Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, May 1917 - December 1917 - Part 5

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
AWM2018.19.76
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

Fravce 2/18 My dearest Weatie Since I wiotolast fyou I lave received a mie ltter parcel with some Govely envelopes & a little housenife et in it with many Happy ers writtes on a cend upon of De this was the parcel you mentioned is your Castletty. Milling thent for the darting. The envlon are splended. You never ran met sly thing as the piret people neet us & ther is one aner the teemiest yenght of guv on the haps so that they wt stick theleast ot I parent tholearsbit of neas for you. I noticed that jacky doy was struck of ohe Inperminerary list of his company thorther day. He must away ill. I naw rordie ti days ago. He
said he unvall righs hithe had a very lad color party corking tkin He ws cheerf enough though. Fne Walker is looking the picture health now. Jack Prictornots to tay that he want thanh 5 Brigade, I dont know of they i will letter do so. I have Hugh morrow as my office has awiting the Hlaf Capt and he is doing excellente tod. Rertkauh is slept of Iduly to Ingland Hhe has b yove another month Convaleraan treatment Sterrrt Senehy mam & harstall are ak well. Do you remember when as were at Healerale comir dow with a toldnr ma the tran wh knew me the is now wilh the B32 and a laptain. I am glad to day that Capt Baster
is being given a trial of a ka sot I applied for him & heve walker, refused- I brough the watter tyou seve wents & althout I didnt zethen hs good work was noticed Hhe has been given the M.E.L 0 Nock a trial a Staf am me he will dowcle. Thanks very must for writer, tnoor me tller. I had a litter of thank for Capston foor Mrs fller was Parkin t upnt to write herself you are just the bert & dearer old lady that ever was & Ian glad you are getting to know my woldieboys ladies They are met good voye that thei ladies mutbe good too It it just lovely to knowthat our dear wee pett are rogood
and loving I inst I could see tho dear wee writes. I any the mee laddie raying he wanted to givo me a truly & really kin not a letterone. - Deartree chay I wonder of ever Ill ree him again. I sometimes think myluck cannot last much Jonger. I have lad is many narior greafes & me by one mny old bys see a We dropping out Mejor Fuills was aph it sland ivery dc I Goodness Know whe dah will we better. I rbeare ck I suppose it mighthave lew avise. Mam icarryorgon very well with is Battalin it I have no one now that I had tho same amounts confidence in as in old hert. I l ad trawed a right fom the beginning your be & krows now guopl careful he was. Old ta
Henthy is coming or encellente but is enclised thever dow fovr cantious as conjared to Layh who could themn quickly & cleare Cam Stewart is good bu. neve lad the hame training that Laggh had the scotters alray went in more for thou parades than fortraining in the field - Butalt the fame I am uonderfully prtuate llation Commander to my Be & I have a fair ceot of young ones coming on I doit think Mys Weeck will be with me much longer. He is togo te one of the Senseral or ever to Hnnae HA. Staff to replice some Indear offeen who are being ntack eli
where then is a deal of anest due to derna influence. wouldn't it be the limed if thei should be a rebellinn theref ats for those Irir. who are raising more troull co Irelaid &i Aushalinbangin is much too good for them Well no daili deanst beenhime lady I mussto because I tarn't the leart scray of news for you ore & alont a mltir gurt knwes I do went this oldarer tend is I could give you deally & truly oe & not just letter mes as the laddis says Millinlon for Dida Dr
hance My dearest. Kato We are still 14/ 7 in the same place Iomonow however we more a few miles from here to a distrnct where there is less cultuater ane consequently more roomt manoever I hain the men which is diffcult here without treading or the corn. On Thursday the rei visited ust we gave a port of displar phyrical Drll Bayn enercion it it. The king said he aa very pleased there were photopapher & mory pdtunmer galose is you may see Shaking your old may hands with the king in M jcla
day for pot the Edca that they will be exhibited in Hustralin some day pason of another the Kin raid he was pleased Today tinda we lad a church Parade Genl Bendwodcane& presented a lst of men Ypeas ecludengyomold nan with ribbone forther medals. I enclose you awee but of mine deamput it goes next after the P.M.G as poor old go It dune rooked lonely in the ar Nov by itself I put the Kins sult Apican one dam ther too whichs urual io tho 2upon look as if it had a art there wors l
be very nny i the foldig in prtatity with many more than you gold man But that keley isns it is will that to you c onl pdy laty in London when I was one recently raid t me Went your wife be proud I said perhap. of you she will What do yr thenk at love? suppose I would ban lew pretty roured nowi I had decorated not gobon tabut if no on else had got any either I would have verr letter pleased & I dont think they help mmake one workany torder Perha to way with Sr should bando but walt just tho Sane
without anyth One can do hio less wrel except to to the very bt one car for the Country & for tht mer under youe wear info a he bg figh. yet & I'll need all your mayers more thar ever for the bogs sake if I am town through. I had another letter from mrs Merryless yesterday. Her brother is all right but a prisoner an Termany. Her yon has greatly improved factalmost recovered from hs wound ther dan her who had an speraton gua out of darges so thpovr lady is much relieved oo the recuit thi hai on London Wilped talum

France
6/7/16 7
My dearest Katie,   
Since I wrote last
to you I have received a nice

little parcel with some lovely

envelopes & a little housewife

etc in it. with "many Happy returns"

written on a card upon it. So

this was the parcel you mentioned

in your last letter. Millions of

thanks for it darling. The envelopes

are splendid. You never saw

such sperriky poor things as the french

people sell us & there is only

the teemiest tiny sperriky tiniest bit

of gum in the flaps so that they wont

stick the least bit.

