Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, January 1918 - May 1918 - Part 4

from Mr Begg. Things are not too good
but he was hoping to fix things up.
after Xmas. I got Mr Jones cable
ages ago of course, I wrote to him about
it & answered also by cable to his
letter which he got. Lew [[Kittman?]] is a
good boy. He is away in hospital at
present with a broken collarbone
got playing football. 5I recommended
him for a decoration but he got
only a mention. It was queer about
you getting that note about Felix O'Connor
He is the principal creditor. The worst
of it is that he was one of our very
best clients & we did a lot of work for him.
he is a very wealthy man & now by
Roberts action all that is lost to us.
The man must have been mad I think.
You are indeed a wonderful little pal
my darling that I can trust you so.
There is no one in all the world
like you I think. Poor old Grandma.
I am sorry to hear about her looking
so bad. I had a letter from Lyn last &
she said Grandma was writing but
it hasn't come to hand yet. My
little bairnies are lucky to have a
“dear mum” like you. Didn't I know good
when I told them there was no "Mum"

in all the world like ours.
[*D.R.L. 3297 (3^rd S)*]
 

I hope by now you ^have got my letter about Jacky
boy. They never let me know until
a fortnight or more after it happened
& I enquired & found that the Defence
people had already sent a cable to
you so I did not repeat it. They told
me that Jacky boy after most of their
officers were killed or wounded volunteered
to go & was delighted when they agreed.
When he went to the Quartermaster
for his rations he said "Come on Quarter
"Rations for a dinkum Soldier tonight,"
He used to reckon looking after the
Transport wasn't "Dinkum—Soldiering".
at all. He went forward with the
troops in the first wave & was bringing 
his gun into action on the forward
slope of the Passcendale Broodseinde
Ridge near Passchendale when he
was shot dead by a German sniper
the bullet entering under the left eye
& killing him instantly. He was buried
where he fell & the fight is still
continuing all over that area. The
Germans are hanging on there with great
determination & it is well within the
bounds of possibility that the Germans
may attack there & we ^may lose the ridge
again in spite of all we have done to
win it - because we haven't the men
[*D.R.L. 3297(3^rds)*]
 

Broodseinde
Passchendaele
 

England is doing everything possible
to raise the men for her missions
but they are very short. We had to send
thousands & thousands to Italy & the
Germans captured 9000 at Cambrai
But this wouldn't have matter because
we had captured 11000 or more there
a few days before if the Russians
could only have kept going - but
now hundreds of thousands are
coming over from the Russian front &
training ready to roll in upon us
as soon as the ground is dry.
We expect to inflict dreadful
slaughter upon them but whether we
shall win or not God only knows.
And to think of those skulking in Australia
& to know that 100 of them — even 50
or 20 of them might serve to tip the scale.
That lunatic Mannix says it would
make no difference — why every single man
counts in a battles like this when each
side is being fought to a stand still.
But it would drive anyone mad to
talk about such fools. I am delighted
with the proof of the photo. The dear wee
pets look just darlings. The laddie looks
much more like an Elliott now & reminds
me of Rory & dear wee Dhurack looks ^very sweet
but how they are growing up.
[*D.R.L. 3297 (3^rds)*]
 

I read a very sad letter from a Mrs Elliott.
She had a very fine son Major Tom Elliott.
He was Geoff McCraes 2^nd in Command at
Fromelles & was killed. There was a lot of
doubt about his death as after he was hit he
was seen walking back towards our lines
& men reported seeing him. However quite
close to our lines he must have fallen from
loss of blood or from fresh wounds & died there.
Afterwards we found what we took to be his
body & made as near certain as anyone
could be got his money & badges & watches
which men agreed were his off the body.
but you couldn't go there in the daytime
so always there was a bare possibility — but
when no trace could be found of him in any
hospital we decided he was dead. His
mother says however she is quite certain
he is alive & came to her in a vision &
told her so. I really think the poor lady
is going out of her head over it. Her son
was a magnificent young fellow & would
I believe ^have been another Kitchener had he lived.
I will look into young Mudoch's case
dearie but it is going to be very hard
in future to get promotion. Some of the
Units will have to be cut out soon since
conscription has failed & all the spare
officers & non coms from there will have to
be provided for & no more promotions can be made
[*D.R.L. 3297 (3^{rd s})*]
 

until they are all used up. Even Neil
Fellman & Scanlon may have to go back
to Major if a spare Colonel comes along
under the new scheme & so they are
only temporary for 6 months at least.
It may be as well for you to hang on
to all money you have & put it in
the Savings Bank for a bit to see how
things go. Never you mind about me darling
I have another £50 saved up nearly
I am not sure if I can afford to send
it. This life with barbed  wire & stuff
is pretty rough on clothes & I am afraid
I’ll soon need some more. In my job I 
have to look decently clothed,  & clothes
are scandalous very dear but I have
bought nothing since I heard of this
trouble & saved all I knew. that is. why
there was no Xmas presents darling pet
I hope you were not dreadfully disappointed 
I heard a rumour that the Govt are seizing 
all trophies that the boys are taking home
with them for some Museum.: It will be sad
if I cannot get the lad’s rifle safely home to
him after all. I’ll leave it with Uncle 
Jim & have it sent out after the war -
that ought to beat them. Did I tell you I sent
Hugh Morrow to a depot job in England under
Bert Largh in the hope that he can keep him
out of harm’s way for his mother’s sake
[*D.R.L. 3297 (3^{rd s})*]
 

