Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, January 1918 - May 1918 - Part 3

France
My dearers love.
Today is wch a lovely 27/1/18
toea
bright sinsheny day. I fouggt if
a Yl Birdwoodcame
you that in the 22
to ree us. I had the boy all draw in
& they looked very weel. The next day five      
Hoble impected us with all ouitkits
& tramport. Both raid they were
Very pleased with the phois
I had another dear loving letter for
you dated the 4th Movember. which of course
was long before the lastone I got which was I think
dated the 128 Nov. to it is a fanyold
wvay we get our letters now - but it is
Very trice t get then all the same especially
when they are dearloving preet ones lit
your are always. Ther ijust no dont in
it
-th
You would lave a tark annwering all
those letters old Katro. No photoo have
come yet. I am longing to get them.
I am jorry tonear about Rgat Powling
a did not know gocky boy had her
making headwry there Yes decare time
flieshere. One Cannot healize that it is over
3 years since I saw you & the dear wee people
D. R.h. 3297 (30015)
 

OeW. 37 B0
and another year spuinting away guot as
jast as ever it can run. There seems
all the time a port of unreality about t
all nearly half of our widded life we
will have ben parated woor dear. I asvery
sad-what we have misse of each other hit
peanaps we will make it up by remaining
gentlerionng to us alwys ever dear
lady, We must try.
there is very litfle news d pot
Brygade
now. I have Rob Smiths peope will come
here for a rest afterwe go. It is a lovely
place for a rest The Boscoe theroplanes
dont reen t have drocovered it though
they tombed a place about 20 miles away
the night te fo last & the buge bomts they
used sook the houre walls like a
earthquate. When the my German prist
starts which will I think be pretty soon
nor thing will be pretty lively no donbt.
I think we will wold them up though
a lot of Mr Britert Troops now are unreliate
& ren away at times. That was the trouble at
Cambrad which momioed to well atone
time & then figgted out. I wrote a
strong report of the same thing I san
in Belgurm but my Report- weg
squastest by Dent Berawvod was had
tron thoppcial copy on our files removed
whilst 1I was aray in Hornital. Bycnow
nd there their you all safe
tearte
o

am getting abvent minded & signed yours very menel
Thats not nway & mit to my falie
 

D.R.L. 3297 (3rd5
I have about $30 or is more raved b. I
any trying
most antil anving, darbing for
any
your puke & I hope about the end of February
to send along another $50 to you. Y
will be just tlovely if I can manage to help
you. I cannot fear to think of that other
Rober
deat which may mnoil it all for us +
make our effatalveless Mr Lowis last
letter was more hopeful that thething way
ieed u bt-I can hardly believe that can
be povoible. It was terrill news to rend
you for I was you por dear suppring toul.
I wonder if you will grow tired of hill the
troubl I ren toking down upon you me
 

P.S. One of our Chaplains
Sapt Wyd is going bock to
Anstrutia because his
wife is ill. He paidhe
would call & ree you. He
wentlast week
 

D.R.W. 3297 (31d5
France
My dearest Natie
3/2/18
we have moved back again
from our old chatean but not straight
into the line. We are Reserve Brigade
We will goo in again I suppose.
10 days or a fortnight is jurt
about the same part of the line as we
came out of a
just before
mas. It is stillvery quiet
as a rule but the other Denveon
we are relieving sfered a good
fw camaltees from was shell
the old bosche ands a whole sindle
over at times & catches the careles
ones who havent got their masks lard
The weather has turned bitterly cold
again. It is very joggy too The
Tirees present or extraceldenary right
co the poy drifts past the tare
branced it upto them & this peegesf
poc
this goes or until every uvig bay
a chating of ice like stick of th rg
candy dargling from them. It the rin
were Ito shing out piddenly it would
cook like yoryland for Ilutte while
the post maker the lings brittle
tven the and blows, it brings the
sicles don in showces. Oneman

Wus
said yesterday morning. it is nowing
lunrs
ices He did not see what was hap
 

I am livin in a galranized but was
a row of bie eln trees. About Midnigha
a live about twenaty feet long
broke off uy near the lot of ta
tree & fell with a terrill clatter
on my proof. The roof was prtinatel
so no farm was done. It
atrag
woke me by of course & I thought
that the Borch was over dropping
Booots again but then I realized that
they had few no concussion as there
would lave lea with a bome dropped
ho near that payment fell on the poo,
is went of t stey again & only found
out the truth this morning. On
gets pretty indifferent to Severytherg
in the way of Browe out here
My put is near thetoy of a bill & a
mar road run necety & along the
Alde is said a little raily. There
is a bitlepripterg Billy Mogos engove
on it & comieby the Hill is
rufts & grienes dreadfully. Ithas
walked me by, onceo twnce at
night but I hope to get wed to it
soon The jact that mr dowe wa
able to tell you things mnight not
move tos bad after all was borch
news toget I had ony letter
wlh
from him which said about Mrs Kobert
D.R.W. 3297 (314?)
 

