Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, January 1918 - May 1918 - Part 19

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
AWM2018.19.77
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

rays that for 2 weaks tey have had all their goods packed heady to flyt forthen ies y om army is dunr lack any further. Her mother's brother & nistamily who lived at nervaille which the Booche took throther day is leimgmith ther they lave lost everything but the clothes they wose It is a terrible thing the har for the people in France We must i tow mervatle Meces tgit the Booch to leave. The weather continues tbe & theboy geta mmn X9 . hircy every day & an as lapipy as Kiltens-Very for cashallies considering the Shelling. The accoplane very writtee lave ber at night coming oner & Bombn us which is rather disturting us you cannot got a decent Wee but we are comvled.
th knowledge that we are giong her 10 lomb. frevery one we give on lea tedelay of the attack is caulo by the Rosehe collingn the Hurtrian to come shelp him the Emperous teld & weet & the Burtran & Hurganan are now the jrt inagain. us as will ar th German Wwould be the best thing that could happer if one We had lad conscription could kee tho Bullatiny to verenth wed smpe Kell then by the Hendred thorward but oer get is toorn out - it is the late of the Balylocurts trna get t your crop if the wallee again Byenow liver pince dailyg and then Mar you Kalli o lord Kines o havig tappy Tuns fi you very onr Sida I god we ought byis anther hart non
2e thance easert Katie Love 24/5/1 2 Your lwotelfar letters came today one a tenmy timy and dated the 25t March with Mapohon of the dietl people in amongst the Khubart, you & th neclad or he bicycle my word you are gitting jut all higho Baaby, The wee people in amdgrs come lovely ferer & thowee people near a huus the laddie wilt his Breycle Hmet o lovely brightmers doey laidly any shelling lettter - I have goo- in neck a wee bit. still. Old verey is very bad- in his thront with it he cay laidly whioper. all in tlaft lave gove awray ill from its effect T cold not ina thek rightenongh but I think secill have to give in the end. I am glad
you got a mapohofo poor old gacky joys grave of Course for know the Hr las driver, us right back now & be lad all those graves to his lard now Ithink Deordies is still owrs but must le very mult shelled no Goodney know what the old Hur i ay to Strs said he is going make a tremendous attack soon but he is very peared of our boys so I hardly think ho welldai comg o to pont of us of course if some of the Sommys or o flanks give tay - itt may be anknod + we may have to rerreat to ware being sut of I have not heard for My Bege for moe tin a cabe yoo hi but 3
paretive lack it new almost years ogo is mulh has lappened ince. think factey lon will will hall right with Roddick. Have you met Wr Begg yes He is a fine fellow tt the rce laddie he mion pay that Didg or mun lons him lest. he must day Hida Mm love him bt yor all the rame for s ontit dear lone Tell themee to busact pet that Iida to just scardatoualy kiond of her gelting toy of1 class. It pleased dida moe tan his woldrers Killerg a lofof Serman I resjack her come to be oe of Dedar woldren fida like him a big let. I hope Mrs llaiso las got through her opuaun all right What a crowa at your harty deane. Where ti and roo for them ever aid you
+ all Tam glad the 50 gandlet arrised. the last one Irand night tb thenby now so that ea deft will be looking ratheron all towards the end of the year. That wa Very good of Kory to say tatorroon's it about the money. I larent & t your litte about the Regot nght yet. I lad a letterfiou Mrs Marrhall menlimen it trgh. General Devers & Wornar Mawtall are will & is are all my other Boys. I think we will be relieving Col Hewark M font line soon Katie frind out that My General mythe a Buliss General with us was of wst leavin They wedre pasing me over H I went to re general Wents alout it. He card General Birdword would not hismoto me
I arked why & pointed to my services - the Bapainn Admnc which is now lecturedn as a claim snangle of clararce Syeard. On the Bullicour Now - On the Polygor God show & lastly or thi Wllers Bretterenn Kins which is supposed the the prest thing the knoaes have ever tone in th har I rome ray to prert thing donein tnar at abl. tod. The & Love kine admittedal than raid they had no Tenera Braser or more capalle in the H I.F. but I suffered fom lack of Contal to, Prined judgment he meant be ray wh at could inly way that break out like a Voleans if ttungs dont go jus. as want en te
mentiored abrut th ron I had with Biedwood Eggpt - also the Row a Te 2 it when they woulds gentinmer water. I threaleved Enac ther back into Town thes at Finelles when the Bistert didnt advance & my oner got cut sprece I Richedu a ron ago several tacked &camn a laty ipleasaulners then at Polygor wood where my ne reportcapong the Tornyneg Reginents who bolled & left my 50 Boys to fight along - the done almot at Bullecoun the Lame dow here. Then Ba your the row I lad in but officer who kep wall My Brigade out in the rai until it mitett him to gitty about 10 an inth morning after we had
wanched all night ther when we got down here I found Bruest ofpen steating Lamyarg wholesble Parrested them threateer to shoot then if it did not stoy for I could not it mymen seatey mne of the oppens would pernit that hems have led tawn then some of the Britrot ofrcen well thating to prnitanof the poos people o thei dregont- at the very rane lim we were henertingou mn Ven ncrely for steating i leart the. I reposted this to Sorl Birdnood pointed out that we couldns stoythmer of the ppec would do thi- but I one got mulled for my pain now wouldi iwliere it possible tat they are now drazging all this a
to show I am not po a Higher gob. It is amayer &rcredible- I should have thought that taking in thisinto Emjunction with my fighter powers which be admits ane not approactate it would have proved that Ywarth veryman frth job. But ther you are and you lovely thousand guidlet gove allad tanisted in smoke It is really cruelwp ireseedthesn aladly but of naties lavedone only my dity as my men will tertify for always myo dear &ClRis ooe for cheating you ortof All that mney wont you dailing I dur couldn's sett it I had to yous veryou Didat r P.S. Millin loves & knove

