Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, January 1918 - May 1918 - Part 13

6
simply fled for their lives but got
the gun away by a bit of luck. If
a lucky shot had winged the fellow
with the gun we'd have had that too.
As it was we got a beautiful automatic
pistol of the latest type & five pair
of Zeiss field glasses & some very
important orders & maps from the
officer & some very important notes
from the diary the Sergt Major who
was wounded & captured had made
of the last few days fighting giving
their movements & losses of his Coy in
full. Wasn't that good. I have sent
Sayers on for the V.C. & his men for the
M.M. It will be a great triumph
for the 58^th if he gets the V.C. Moon
the only other V.C won by the Brigade so
far also belongs to them. They have had
two D.S.O.'s also so far & I am sending
in two more Col Watson & Capt Ferris
There is no question that there is a
wonderful fighting spirit in that
Battalion now - It is all due to
old Denchy & his fatherly ways &
the immense pride he takes in
his boys. He is away on leave; he
looked very tired just now but he will

7
curl his moustache more fiercely
& proudly than ever when he returns &
I tell him what the Boys have done
during his absence.. Yes that laddie
was a young rascal indeed to sneak out
after you but he ^he was quite right you should
have undoubtedly told him you were going
out. It must have been lovely to get de
Dear Belle & Dhurach back home again & be all
together again. Just wait till I'm home
again wont it be just lovely to be with you
all - & my kiddies - my own wee pets I'll
just love them most to death. Do you think
I'll be heap pleased with the dear wee
things Katie love. Tell dear Dhurach that
Dida is just delighted she is top of her
class already - & just astonished too.
Tell her I'll sooner have her top of the
class than win a whole heap of
Medals from the King. She is just
about a million comforts to me the wee
darling girlie. - Ill be scandalous proud
of her soon I think if she goes on like
that. Tell her that nothing is all the
world could please me more than that
news. Tell the laddie that I should
like & be just tremendously pleased 

8
too when he gets top of his class too.
Tell him that at School Geordie &
Dida were always top of their classes
& their Mum & Dida were so pleased
about it too. Tell him that Dear
Grandma - now that Uncle Geordie is dead
would be so pleased too if he did the
same things as Uncle Geordie did & I
would like him to please Grandma who
is so sad about Uncle Geordie. I am
delighted that little Gagy Dhurach & the lad
were so much benefitted by the Trip
to Croydon. Some time you & Dear Belle & the
wee people must have a little trip to
Ballarat. perhaps you could stay with
Mrs Morrow some time - at present
her house is pretty full with her daughter
& the latters children. her sons Tom's widow
& children are coming too I believe. Hugh
has just been given his discharge & left
England a few days ago. - but in any
case she could tell you of some place to
stay & the Kiddies would love the lake
& the gardens with the fishes & ferns &
things & they would like to see Glenorie
where Dida & Uncle Geordie & Rory lived when
they were little & ^You could take them perhaps to
see our old School the Ballarat College

9
You could tell call on the Head Master

Mr Polorn & say I asked you to call &

show the children the School & the 

Dux Board with mine & Geordies

name upon it. They are getting up

some sort of memorial for the boys of the
School who fell in the war. If I don't have
to pay Robert Creditors dearie I would

like you to give Mr Polorn £10-10 for this

object. It will be of great value to

teach the coming generation of boys

their duty to the state. If I have to

pay. We must still try to give a small

donation for the purpose as Geordie's name

will be on it. Not less than a Guinea dearie
I hope some day to send the laddie there

as a Boarder as it a good School.

I enclose you the College Report. The 

old boys have done splendidly in the war

I am sorry to hear about - Lyn. You must

just try to influence her right for Geordie's

sake dearie & try to keep Fogie from

breaking out. We must always be

friends with her & Jacquelyn for

Geordies sake. Of course she cannot

have all Geordies money on Mothers

death 2/3 of it must go to Jacquelyn

unless Geordie willed it all to her Do
 

10
you know how his will ran. I suppose
not. It is always a long time before people
get the things when their men get killed
They are sent in a cargo boat not by mail
& they take a long time. Remember how long
the little French ladies parcel took to reach
you.- xx I think the Insurance
Money has been paid or will be as soon
as the will has been proved which should
have been done by now. Dr Lloyd must
be a very good old Chap. I'm glad you
go to him now. Poor old Grandma she will
have too much in the way of Grandchildren
soon. Does Violet do her share of looking after
her bairnies - It is a joke you know. Lyn

was just "it" -when the wedding was on
both with Fogie Flory & Grandma whilst we were

not in it. I think probably she will

come to the conclusion that I knew more
than Geordie before all is done. But you
must always be Lyn's friend even if she
does not do things you want her to do everyone
cannot be a sunshine lady like my
Katie. If I get back perhaps I may
be able to influence her somewhat
People are somehow a bit scared of me
I have made over old Birdwood though
I know he does not like me for I will not
 

