Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, January 1918 - May 1918 - Part 14

France
My dearest Katio pet.
Here Iam 28/4/18
again dear lady silt alive
but very rad for the lon of is
many of my boys of course
it is nothing like a bead a
Polyen lood & we lave give
thy Borche an anspl inder
but I lave lost 2offict.
oover coome tas we ca
ill mare but we has chowe
Killed thewonds o tmad
of the Rorcher. I canntt
it no
tell you all alon
encept that some of the     
rcared
Britist got tired.
or rowething ian awa
& my boys had to tak lock
the line foo the Booche & did
it wonderfully Regular
pouguets of prarks ware ypur.
bell shoied or ina
reiding you some censored
comed of tome of the wit the
sofar is has only gohayou
 

Cheet
✓
o the Commanderin
suppose. Senl Yock & the
Presidgns & the king wayte
will lave a my i it ye
some people tray it is the
abooluts but thing done yet
in themar - A wast would
no
roy that if it is it ront
Much Ta nor at all but
ony boys sertainly din
well. home wonderfully have
they were done. He of the
6o0 ouped inoa truch
with 20 Bosthe. & he yough
the all- they sueth a
agoret through his arn &
one through the teg & cu.
his head ope with the hith
of a rifle - but he lought
I killed o f than 1one
got away I ran for b
life- I am the care the
anofficer & three rushed
oabout a
a orte port.
dozer men as timprr
itms who met you wise
 

The Brocke all mundered
Then a Booche maehire gee
Mey Con
fined o my boys.
togung int the French along
with te Morcher bect on
fere- The treachrons
termint in th French nar
themmes only your gratted
then rifter & tried tKillan
boys but instead our loys
killed th whole dozn-l
aoyded themsalre but in
bndly - the had to stay
night awongst the dead Booche
nont morning it dayfight
a german ofeer & by ordure
came ver thinking his orh
wer were still in the postd
the om boys that then wit
Te newt night Lt pmpor
led an thi rust i spor
but im that dead after
doing wonder
uwys simply have no
fear at all - one post the
iustied & killed 20 out of th
 

21 who held it & broughtn
tothere a prisoncr- agive
infornation
one dreathful instance happened
it had gool of a gerna (hrumo
Open unnerdited & then yur.
mad with page at being depated
when one officer nent up to hem
struct the latter in the face with
his firt knocking him dow.
omr ofeer mey were all
around them - they made
one rust at this Prumsan
officer - in a recond he was
knocked domn &
Ricbed
I bashed with them rifle hith
you could
into a bloody pine
haidly lettle had ben a na
in thenext port wihed
they refused to lister when
the Borche wanted to murnder
& thch then all like pigs
whole lot bolled Cany
#
a big gat in the Borche ine
He warter to thrownfa lo.
remprcements
shelled
 

us heavly but we were ry
mixed u with those of his
om men who ead not retired
Hhad not mundered but wre
holdng out bravely that then
got willed as well by thei
on aim & the nor the tart
strai is they hopped out
came running across
our pontion with their lard
the loys guitd
m but
rightly thiy lime tookno
notice of them wlatere & shot
then all dead hands u onr
of the early part of the war the
Booche used ttry tricks of thas
nost tget nmver to rlord up
when they did they were shop
tone otherport, a rear
the imest ace hit
I got
gluived th otherday- no mustand
but the deadly stuff I only got
th very leart timy whiff out my
throut has ten very end ince. I
thank it is gittly felter now &
my Learst londs seen all right
 

ont I can hardly speak or mallor
without consideratle par & I cougn
I cough like whooping cong
until I am very wels I vt
up & lot white frothy phlegin
the Doctor thinks it will be al
right ar about week pomnow
Rt is heartly stuff- I hope I ams
de of goo ipfocation - at timas
I have been avsolutely garping
for breath when a pt of coughing
ttopped- but I feel themmas
good as gold the weatheris
nice you though last nights
tained, lol Henvit is now
Brig-deve. Three of his Colovels
hand faller in actin one killed
onlright so toed him if he
liked & Norman harstall who io a
great par of his was willing I would
agree to dranfor marshall & am
Dtheoffeen we liked to the
pryade as in any can protably the
to os would be beaken in very
soon to they are being transpne
amy tent is delighted.
imorde millins o trotlesh pteda
 

France
28/4/18
Saveetheatifeles
lad just closed

up my letter to you this
morning when along comes a mail
with a cear lovng bat letter from
you in it. It is dated the 22nd Fer
& you lad just got my letter written
at the eld of December. I am
delighted you got the Book
from the Hetralion Front
I am very sad by the poper
today it took as if ther will
be terrible fighting all over the place
where pook old Feordie was
buxied. Katie it is a mirail
how the Fermans kand the
pearful punishment meted
out tthen I yet cime or
mall the would like an army
of baby locusts you killd
ou
arquarl & him te tile your
tened of Killing & room outhn
of pleek hong the well fine
toeen
& you must to back youlyt
get a rest for your men
wheneever chistrations have
 

met him to for he las fac
to stoy where he was but
sear he is prepaiing for
revered & utter if fort along
throway I dont thenk he
as a thone unliss be cany
by a lot more artillery &
mortars which he way be
Mens i
doing - The loss in
thro fighting has bere very sever
indell. He is at our old trick
pickne off the heees. Ican
geel realood that you gureal
me be for could
maying,
8
konow how to right the Booche
Neae
as I did thoutheday
Birdwood & the French Several
raid that nothing like esad
bey doner the war. The dimes
today calls it a crushng revern
for the Boocke
oh of only recount were coming
I Dear torre of Mul Monastros
Battalros it too week to be
kept going any longer so the
yeu who remain muss got
 

other pattation. It is and that
wich jamoud t Shlended Regiments
must here be disbanded. Is you
letter you ray - By the time you aot the
you will be in theeto of the Baitle
we are put that very much so - but
we fought the Br Sche Dn Mardstill
Iuster exhangten yertada
I today it has her very give.
ardly a shot i foch to be Leard
We are eney out toright for
a little spell - Wank th
ved some Antiation who have
end a weeks oell an arailall
now & late over fom us. I am
not coorrying the east little bit
over Wattold hinnes dosling
I larent any time for tatdan
You should guet recmewilh maps
& rule trying to stady out how
to lick the Bosche
I spoke toold Bert Loyt who
by the may did nmpl magutiens
work in that kn altack as do
Norn Nawtall & all threthers) about
him not writing the info We said he
 

Lad written but admitted it is
only after at Ackeroyd had
Spoken to him about it- He said
ther was ntheg ever t write about
England. Hll Mrs Layh any how that
her old mar is tooking pplended
He has done nagnificent weh &
will likely get a hur to his B.S.S. which
will verse to show that he really diserved
it twice over which is a greathonor
ti
I am just hoppengore with
delight t hee that my littlept
Thurach is is clever with her
lessons - I out the just a darling tell
her I i as prond as a peacock about
my little srectpet learning he
legoons so well. I am io glad ther
Sharact has got a nice littleplaymato
It will be good for them both I'm apaid
sattele
Talwoys
tell people what I think & chance the
conveqnence. That taf
ocir
war thatI had to take Ilad
get rid off of te made a
Hocking mistals that might