She says that for 7 weeks
they have had all their goods
packed ready to fly for their
lives if our army is driven
back any further. Her
mother’s brother and his family
who lived at Mervaille which
the Bosche took the other
day is lousy with them.
They have lost everything
but the clothes they wore.
It is a terrible thing this
war for the people of France
We must now blow Mervaille
to pieces to get the Bosche
to leave.
The weather continues to be
lovely & the boys get a swim in
the river every day & are
as happy as kittens – Very
few casualties considering
the Shelling. The aeroplanes
have been very troublesome
at night coming over & Bombing
us which is rather disturbing
as you cannot get a decent
sleep but we are consoled by 
 

 

the Knowledge that we are
giving him 10 bombs for every
one he gives us. I hear
the delay of the attack is
caused by the Bosche
calling on the Austrians
to come & help him the
Emperors held & meeting
& the Austrians & Hungarians
are now to be put in against
us as well as the Germans
It would be the best thing
that could happen if only
we had had conscription &
could Keep the Battalions up
to strength. We'd simply
Kill them by the Hundred
thousand but men get so
worn out – it is the tale of
the Baby locusts trying to
get to your crops in the
Mallee again.
Bye now loving sweet
darling. God bless & Keep
you Millions of loves & Kisses
& many Happy Turns from
your very own Dida Don
P.S We ought to get another mail soon 
 

 

France
24/5/18
Dearest Katie Love,
Your two dear
letters came today - one
a teemy timy one dated
the 25th March with Snapshots
of the little people in amongst
the Rhubarb, you & the wee lad
on his bicycle – My word you
are getting fat all right.
Baaby, The wee people in
amongst some lovely flowers
& ^again the wee people near a bush
the laddie with his Bicycle
It ^is such a lovely bright warm
day hardly any shelling
either – I have gas - in my
neck a wee bit still.
Old Genl Tivey is very. bad - in
his throat with it.
he can hardly whisper &
all his staff have gone
away ill from its effects
The old man is a sticker
right enough but I think
he will have to give in in
the end. I am glad 
 

 

2
you got a snapshot of poor
old Jacky boys grave
Of course you Know the
Hun has driven us right
back now & he had all
those graves in his hands now
I think Geordie's is Still
ours but must be very
much shelled now.
Goodness Know what the 
old Hun is up to – It is
said he is going to make
a tremendous attack
soon but he is very
scared of our boys so I
hardly think he will dare
come on in front of us. Of
course if some of the
Tommy’s on our flanks
give way – it may be
awkward & we may have
to retreat to save being
cut off.
I have not heard from
Mr Begg for some time
but I got a Cable from him 
 

