Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, January 1918 - May 1918 - Part 15

have had terrible consequences

for us all. He sent an order to

the 60th to retire that I had

told him to send to the 57th. The 60th was

in the front line & fortunately Norman

Marshall thought there was a mistake

& rang up to ask about it & the

mistake was rectified. The 57th

was in rear in a place where

they were getting badly shelled & I

merely asked them moved to a better

'OC. He had simply no excuse

at all except gross carelessness &

had Marshall retired he'd have

left a big gap for the Bosches to

get through - Even his pals who

pushed him or me could not save

him from being sent away once I

brought it to Genl Birdwood's

notice. Capt Gollan is now acting &

we are getting along splendidly

together. He is one of my own 

boys & I have a very happy

staff again - So you have

been praying for me some more

I think. But isn't it a scandal

 

scandal that they would

keep pushing him in to me

in spite of everything. I believe

that is really the trouble in the

British Army - I was leant 

to a British Corps for the Attack

after then our men had run away

& let the Bosche get a town & I had

to take it back again - The

things they wanted me to do

would make your very hair

stand on end but I would only 

do it in the me way & told them

so. I said if they did it. Finally

they agreed to do it my way but

because they did not really follow

my mind hitched a lot of new

things to it which complicated

the whole thing (which was as I planned

it beautifully clear & simple) &

made it very difficult. As

a result instead of attacking at

8 pm as I wanted we had to hang

about in the cold & wet until 11 pm.

They did not think it could

possibly succeed & tho troops

 

 

they gave me (quite unnecessarily)

as I had enough of my own with

the exception of some Australians

all hung back & never came on

again until daylight when all

the place was in our hands &

the Bosche surrendering freely

Then they claimed all the credit

for it & actually published an

order - "The Brilliant idea for

"this Counter Attack conceived

"by the Staff of the (Umpteenth) Corps

"was gallantly & ably carried out

"by the 15th & 13th Australian Infy

"Brigades & by the X, Y & Z Bn 7th

"British Army"

Those are not the exact words used

but it is almost word for word

but it didn't deceive many.

The plan used was the same

that I used to Capture all those

13 Villages in the Somme which I

did with practically no loss

hunting the Bosche NF of one

after another with the greatest

ease - It was for that I got my D.S.O.

 

 

And everyone familiar with my

work then recognized my idea

at once so I don't think they'll

score very much for their cheek.

Not that I mind at all - or

care because it is not my idea

at all. It is laid down as

clearly in our Red Book Regulations exactly

the best way of tackling such a

place but then blitherers

either wont read the book or have

not the brains to comprehend

it if they do read & go on in 

the fool fashion of running

their heads into a brick wall

instead of making the Bosche

do that - for just as it was

the case last year in the Somme

so here the Bosche was simply

furious with his men for getting

licked & all day yesterday

he kept on running his head

into the Guns wall of our line

without the faintest hope in life of

winning through - whilst we

mowed him down by the hundred

 

 

Genl Birdwood really tried to be

nice to me yesterday when he came

round about the splendid way my

boys had behaved, but he rather

looked as if I had made him swallow

a bit of green apple. I wore my old

Australian jacket & looked as

disreputable as I could too - xxx

It's a joke on these spick & span

soldiers to show them that Australians

have a few brains sometimes - but I

mustn't be skiting. I am sure I

would never have known how to

act if all you good people had not

been praying for me to know just

what to do - for courage & wisdom

worthy of my station. I 'specks I

may get a Legion of Honorea a big A High

French General was present &

had gravest doubt if the job could

be done & was most enthusiastic

when it proved a really fine

success - It was the wonderful 

bravery & dash of the boys that

simply overwhelmed the Bosche

in a Sea of Valor & our lives

 

 

were nothing really only 150 for the

Brigade & nearly all them just

Blighty cases of a bullet wound like

I had in Egypt & even less than that.

But he has been taking it out of

us since with heavy shell fire.

