Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family June 1918 - October 1918 - Part 3

France
15/6/18
Dearest Sunshine Lady
Two dear loving letters
came from you yesterday one
dated the 15^th April the other
dated the 7th Apr & finished 19^th April
just two months ago. I am glad
the cable pleased all your
people good Katie love. Dont you
be thinking I am too tired
at all. I'm going good & strong
as you. But I am aweary for my
dearie. Wont you come to me - for
its like our 'versary will be long
postponed if you dont. I had a
very nice letter from Rory Katie I
will send it to you. I tole you in
my last letter about the C.B. It
is a dark red ribbon like a V.C.
It was so like a V.C. that now
they put on a tiny frame. Miniature
V.C. upon the ^V.C. Ribbon so you cannot
mistake them.
Judith looks such a dear wee
image in that photo of hers that
one cannot imagine Rosemary
looking prettier than that but
perhaps the photo flatters wee Judith
 

Rory seemed pleased with our
pets dearie. Oh I had a letter
from Jamie by that mail. She is
full of praise of our wee pets too
They are such fine children
she says & so well behaved.
I feel we are quite in Jamie's good
books again for the time being.
Genl Old Percy told me yesterday that
Bob Smith was being sent back to
Australia for Discharge. I hope
this is not true. He is much
too good a man to lose. I am
looking forward to snap
shots. Tell Suzy Durach I am just
delighted with her for doing so
well at School & at her music
You must get her properly taught
this last when she is older. Tell
her she has really & truly astonished
Dida just as she said she would; the
dear wee pet. Give her just a million
kisses from dida & tell her she's the
biggest comfort in all the world to him
Tell the dear darling laddie boy
that his promise to take care of
you just was the greatest comfort
 

of all because I know my
laddie boy will always keep
his promise to Dida. Tell them
both that no matter how cold or
miserable it may be over here
how many shells the old Kaiser
sends over will be just as happy
as ever I can be because I have
two such darling good little
pet Bairnies.
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Ine's Jack is still well & all
the people you know are well too
'cept poor Smith. Bert Layh is quite
as fat & rosy as ever he can be.
I thought he was getting into the
habit of taking a wee taste too much
wine. It is plentiful here. So I
tuned him up a bit & have not had
any occasion to complain since
 

He & Charles Hinchy are really
splendid soldiers & a great
comfort to me. But Charley Watin
& Jack Scanlon are splendid
fellows too so that I dont
miss Col Stewart & Norman
Marshall very much & after
all things people thought. I was
giving up a great deal with
them & Neil Freeman & