Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, January 1918 - May 1918 - Part 10

think it will all have to be done
over again. I wonder what you
people in Australia will think
about it all. On the Australian front
he only made two or three little
attacks & was easily beaten off.
Neil Freeman's Battalion did a
fine peece of work. Genl Tivey is
well pleased with him. Colonel
Stewart has been transferred
to Command the 14^th Brigade & if
the Minister of Defence approves
he will become Brig General.
There seems no reason why he
should not approve of it – Please
congratulate Mrs Stewart &
Miss Stewart & tell them that
whilst I am very sorry to lose
him I am delighted at the
promotion which he thoroughly
deserves for the splendid work he
has done. Col Layh is to come
back to me in his place but I
will probably send Norman Marshall
back to the 57^th as he is used
to the officers there & let Layh take
the 60^th I will be delighted if 
 

I can get Layh a job as Brigadier
He would have a Very good
show of getting it too if
General Tivey should ever get
promotion or get sick or
go away for any other reason.
It would be a great thing for
the Division too I am sure
if this happened – At present
there is a deal of petty jealousy
about which would not exist
in this other case. as we have
been so long together. A million
thanks Katie dear for your thought
of me. The speckly socks are lovely
& warm & last simply wonderfully
well. I have still the same old
Speckly socks I had in Gallipoli
& they are still good as ever..
Norman Marshall is looking just the
very picture of health - So is Neil
Freeman & delighted with his Battn.
He has, Genl Hobbs, told me made
the Bn twice as good as it was
before he came.
I am glad my boys are getting
recognition. I have always Known 
 

how good they were but the
difficulty is to get recognition for
them. Layh is not quite the same
as before he got the Gas but his
heart is back to normal size
However the Doctors say that as
he has not to Carry a pack or
do hard work like a Private he
will be quite all right out here
I sent Col Denehy off for a months
leave.- as he was looking rather worn
out. The great trouble about this show
is the want of rest – For the past two nights
the Bosche Bombardment has been pretty
bad. But it is blind shooting as our
Aeroplanes have his pretty scared
and he does not cause such a
terrible lot of casualties – we had
4 Killed & a dozen or so wounded
out of hundreds of shells. My horse
old Darkie got hit on the neck
but it was only a scratch I am
glad to say & he is looking
splendid otherwise
Norman Marshall is asking about
a Month's holiday in June – They ^His wife
are ^is expecting a little Marshall along 
 

about that time. I shall see what I
can do. The trouble is that this month’s
leave business is supposed to apply
only to cases where the officer is not
Very well & the leave is to fix him up
for another run & at present I
never saw Norman look better.
It is a gloriously fine day again today
It was very foggy at first & is still a
little so but the sun is bright &
warm almost as ^warm as on a summer's day.
I remember we had some weather almost
like this in our advance after Baupaume
last year just exactly at this time.
Then in April we had a heavy fall of
snow just before the first Bullecourt
fight. Well darling lovey pet I
think that is all just now – Only
to tell you that I love you about a million
my dear old sweet lady – Bye &
heaps of love & Kisses for you and
the wee pets from your very own
Dida Don.

 P.S. Such a great big shell has dropped
just outside & made such a fuss but
no one was hurt.  
 

France
26/3/18
My dearest Katie,
Thanks about a million
^times for ^times your dear loving letter of the 21^st
January & the photos of Croydon you
sent me. They are very nice. I am
delighted that the little trip did
you both so much good. If all goes
well with me dearie I hope you will
take a little trip oftener. Why should
you not take a run up there or
to some other place Warnambool
or Tassy ^Tasmania – It doesn't cost Very
much darling & you must truly &
really have some color in your cheeks
when I come back home or I ll think
you're not glad to see me. And you
can assume all is well with me
till the Cable from the Defence Dept
reaches you & perhaps it will never
come at all. & its no use meeting the
trouble before it comes. I've been through
a good deal now & perhaps my luck
or your prayers will see me safe
through. Poor old girl I can imagine
your feelings about the failure of
the Conscription. I hear that Mannix
is going on worse than ever 
 