I haven't the least bit of news

for you. I noticed that Jacky

boy was struck off to the

Supernumerary list of his

Company the other day. He must

be still away ill. I saw

Geordie two days ago. He

 

said he was all right but he
had a very bad color pasty
looking skin. He was cheerful
enough though. Eric Walker
is looking the picture of health
now. Jack Proctor wrote to say
that he wants to transfer to the
15th Brigade, I dont know if they
will let him do so. I have
Hugh Morrow in my office
now assisting the Staff Capt.
and he is doing excellently
too. Bert Layh is still off duty
in England He has been given
another month Convalescent
treatment. Stewart Denehy
Mason & Marshall are all
well. Do you remember when
we were at Healesville coming

down with a Soldier man in

the train who knew me. He

is now with the 7th Battn

and a Captain. I am glad

to say that Capt Bastin 

 

is being given a trial on a Staff
job. I applied for him &
Genl Walker refused. I brought
the matter before Genl White
& although I didn't get him
his good work was noticed
He has been given the M.C. &
a trial on Staff Work. I
am sure he will do well.
Thanks very must for writing

to poor Mrs Allen. I had a

letter of thanks from Capt Tom

Parkin. Poor Mrs Allen was
too upset to write herself 

You are just the best & dearest

old lady that ever was & I am
glad you are getting to know
my soldier boys ladies
They are such good boys
that their ladies must be
good too.
It is just lovely to know that
our dear wee pets are so good

 

and loving. I wish I could see the
dear wee mites. Fancy the wee laddie

saying he wanted to give me a truly & really

kiss not a "letter" one. - Dear wee chap I

wonder if ever I'll see him again. I

sometimes think my luck cannot

last much longer. I have had

so many narrow escapes & one

by one my old boys seem to

be dropping out - Major Grills

has a job in England. He is very

deaf. Goodness know when

Layh will be better. It is beastly

luck for him but I suppose it

might have been worse. Mason

is carrying on very well with

his Battalion but I have no

one now that I had the same

amount of confidince in as

in old Bert. I had trained

him right from the beginning

you see & know how good &

careful he was. Old Chas 

 

Denehy is coming on excellently

but is inclined to be over

slow & over cautious as

compared to Layh who could

think quickly & clearly

Cam Stewart is good but

never had the same training

that Layh had. The Scottish

always went in more for

Show parades than for training

in the field - But all the same

I am wonderfully fortunate

in my Battalion Commanders

& I have a fair crop of young

ones coming in. I don't think

Major Wieck will be with me

much longer. He is to go to

one of the Divisional or over

to Anzac H.Q. Staff to

replace some Indian officer

who are being sent back to India

 

where there is a deal of unrest

due to German influence.

Wouldn't it be the limit

if there should be a rebellion

there! As for those Irish

who are raising more trouble

in Ireland in Australia hanging

is must too good for them.

Well now darling dearest

Sweetheart lady I must stop
because I haven't the least
scrap of news for you
just love & about a million
kisses. I do want this old war
to end so I could give you
really & truly one & not just
letter ones as the laddie says
Millions love from Dida Don

 

France

 14/7/17
My dearest Katie,
We are still

in the same place. Tomorrow

however we move a few miles from

here to a district where there

is less cultivation and

consequently more room to

manoevre & have the

men which is difficult

here without treading on

the corn. On Thursday

the King visited us &

we gave a sort of display

physical Drill Bayonet

exercises etc etc. the King

said he was very pleased

There were photographers

& moving picture men

galore so you may see

your old man shaking

hands with the King

in the pictures some 

 

day for I suppose it is

the idea that they will

be exhibited in Australia

some one day soon or another.

The King said he was

pleased. Today (Sunday)

we had a church Parade

& Genl Birdwood came &

presented a lot of men

officers including your old

man with ribbons for their

medals. I enclose you a wee

bit of mine dearie pet.It

goes next after the C.M.G. &

as poor old queen St Anne

looked lonely in the 2nd

Row by itself I put the

Kings South African one

down there too which is

usual so the 2nd row

looks as if it had a

good start There wont 

 

be very many as the Soldier

in Australia with many more

than your old man. But

that's Skitey isn't it so will

only say that to you. A

lady in London when I was

over recently said to me

'Wont your wife be proud

of you?". I said "Perhaps
she will!". What do you

think Katie love? I suppose

I would have been pretty

soured by now If I had

not got any ^decorations but if no one

else had got any either

I would have been better

pleased. & I don't think

they help to make me

work any harder. Perhaps

it may with some

but I should have done 
it all just the same

 

without anything - One

can do no less surely

except to do the very best

one can for the Country

& for the men under y one

We are in for a big big fight

yet & I'll need all your

prayers more then ever

for the boys sake if I am

to win through. I had

another letter from Mrs 
Merrylees yesterday. Her

brother is all right but a

prisoner in Germany. Her

son has greatly improved in 

fact almost recovered from

his wound & her daughter

who had an operation is quite

out of danger so the poor

lady is much relieved

In the recent Air Raid

on London Wilfred Palmer 

 
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