Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family, January 1918 - May 1918 - Part 11

themselves to Champagne - whilst
this was so you could not expect
the privates to abstain. I caught
a British Captain with a cart
loaded up with Champagne
for his officers mess. I handed him
over to the Provost Guard &
issued an order that the next
officer I caught at this would
be summarily & publicly hanged
in the Market Square. I told them
I was quite aware it might be
illegal but I was determined to
stop the looting & consequent
demoralization & trust to the
King's pardon in case of illegality
This order had immediate
effect & I never had the slightest
trouble afterward. I drove
back the Bosches a little & got
touch with troops in the flanks
At the time the 59^th Bn. had nearly
3 German divisions in its front
but they were so afraid of our
M.G. & Rifle fire that we actually
gained ground back from them 

To give you an instance of the
mens contempt for danger & the
Bosche in particular - the 38^th Sent
out a patrol of 3 men under a
Corp to salve telephone wire
which the British Troops had
shed in their retreat. The got
out about 800 yards when they
met a party of 30 germans under
an officer. The corporal order his
men to extend in a semicircle &
when the Germany got close they
all opened fire. They Killed the
German officer & five others & badly
wounded two more whom they brought
in as prisoners. The remainder
ran for their lives. From the officer
they got a copy of his orders which
were to build a bridge over the
Somme & ^a beautiful pair of field
glasses an automatic pistol & a fine
mag twice as good as ours
There were numbers of other
incidents equally fine.
I have had several letters from you
to cheer me up. Have no time 

to answerx them yet. Col Stewart
is doing excellently as ^acting Brig Genl
of the 14^th Bde. He has not yet got
his promotion but no doubt it will
come through soon.
Old Tivey was very annoyed that
one of his officers didnt get it. He
was also more annoyed still that
when I was pushed in here we got
very great praise from evern everyone
for our boys work. We also picked
up two motor cars. When we came
out of the line for a rest he took over
but I would not give him the cars
in spite of very plain hints from him
on the subject. I was living in
a most glorious house the finest
I have ever been in with a perfect
garden & hothouse full of orchids
a wonderful collection of Butterfies
old armour etc. All the people had fled
I preserved everything exactly &
wrote to the French Govt saying that
such a beautiful collection & magnificent
furniture should not be exposed to
destruction - So as soon as old
Tivey took over they sent lorries

and removed it all - So where I
had lived for a week surrounded
by the luxury of millionaires with
two motor car poor old Tivey came
down to bare boards & horseback
I was rather delighted for he tried to
serve Stewart a very bad turn & when
the latter was promoted he brought
forward an officer who alleged that
Col Stewart had been drunk on
duty. I rather fancy our General
gave him a nasty jar when it all
turned out to have not the very
slightest foundation of any kind
Tivey's men have lost all confidence
in him too for he has no real military
knowledge & is getting old. I would
not be surprised if he goes back
home one of these days & Col Layh
would be very likely to be given
a chance at the job. He is back with
me now & is doing splendid work
indeed. Col ^CV. Watson who is taking Denehy's
place for the time being is a fine fellow. I
knew him well. He used to be in the old
5^th A.I.R. with me Bob Smith & Henry Bennet 

Walter McNichol ^Murdock McKay & others. Norman
Marshall has not pleased me of late
I am sure he is worrying about his
wife & the new baby that is coming
instead of thinking only of the enemy
& of his men. I can see now why Kitchener
hated to have his best men marry. It is
Very different - Hardly any women are
like you who really help me to do
my duty. All the others I have met
are always urging their men not to get
hurt - to take care of themselves etc - they
never think that nothing really matters
except that we win. You are just one
in a million my own loving sweet
pet. One of Col Stewarts Colonels was
Killed yesterday. If they ask me
for someone to replace him I'll suggest
Marshall for he & Stewart are great
pals & I shall not have Marshall on my
mind. Bye now my own dearest
sweetest little lady - your prayers
are long heard sure enough
Heaps of love & Kisses darling
from your Very own Dida Don.

