Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, January 1918 - May 1918 - Part 8

[*D.R.L.3297 (3rds.)*]
2
or a large part of it will be
dragged in against us by the     
Germans who have bought and
sold the poor deluded fools of
Russians. Today the Germans
sent over  a Red [[kite]] Baloon
which dropped sheets of
paper with propaganda.
There were two big sheets as
big as a page of The Age. They
were written as they stated
by Hugh O'Neil & Mrs Leonard
Marshall two Irish people
who were they said living
in Germany & had never been
happier or freer in their lives.
They are abusing the English
for making the war & writing
about the Germans and what splendid

people they are- & the Sein
Feinners. - are marvellous They
dont want Home Rule they
want an Irish Republic
 

[*D.R.L.3297 (3rds.)*]

3
They did just the same kind
of thing before the Russian
collapse & the same for the
Italians - But I dont think
we are quite so easily taken
in as the poor Russians
were. It is a howling scandal
that that Fellow Mannix
is permitted to be at large
in Australia. We have a
truly lovely lot of Politicians
there. I see Hughes wriggled
out of his promise to refuse
to govern the country if,
it refused to vote for the
Referendum.
We have delivered ourselves into
the enemy's hands in Australia
that in certain. It will hardly
bear thinking about
We had one raid & got
in out of the enemys lines
without difficulty killed
 

[*D.R.L.3297 (3rds.)*]
4.
a few Bosche & brought back
two wounded prisoners. They
were miserable specimens &
streaked & yelled so loudly
for mercy when they were caught
that the boys said they drowned
the noise of the Barrage.
Last night he the Bosche tried to get
even by raiding one of our
posts but he was driven
off & we think a good
number of his men were
hit.
I am working out a plan to
make his life a misery to him
in all the posts near us.
I will let you know how it
comes off
Millions of love & kisses from
your very own
Dida Don.
 

[*D.R.L.3297 (3rds.)*]
Belgium 17/3/18
My dearest Katie,
I had two dear                                                                                                                                      
letters from you written
from Croydon. I am so
glad you are having a lovely
long holiday up there. I
hope you stay there till you
are really & truly well better
I lad a letter & cable from
Mr. Begg & things are
looking much better. He
has arranged for a dissolution
of partnership for me &
was hopeful that the
creditors would all look
to Mr Roberts solely
for repayment - but was
not quite sure at time
of writing what view they
would take but at any
 

[*D.R.L.3297 (3rds.)*]
^ rate things cannot be get any
worse for me than at
present as there was always
the possibility if Roberts
carried on for us both.
Moreover I will soon
know exactly what claims
are to be made by these
creditors upon me instead
of being in a continual
state of anxiety and worry
which will be a great 
blessing. On the other hand
I will have absolutely
nothing to come back
to now & will have to
start all afresh just
as before we were wed
indead of stepping into
an improved business
as ought to have been
 

the case. I think dearie
after I get the next letter from
Mr Begg I will be able to
tell you whether you ought
to pay off it to the Trustees or
not. Or as he will know
by then what attitude the
creditors are taking you
could ask Mr Begg some
time whether they were
taking any more to press
me for the money. if they are
not I would like you to pay 

th ^ the Trustees debt off & be done with it.
That debt was always a
sort of nightmare to me
having to find the interest
for it & so on. That at least
will be done with when I
come back & I will not I
 

hope have to borrow again
for the same purpose on
my return. Also ask
Mr Begg about cost of the
matter.
Some few days back I got
another letter, from you
dated 26^th and 27^th Dec from Elsternwick

By this mail also I had quite
a long letter from Dear little Dhusach
dated 15 ^th January. Your
last two were dated 10^th Jan &
16^th January. In the last one you
knew about the Bayonet &
Dagger arriving. Mrs Chas
Buckley sent them for me.
They were picked up in the
Battle of Polygon Wood.
I see the Govemment is
going to seize all those
trophies for the museum
sent home after the 1^st June
next. so I dont know how
I am to get the laddie's
rifle home now. I think
 

it is just like then cheek
of the Labor Party to want
to steal those poor little
trophies from us for their
museum. But Il'l see
what can be done about
it. I think you must have
written other letters as these
last two are wee sperriky very little ones.
I don't think I remember Rex
Neal. I have met a lot of
people to remember about A
long long time ago I wrote
to you about a boy named
Jenkins. Ernie Jenkins
lived up from [[?]] way
Well a brother of his turned
up in this brigade the other
day & asked me about him
I could not remember till
he showed me on extract from
my letter & then I remembered
writing to you about it.
 

One time I would never have
forgotten writing what I did
but now things crowd each other
is that the recollection of one
battle drives out ones thoughts
of the previous one & each one
seems to get more terrible
Dhusach wrote such a nice
little letter about her trip in
the motor car & seeing tame
fish who ate meat from a boys hand
& about the surprise visit she paid
you and the Lad. And about the
Mc Lennon's having tea with her
& a lot of other little things. It
was lovely getting her letter. I
expect Baaby Belle must have
told her what to put & how
to spell it but it was quite
neatly written for a wee Girlie.
I was delighted to hear her
little talk. I am enclosing
with this some snap shots.
 

They were taken by Ronald
Dickson of his little Cottage.
It was the only place he could
get near the Camp at Codford
where the troops are. I had
a most grateful letter from
his lady - I think she is in
one of the pictures - saying how
good I was to let her have
her man even for a little
while & how happy they were
together. I wonder when some
one will give me a job near my
old lady Kit. & if we will
ever have an anniversary together
again. 
[[?]] again. Bert Layh is a
rapscallion not to write often
to his poor lady. But his brother
is there in the same camp with
him & ought to tell him
to write. I don't like