 

3
sometime back it seems
almost years ago so much
has happened since. I
think Jacky boy’s will’s will
be all right with Roddick.
Have you met Mr Begg yet ?
He is a fine fellow. Tell
the wee laddie he musn’t
say that Dida or Mum loves
him best – he must say Dida
& Mum love him best – just
All the same for us isn’t it
dear love.
Tell the wee Dhusach pet that
Dida is just scandalously
proud of her getting top of the
Class. It pleases Dida more
than his soldiers Killing a
lot of Germans. Ine’s Jack
has come to be one of Dida’s
soldiers & Dida like him
a big lot. I hope Mrs
Clarkson has got through
her operation all right
What a xx crowd at your
tea party dearie. Where
ever did you find room for them 
 

 

4.
all. I am glad the £50 quidlets
arrived. The last one I sent
ought to be there by now so
that silly old debt will be
looking rather small towards
the end of the year. That was
Very good of Rory to say
that wasn’t it about the
money. I havent got your
letter about the Depot night
yet. I had a letter from
Mrs Marshall mentioning
it though. General Stewart
& Norman Marshall are
well & so are all my other
Boys. I think we will be
relieving Col Stewart in the
front line soon
Katie I found out that
Major General Smythe a British
General with us was
leaving ^& his job. They were passing
me over & I went to see
General White about it.
He said General Birdwood
would not promote me 
 

 

5
[* N.B. *]
I asked why & pointed to
my services – the Bapaume
Advance which is now
lectured on as a Classic
example of Advance
Guard. On the Bullecourt
Show – On the Polygon Wood
Show & lastly on this
Villers-Brettoneux Stunt
which is supposed to be the
finest thing the Anzac’s
have ever done in the war
& some say the finest thing
done in the war at all. –
& Lone Pine too. He
admitted all than &
said they had no General
Braver or more capable
in the A.I.F. but I suffered
from lack of Control of
Judgment  Pressed to
say what he meant he
could only say that I
break out like a Volcano
if things don’t go just
as I want them – he 
 

 

6
mentioned about the row
I had with Braidwood in
Egypt – also the Row
in Egypt when they wouldn’t
give my men water &
I threatened to mach
them back into Town.
then at Fromelles when
the British didnt advance
& my men got cut to pieces
I Kicked up a row & got
a ^British General Sacked & caused
a lot of unpleasantness
then at Polygon wood
where my big report exposed
the Tommy Regiments
who bolted & left my 58th 
Boys to fight alone – the
Same almost at Bullecourt
the Same down here. Then
the row I had with a young
Staff officer who Kept all
My Brigade out in the rain
until it suited him to
get up about 10 am in the
Morning after we had
 

 

7
marched all night – then
when we got down here I found
British officer stealing
Champaign wholesale
& I arrested them & threatened
to shoot them if it did not
stop for I could not stop
my men stealing wine
if the Officers would permit –
That seems to have led to a row
Then some of the British
officers were stealing the
furniture of the poor people
for their dugout  At the
Very same time we were
punishing our men Very
severely for stealing the
least thing. I reported
this to Genl Birdwood
& pointed out that we couldn’t
stop the men if the officers
would do this – but I only
got snubbed for my pains
Now would you believe
it possible that they are
now dragging all this up 
 

 

to show I am not fit for
a Higher job. It is amazing
& incredible – I should
have thought that taking
this into ^in conjunction with
my fighting powers which
he admits are not approachable
I would have proved that
I was the Very man for the
job. But there you are
and your lovely thousand
quidlets a year all vah
Vanished in smoke.
It is really cruel when
we need the money so badly
but Oh Katie I have done
only my duty as my men
will testify for always –
My own dear old Kit
forgive me for cheating you
out of All that – money won’t
you darling – I just
Couldn’t help it – I had
to – Yours Very own
Dida Don
P.S. Million loves & Kisses 
 

 

 

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