Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, January 1918 - May 1918 - Part 7

Just now ^we are busy getting ready for the
Bosche if he attacks. It is pretty
sure he will attack further
down the line. However we
must be prepared here for
any eventuality. Well
bye now dear old Katie
& God be with you. Well
love & Kisses from Dida for
you & the wee pets.
[*2DRL|0513*]  
 

[*D.R.L. 3297 (3^rd S)*]
Belgium
3/3/18
My dear old love,
Two more letters
Came from you yesterday One
a wee sperrik little one dated the 4^th Jan
with snaps & p. card of the wee little
pets people in it. Thank you just
about a million for them
the wee pets They are growing
big aren't they. The other
one is dated away back the
19^th Dec. It is a fattish one
& told me you had just got
notice of the 1^st fifty quidlets pounds
I sent you – the one I sent
you about the 1^st Jan ought
to be nearly there by now
& I have today sent off
another one. Dont you get
worrying dearie that I am
getting hard up. My Book
is pretty empty just now 
 

[*D.R.L. 3297 (3^rd S)*]
2
but I have £5 quidlets to
Keep me to the end of this
month which I think will be
quite enough & by then I'll
have nearly another £30 in
it - so that will do for my
leave if I go. If I don't
well it will be a start
for another £50 quidlets for for you
my darling. Wouldnt you
give me heaps of loves &
tishes darling for saving up
so hard if you were near me.
It is sad though not to be
able to send you any nice
little presents but you will
Know I love you just as much
as ever I am always thinking
of you. Tonight Col Stewart
& Col Denehy have to send
some 30 or 40 men over into 
 

[*D.R.L. 3297 (3^rd S.)*]
3
the German lines on a raid
to catch & bring back some
Germans & to kill as many
as they can in so doing.
We have to do this occasionally
as this is the only way the Commander
in Chief can Keep track of all
the German Divisions but
I am always sad about it
as some of the boys practically
always get Killed in these
raids no matter how carefully
you work out the arrangements
for them & sometimes they are
caught & wiped out pretty
well. The Germans have to
do the same & as they are
not so good finding their
way about as our people
they fall in worse than we
do. The other night they
tried to raid one of our 
 

[*D.R.L. 3297 (3^rd S)*]
4
posts a little further north &
left 1 officer & 4 men wounded
& prisoners & 26 dead on the
ground out of 77 who tried
to rush a post. So far not
one of my posts raids have
fallen in & in some cases
we have made big captures.
but one never Knows whether
something may not happen.
which may cause serious trouble.
I always go in for a trench
mortar bombardment. This
if well applied has terrible
effects. & I am hoping that
this will be the case
tonight. it should absolutely
destroy the wire & those of
the enemy not Killed ought
to be as shell shocked that
their capture will be
an easy matter, but 
 

[*D.R.L. 3297 (3^rd S)*]
(5)
one never can be quite sure.
I wish Fogey Flory would not go out
electioneering. I dont think
she is suited for it. The
Referendum Result must have
been heartbreaking. I wonder
why Australia of any place
should get fainthearted. There
is no doubt that a lot of
our men voted against it
thinking that Tudor would
get in & he would get some
scheme going to take them
home from the war. I hope
you will go to see the boys
at home in the Hospital
when you can. It is so slow
when you are sick. I suppose
to they would like their General's
old lady wife to come along – & you
would be very nice to them not
like Mrs Tivey – very im’portant’ 
 

[*D.R.L. 3297 (3^rd S)*]
6.
but just your own little Katie
Campbell self & they would like
that. It was nice for the wee
people to get prizes. Tell them
Dida was big heap pleased to hear
it & he hasn't much over here
to be pleased about. I don't think
it would do the lad any harm
to do some physical culture
Katie. It would help to make him
strong & well. In this letter you
tell me about the amount of Nana's
Pension. I am so glad she has this
now to always rely on. It will
indeed be a comfort to her. Was
Jack's Deferred pay handed
over to Nana. or included in
the £300 you mentioned he had
left to you three. If you & Baaby Belle
have money in the Savings Bank
that you are not likely to
want for some time. There is 
 

[*D.R.L. 3297 (3^rd S)*]
one Kind ^of New Savings Certificates that pays 5% interest
which is more than you can
get from the Savings Bank I
think. It has been very
stormy today – blusterous &
a little snow.. We have had
a couple of cases of Trench feet
the last two days owing to the
wet & cold. Both the men had
trouble last year & it always
Comes back again. We get no
fresh cases of it now owing to
Knowing better how to take care of them
At first we thought it was just the cold
& wet but a French Dr ^Doctor discovered it
was a germ living in the mud & water so
now we use antiseptic powder instead
of Greece or Whale Oil which we had at
first. This with rubbing Keeps them
all right. What a pity we did not Know
before about this. Bye now dear
old love I am pretty busy. Million
loves & Kisses from your own Dida Don
Go to Back of P1 
 

P.S. Col Layh has been
passed fit for duty
again. I will probably send
Col Denehy over to relieve him
when he is ready to come. 
 

[*D.R.L. 3297 (3^rd S.)*]
Belgium
5/3/18
My dearest Katie,
Yesterday came another
dear letter from you dated the 23^rd Dec.
So you can see its a funny old way
I get your letters now.X  I wrote a
couple of days ago telling you I had
sent off another £50 quidlets. I hope
they get to you all right.X  I did
not Know that 'Fofy" was the Black
girl. I though it must be Jacquelyn's
way of saying"Fogie" Flory. & when
I got the snap shot with “Fofy” &
Jacquelyn I took it for Flory
although I must say I didn't think
it was much like her. I was
sorry to hear of poor Nana's
accident. As you do not
mention about it in your
later letters I conclude it
is better than it was when
you wrote this letter. I see the
Japs are coming in – there is no
doubt they fear that Russia