[*(both his brothers having been killed)*]
He is thinking of applying for his discharge 
but may not be possible. You poor
old darlings it is too bad how things
have always gone wrong with you. Poor
old Jacky boy. I am glad [[Luic?]] Walker got
home safe . How is he getting on, they said
he had consumption here. Frank Fischer
called to see me - I think I told you this
Genl Tivey wasn’t  wounded in the leg at all.
He was hit in the fat part of the army
with a little bit of a shell just a wee hit
& it did little more than break the 
skin. It was just a little thing & not at all
severe but he made the most of it. He
is inclined that way & is getting very
jealous of our Brigade which always
seems to do best,. Do you ever hear anything 
about General Tivey at home. He is largely 
considered a joke over here. Bob Smith & 
Henry Bennett have very fine reputations 
they always do well. Henry Bennett has been
out as long as I have too but he is ^6 or 7 years
younger as is Bob Smith & that’s a big pull
in a game like this. This worry has hit me
hard & I sometimes wonder if I shall be able 
to keep going as I hope to do. I have been all
day on a Court Martial of an officer who
seems to have been stealing the pay of
his men. It is terrible how men seem quite
unable to resist temptation if they get
[D.R.L. 3297 (3^{rd s})*]

near money. He must have known that it was
only a matter of time before he would be found
out too. That is the absolute madness of 
it all. What a strange thing for Mrs Roberts
to do to come & see you. Yet you were
a darling not to treat her any differently
She was very good to give all the money
she could raise to try & keep things
going for us. I hope both the £50 I sent you
in Oct. & the one sent in January get to you all
right, as I have no doubt they will. What
a struggle we have had to get that debt paid
off. Katie. It is terrible how hard it is to save 
money & how it vanishes at every turn. I hope
the dear wee our little pets enjoy their holidays
Katie love. — The weather here is not at all bad
just now. — a wonderful difference to last
year. It is strange how it seems to favor
the Bosche. Last year when we were praying
hard for fine weather to advance it rained
& made seas of mud till pretty well April
& this year when the Bosche is hoping to advance
he is getting nice drying weather  So far as
I know Col Layh is well, but he is a scandalous poor
correspondent — never writes ever an answer
to me when I write to him. Well darling
Katie I must arise to bed — I've got to go on
with that Court Martial case in the morning & its
getting late. 'Pologise to Baaby because I hardly
had a chance to write to her lately. Millions
of love & kisses to you & the dear wee bairns from your very own
Dida Don.
[*D.R.L. 3297 (3^{rd s}*)]
 

Belgium
13/2/18
My dearest one,
I received another letter
from you dated 5^th/11/17, but I am almost
sure it was written on the 5/12/17. Anyhow
it had two snaps in it. One of the lad &
Durach & another of the Dhurach sitting
on a table. The lad looks a merry wee
rogue but I did not like the one of
Dhurach very much. I liked the photo
shpt one of her very much though it is a
bit stiff. I am hoping the next ones will
be nicer. I am glad you met Mrs Morrow
& Ella. It seems so funny the little people
talking about their holidays. It reminds me
of my own school days & that I am getting
scandalous very old. I had letters from
Mr Begg; Mrs Larne & a very long one
from poor Mrs Roberts. Mrs Roberts
appears to have been treated pretty badly by
her husband. He got hold of lots of her
money & went through it. She says he
was always gambling at the Commercial
Travellers Club. I knew that he was a member
but had no idea they went for high play
there. [[Now?]] it appears his mother had to
rescue him from similar trouble once
before about 1904. I wish I had known.
Well dearie old love you must not wish you
were any better. I have brought you
[*D.R.L. 3297 (3^{rd s})*]
 

nothing but trouble to repay you for
your love & I should just drop down
on my knees to you & ask you for
really & truly "givens" dear little sweet
angel lady.
We have not yet gone back into the
line. It is still very quiet all along
the line. Some of Genl M^cNicols' men
brought off a very good raid — got 35
Bosches & 3 machine guns & killed
a lot more. They had five killed I think,
& about 25 or 30 wounded themselves. I
always begrudge good men lost on these
raids though they have to be attempted at
times to get information that is not
otherwise forthcoming. Oh by the last
mail we got a very nice letter from
W. Berry & Coy — Between £300 & 400 — nearly
£400 if I remember rightly has been sent
to their London Agents to be handed over
to me for the boys. I am having a
meeting of the Brigade Committee
this afternoon to decide what shall
be done with the money — whether we will
have a parcel worth 2/- or 3/- made up for
each man in London & sent over here or
merely make out the funds into the
different Canteen funds for purchase
of extra vegetables etc. for the men.
[*D.R.L. 3297 (3^{rd s})*]