I wonder are the people out there
stark raving mad or are the Labor
people & the Catholics bought & sold
by the Germans. It is impossible
to avoid the one conclusion or the other
You will Know that the awful
situation that I have long
feared has come to pass exactly
as I foresaw. The Bosche attacked
a few days ago with nearly 90
divisions about a million of men
& he has others to follow. They This
is more than the whole British Army
in France. He came on wave after
wave 4 or 5 miles deep just one
mass. Our British ^soldiers shot them
down in thousands but it was
for all the world like trying to stop
the locusts – The dead were piled
in places in heaps but the living
swept on & on & swept our men
away like chaff – Behind other
lines rallied & inflicted more
losses but were again swept away.
Men had to be drawn out all
along the line to meet this & we
are now on our way – What the outcome 
 

may be you will Know long before this
reaches you but it would open the eyes
of the cowardly hounds at home to
see how the boys are taking it.
They marched out ^here last night as
full of jokes & looking as happy
as if they had got leave to Australia
They just want to get near
enough to the Bosches to stick
them with their Bayonets & they
will be overflowing with joy. I
am pretty sorry for the first ^of the Bosche
they reach – afterwards who
Knows what may happen - it
depends just how long the
Germans can compel their men
to face awful slaughter but
in the end I fancy the Bosche will
siken of it – But of course we
may not live to see it. Well
if by dying we can shame some
courage into the skulkers at
home we will not have died
in Vain. If we win though you
need have no fear of me not liking
the places you like. I've seen no place as
nice for a honeymoon with you as Healesville
[*I wonder will we have a ^an ana‘Versary there some day darling. Keep
cheered up & happy as I am – You couldn’t be downhearted amongst these
splendid boys of mine – Love & millions of Kisses from
your Dida *] 
 

P.S. Oh Katie. – Genl Tivey tried to
Serve Col Stewart such a mean
trick. Tivey's nose was quite out
of joint by Col Stewart being
given preference over his own
Commanders for Brigadier & went
to General Hobbs with a tale that
Col Stewart drank & on one
occasion when I was in England
got blind drunk & struck one of
his officers. He did not do this in
a straight forward way at all but
just Kept hinting to Genl Hobbs that
in his opinion Col Stewart was not
fit for his job – However our little
General turned on him pretty sharp
& asked what he meant by it. &
made him say straight out what he
meant – Of course Genl Hobbs was
greatly shocked & came to me. Naturally
I was greatly upset because. Genl
Hobbs had acted on my opinion of Col
Stewart but I told him I had never heard
of it & did not believe it. So we went to
Col Stewart & told him & he absolutely denied
it & it looks now as if Tivey will go off ^get
with a flea in his ear over the whole thing.
And what a lovely trick to try & play – 
 

Millions of love
& Tishes from
your very, very
own Dida Don - 
You asked do I love you
What do you think lovey
darling pet I’ll give
you just one guess.

P.P.S. I hear young Dr
Norris is now with our Div.
I haven't met him yet. -
I hope some one sends me the
paper with the photo of poor Geordie 
 

France
11^th April 1918
My darling Katie,
All alive & well so far &
not many Casualties. We were pushed
into ^the line in a great hurry. My men marched
all night & did 26 miles & some had
to go right into the fight but the
old Bosche had not Very much
fight left in him. In one place one
of my Machine Guns got into a
packed mass of him & mowed
down 200 at least in a few
minutes which took all the
steam out of that attack
We were nearly wept upon
with gratitude on arrival
by the British Generals for all
their men had got demoralized
& out of hand & all mixed up.
The officers were tired out &
the men helping themselves to
wine every where without check.
When I got into the front I
put this down instantly. I
issued very strict orders on
the subject of looting – A great
many British officers were helping