France
11/4/18
My dear Katie love,
I've just heard news
that poor Reg Avery was Killed in
our recent fight. this week. It
must have been about the 4^th or 5^th
Inst.. I am making inquiries
I enclose a letter I got from one
of my old 7^th Boys now with the
Camel Corps in Palestine.
The confounded German aeroplanes
are over dropping bombs all round
us trying to knock out some of
our artillery or the like. Things are
not too good. We have just been asked
as there is likely to be a meat shortage
presently to Volunteer to eat horseflesh
from animals Killed by Shell fire
Just a very nice prospect is it but
we will be lucky I suppose if we
eat no worse before all is done
than that.
I have a bad cold at present but
hope to be all right very soon
again. Bye darling Katie love
Millions of loves & tishes from your
Very own Dida Don

France
17/4/18
My dear Katie love,
I have been neglecting you ^again
something Scandalous again dearie
pet. But there has not been very much
to write about. We are out of the line still
Col Stewarts Brigade got very heavily
gassed yesterday Gas Shells & great
number of Casualties including
3 Doctors. It is very hard for for Drs
to do their work with Gas Masks
on & so they take them off & get gassed
themselves. They are very brave &
self sacrificing. The Bosch in spite
of it all seem to have no
stomach for an attack now
on this sector & our boys are
only wishing he would come on
in his huge masses as he had
done in the past against the
British. Of course if he keeps
up this Gas Shelling & weakens
us gradually to a shadow of our
strength & that lovely government
of ours & the people of Australia won't
send us reinforcements he will
eventually beat us without fault
of ours. Meantime we are 

holding firm. The A.I.F. have
hitherto accomplished nothing
to be compared in importance
with the work they have in hand
just now. Our Battle line
extends over 150 miles - pushed
in everywhere where the Bosche
attacks were fiercest or his
progress most marked in
little groups of Brigades & Divisions
& our Battalion we turned the
Tide that threatened to sway
over everything to Paris & the Sea
& the British & Portuguese everywhere
flying broken & disorganized have
been everywhere rallied on our
lines. Australia will do well to be
proud of our boys. But even with
us there are cowards Curs &
Shirkers who clear out & leave
their mates in the lurch. These
ought to be shot but under the
Commonwealth law we cannot
touch them. It is a growing scandal
the number of men who clear out
just when the fight is getting
serious & may one day cause 

disaster. Some day I will catch a
fellow in the act of clearing out
& will blow his brains out
myself & they can try me for
murder if they want to after
the war. This is no time for
gentle lily handed measures
but for the sternest discipline if
we are ever to win through.
The Many of the Bosche's men are cowards at
heart but are forced to advance
by flogging & shooting all who
refuse to fight. Why should those
who shirk & skulk amongst
us be allowed to leave their mates
to die & go home themselves to
Australia to propagate a new
race of cowards to those who already
exist - there now is far too
great numbers for her safety nor
her honor.
Ever Since I came back to this
wretched Somme Area I ^have got
the same old chest trouble from
its marsh lands. In consequence
I have spent several days in
bed in the hope of getting rid of it
before it got a new hold of me 

I am rather better but not yet
quite allright again. I am
living in an old Mansion
house belonging to one of the old &
royalist families of France.
Portraits of Kings & Coat of Arms
everywhere - House built in 1677
& a draughty old place it is.
The owner Mademoiselle de
Septenville shows her sense
by living in Versailles near Paris.
It is beautifully situated though
& if it were more modern like
the last place I was ^in it would be a
delightful place to live in.
Since we came here the French
Villagers who were when we
arrived flying for their lives because
they thought the Bosches would get
them are coming back & making things
very awkward. We had to take
possession of the Houses for the men
& officers to live in & now some of the
people are very offended because they
find their homes taken & occupied.
Quite a joke happened the other
night. A party of the 60^th were out
under their officer digging new