11
Kow tow enough for his liking - at least
respect me - He told someone General Hobbs once he admired
me but though at times I went a bit off
the rails - This came about in this
way. I had to go to a certain place
& take Command. I was told that the
British troops in it would be moved out
to make rooms for my people. When I
got there about half past nine I
found the place crammed with troops
& the Chateau ∧ (country House) where my Battn were

to be

was packed with English officers not

out of bed yet & had not even opened

their orders about moving yet. It was

raining & I had to halt the my men
outside in the rain - I waited until

noon & then called up the officer in 

charge. He told me that his Division

had not moved & until he got orders

from them as to where he was to go he
could not move. I asked him where

his Division was - He did not know.

I asked had he sent out to find where

it was - No. I then said that

the blighter had no intention to move

that they were very comfortable there &

didnt want to move & could take

mighty fine care they didn't get orders

12
So I told him right there & then a few
things I had found out about his Division
& its fighting of running powers &
wound up by informing him that
unless he & his officers & men
were clear of the village by two
o'clock I would send in an escort
of my own men & march them out
by force as prisoners -He got a
nasty shock & was out of the Village
within the time fixed. He then had the
neck to complain to his Division
of the way I had treated him. In
reply I let off some more steam
& asked that a Court of Inquiry
should be appointed to inquire
into the conduct of the British Officers
& men in the village who had looted
the whole place including the Chateau.
That startled them a bit & the
matter was dropped like a hot spud
I expected a snub from Birdwood my

usual position from him but nothing

but a dead silence was the result.

The fact is that I am at present

so armed with written congratulations

from the Lord knows who in the way of

British Generals that everyone concerned

 

13

is mighty civil & old Tivey looks
down his nose at me as sour about
it all as an old maid of 60- It is
rather amusing you know because I
know the success of my Brigade is
not due to myself at all but the splendid
officers & men I have got & the only credit

due to me is for discovering & pushing out

the wretched duds that were pushed in

on to me in the beginning ∧ in Egypt whom everyone

now admits to be duds but who when I

said so just I was near being

crucifyed crucified for it. Col Layh

is back with me. I wired for him as

soon as Col Stewart left. I had not

tried Col Watson then & was not sure

how he would shape. So he has the

57th Col Scanlon has the 59th & is doing

splendidly. On Col Denchy's return

Watson will revert to Major but he has done

so splendidly that he is certain to get

a job as a Bn Commander soon. The

man I am least pleased with at

present is Norman Marshall. I am

certain the thought of his wife & her

coming baby is affecting him a great

deal & he is not the man he was I'll

try to get him a month's leave about
 

14
the time (in June) when the baby will be
Coming along. No doubt it is an
anxious time & the poor lady must be
having a sad time of it just now knowing
what we are up against over here. Col
Layh is looking splendid & is a wonderful
help to me. Tell his wife that & that if all
goes well I've not the slightest doubt
he will be a Brigadier General one of these
days & will do very well indeed at it. I
dont think there is anything in the idea
that he is not faithful too or doesnt love his
wife. He always speaks of her very nicely & I
know he is a scandalous bad correspondent
& he excuses himself by saying that in England
there was nothing at all to write about
& he used to send cables. I am sure he will
writes now. I am so glad the our Kiddies have
found a little playmate at the School.
It will be nice for them. Tell them I want
to hear all about their mater & what they
teach at the Sunday School. Bob Johnston
was a bit of an anxiety to me here. He was
never half the soldier Jimmy was no doubt
because I had not the training of him &
he was due for his Captaincy here but I was
afraid to give it to him. I hope he has
improved as I would not like to hurt his
feelings or his mothers by telling him I had
 

15

not enough confidence in him to let him get 

his Captaincy yet. It is lovely to know

that you are all both keeping well. See to it

that you dont get run down again. You

can get a girl for a while if the work is

too much while one or other of you goes

for a try. What about giving Nana another

trip to Yarry too. That would do her good

I am sure & get her mind off her trouble.

Do you think you could persuade her to 

go? But perhaps you think she is too old

to go alone so far. Well what about a Croydon

trip for her. Poor old Nana musn't to neglected

altogether you know dearie . I want her there

when I come back again just the same

as ever. Tell her that I say she must have

a trip too. I liked the poem on the

"Generals" in the Bulletin you sent me

Well dear old Katie pet that's the end

of all your letters for today - No more

news darling pet. Goodbye & millions

& millions of love & kisses for you my

dear old sweet sunshine lady.

God bless & keep you & the Bairnies &

everyone all safe & well for your

very own Dida Don.