with Mrs Lloyd Edwards.
I had a letter form Cousin Jessie
telling me she had a letter from
you. Charlie is still very
bad with Rheumatism. He is
likely to be sent back to Australia
I hear to see if the warm climate
will relieve his rheumatism
The 2nd letter is a longer one
dated to 29th April & there is
a teeny tiny one dated the 31st
April which had more snap shots
that Mrs Coleman took. The laddie
looks very serious but I am very
pleased with them. The Dhurach's
hair looks very nice. Tell me
what the wee laddie looks like now.
 

is his chin growing out good. He looks
a sturdy wee rogue in the picture

& not very smaller than
Dhurach but her chin seems to stand out
much better than his. Don't speak about
this to him at all will you dearie. He
musnt ever think we notice anything
different between them. Dhurach's forehead
seems better than his too but he may get
along all right. I was very pleased
to hear about them wanting to buy chewing
gum for the soldiers with the sixpence 
Miss Stewart gave them. I am sorry
he doesn't behave himself at School
so well as the little lady but one couldn't
expect that. I think Gagy Dhurach is a much
wiser little lady than most kiddies. She
was a wee bit old fashioned from the very
day she was born- but I love them both

good - Tell me how much you love them
Katie. Poor little laddie I expect it
will be long before I see him. I saw
in the English papers that the
failure by the Russians to attack
has will lengthened the war by a year
at least. I wonder what those
fools who voted against conscription
think of themselves now
Oh Katie we've just seen in the
 

paper that the Mongolia has
been sunk & the mails lost - there
would be a whole bundle of my
letters in her I suppose. I hope
there was nothing interesting in
them. We will in a few days hear
the dates of the mails that were
sunk & I will be able to repeat
some of the news perhaps Mr Roddick
sent me a Herald with a picture
of Bob Smith in it Did you see
that one. I am so glad you to are liking
Surrey Hills still dearie pet &
that you are feeling better since you
went to live there. Thanks very much
for your news of Finlayson & Conder
& the others. I had a letter from
Mrs Allan's brother Tom Parkin
The poor lady was too ill to write
herself.
You didn't tell me about Graeme
before I don't remember him particularly
except that we had someone of.
the name. The Bronchitis is quite
all right thank you & thank Miss

Mills for her offer to manage

me. I will remember if it comes on
again. I'd love to have a trip home

and see you all. I'd like that wee
bairnie too that you promised me. I saw in
the paper that an American writer states
that in Germany as it is impossible
for the husbands to get home & the Govt

want babies they have asked all the
ladies to have babies as best they can  
from any men available & they are
doing it to save time. & one out
of every four are arriving that way.
I am glad we haven't come to that
but if the war is going on like this
I suppose something of this sort will
have to be done or the race will die out
I have never told anyone about
the new bairnie for the Avery's
so you cannot blame me. Yes the
behavior of the men on the Ballarat
was very creditable. Poor old McVin
though was no good on the Peninsula.
The shells used to frighten him to
death. Please don't think I've
become good or brave or anything.
I'm just your same old Dida
Don. Not a bit letter I'm sorry

to say.
I get along fairly well with
a Divisional General now
my Jimmy Courtney - but I am

Very uncomfortable all the same
There is the same feeling exactly
as I had with his original. I
know he'll try to do me a bad turn
one of these days. One can only hope
for the best. He doesn't like me
I am quite sure but my boys

always do so very well either 

in camp or in action that much
as I fear he would like to fault
me he cannot find a chink to get
me in at all.
I told you about my D.S.O. for the
Bullecourt fight didn't I? It has
not been gazetted yet but it will
come along anytime now. One
of the old 7th Boys made me a
lovely bridle (he is a Sadler by
trade) for my old black horse
It looks very nice & swanky
But I wish he hadn't done it it

was a big job & must have

taken him months to do

just in his spare time
 

I enclose you a photo of Miss
Lloyd Edwards & one of the House
at Caernwych where she is nursing.
The weather here is pesky. It
get very hot & sultry each
day & nearly always finishes
up with a thunderstorm &
things get very muddy &
Mushy. There is nothing
much in the way of news. We are
still resting & I don't know
how long we shall be here but
I think we will have something to

do before very long.

With about a million love & kisses

my own dear little old girl (I am

just delighted you are so well) for you

& the wee people.

Just keep cheered up good

no matter if you hear of the Biggest

battle there ever was. Dida will just get

another medal or something. Bye dearie

pet