lending tho pin doo & that thergs were
ogor necesssfully pofar as
H could tree.
have had a Cable
Monles whon I asked
from Mr Begg of
to look witl thonatter which rounded
promising thurach is gettingclever
ringing up dys all by theisellf
must have mirred a letter sometion
ther you told me that the telephyn
was the an autonatic one. I lad
a very nice littey from poor dyn. The
did peen cheered i
I am glad

to know. I was apaid the new would
be toomuet for her. I got another
dear longlitter foor you dated the 27
Noo the Claytefon yesterday. Page two.
is missing from it. Irnt that funny
I wonder of that young rascal of a laddie
had run off wnith it when you were not
looking. It is sad to lote all the newa
that as on it. On the 3
I have to
go to a course of dectures our M. Sen
work - It will last the days &
will be down or the coask not yor from
the place we were at last. We now find
ourvelves by the Shortage of men oblyed
to go in for ajeot of Mychin guns
ix orde tbold the live & poeoe
must leavn about them. Now that
conscription of as jailed again in Hushialia
do not bee how we can poosilly keep
C
 

all the Divisions going at full thergot
& with the reduction of Devenons gois the
Touppr
last hope of promotion that I could
have, That is very rad put it. The
box Gcordie rent you may turn up
yet, but if it doesns - dont worry It was
not very valuable. It would pertayn
have rade a bitte work fon for thurnet
It must be funny to hear the two
wee people talking sabout mannin
& Hughes Poor old Mrs meKingies
house methowine. I'd forgoiter all about
her until your litter recasled
the name tome. I got a parcel
resterday feoo the games thay
Kesbyunitor Chrcch
that mur.
be poo Mr Rock. It just lad a ruther
stary with that upon it no name
you can king of My Rock & letthin
I got the parcel all right, & I will
write laters thank him It
had prect & tobreco ir it alwa
little tis of thorthend I go & cheere
I gave the good to the mear & the
tobacco to the opece on my staff. The
Collies I am going to my &lat myself
They are very nice in the cold weather
& hell to key you walm Fcans terches
came to see me yesterday What a
oy fllow he has givenn now. We seems
D.R.4 3297 3003.
 

to lave got on Very well indeed.
you bousely well me be was getting
to 8 a week when he lefty his got.
I think he will do
to come away.
well though I nere did think
Very must of his Colonel Daly though
to give him his die be is a brave
man & a stieter & not like some
of the oghers. Tis trouble always uses
that he was conceited & affected o th
always get or peoples nerves & be
never knew his woikz any too well
eithest io no one had any confidence
in him. Byt he was luctey.
esgaped bin killed whele no many
bretemer tue killed & ao basgos
tobe a Colonel in time. He was
Very narty to drank on huarrival. The
blankets had not come toand bithe
went straight up & reported taly
however sent him straight on uy into
the portling without anything. or
arrival there the Captain not him back
raying that his dugont was small coreicrowded
do it was & the was no avryin it. Daly
promptly ordered Frank back to the lime &
told the Captan he had got to find room for
him. However Frank with all the i good
part & reems to have pleased them all is he
ar there. With agl
should get in very wice
ih wrld darling & millionsf foret tirtge
the hapwstesa
unyuyoses
D.R.4. 3297 ArdS)
 

10 Feb 18
My deareof Katie
I think I told you in my
dasd letter that we were lack once more
near the front line. Then I had togo awar
for the os your days to a School. o
Machine Semn work. When I got back
I found Col Maron had left me to Command
the Corp School for officers & major
scoulor had heer made temporary
Lotol is his place - etlos Neib Feegon
had left me & lecome temporary as loe
in me of Gevl Livey's Battakions
He eas got or Spletdially. I didnot
went to love him by any means
but when the clarce came t him &
would not try to stop him as wire
of the Furriks do
I found a fat letter
when I got buck.
from you dated the 1th He cender & felt
and because I thought a lot of your letter
lad bew drowned. However I got and the
today dated the Ct
4/1/14 or but I think
it must have ben 4 sec you meant &
it it was the mining page of the litte
I acknowledged in my last one
fo poor mrs Horse ps again onscripty
It will I suppose when the terman get
to wilbourne will give then unor
I have lad a letter & a colle
Willome
D.R.4. 3297 (3ds)