Poor dear little disappointed lady

It was sad I wasn't at couldn't come home or take

that leave. It was a dreadful temptation

but I am so glad I resisted - I could have

had no rest with my boys in fighting

like this & me not with them. I don't

think truly & really Stewart could

have done the job or as well. He hasn't a dear

lady praying for me without ceasing 

in the same way that I have darling -

& all the time I am thinking about it

& about my job & I do feel sending

these boys to their death & therefore take such

care for their sakes. It is bad enough

to lose them at all, it would be

terrible to lose them & nothing to

show for it. As to being well &

strong I was never better except 'cept for 

the wee speck of gas that is tickling

my throat so nastily & making my

 

throat so sore. It was my Gas

officers fault. I had told him to

see that whenever their was gas

shelling he should clear all the boys

away from the spot & post sentries

round until it was safe to go

into that ground. He didn't post

any sentries & I rode right into it

It was very very faint, but though

I spurred up old Darky & galloped

out of it at once it did get into my

throat a little - others with me were

not affected & I think it is because

my throat is so tender I am subject

as you know to sore throats & chest

[[?]] somehow & so got affected.

I wonder who told the people at home

the yarn that I was coming home. I suppose

they heard I had been offered leave &

were sure I would take it. Well they

were just bad for all their skiteyness

weren't they darling pet. Tell Dear Belle

her letter came dated 3rd March which

was lots later than yours. I will answer it soon

Oh such a nice letter came from the man who

owned the beautiful house thanking me

for looking after his butterflies & armour & so

on. He did not own the butterflies himself

 

 

but was engaged classifying them for

the National Museum of Paris. - I will get the

letter from the Interpreter when he is done

with it & send it home to you. He

says all the wines in his cellar are

at my disposal as long as I live in his

house. I am away from it now though

or I might be tempted. He has some

wonderful old wine all laid out in wire

bins with a label showing the date of the

vintage & the price he paid for it.

Well dear darling old sweet Katie

love. God Bless & Keep you safe

always & ever - If I don't get a new

decoration it won't trouble me

the least bit. They won't help me

to win the war & I've lost interest

in them - but I did want that D.S.O. I

felt I had been cheated out of it in

the Peninsula & it I was lovely pleased to get

it after all. Now sweet loving wifelet

Goodbye & God bless & keep you &

my own darling pets safe & well

for your very own Dida.

Millions of love & Kisses from Dida

for you and the wee pet people

 

 

France

5/5/18

My dearest Katie

Paper is very scarce over here

just now so you wont mind me writing

upon the old stuff will you darling. Spose

I suppose you wouldn't really mind much if it was written on

brown paper or any old thing so long it is your

old man that is writing. You see you're making

me heap conceited with all your love & goodness

to me. I got two dear loving letters from you

yesterday dearie pet. One dated the 3rd March

telling me the wee pet our little lady was seven years old on

the first. Our wee pet She is growing up - another 7 years

& still looking round for her first boy I suppose

& another 7 on that & she'll be wanting to be wed. I hope I

do see her before her next birthday darling wont

that be lovely. I got two postcards by the same mail

one from Dhurach & one from the laddie & the laddie

 

 

seemed to write quite neatly like the wee girlie.

I am so glad both are looking so well &

healthy dearie. It is a great comfort to me.

When poor dear wee Jacquelyn gets a little older

you must have her down often to our place to

play with our wee things we must try to take

good care of her for poor Geordie's sake. He would

have loved her such a lot he was so fond of

bairnies. Its a pity Lyn does not take more care of

the wee pet. I know my Katie you won't mind me

loving her for her daddy's sake & wanting to look

after her. The weather yesterday was simply

glorious all the trees are just budding & in

the woods the primroses & little violets are

peeping out & the may is all in white blossom

Things are all just lovely except where the shells

have shattered them to ruin.

Oh Katie I got away safely all that 

wonderful collection of Butterflies that

the old man had at the other Chateau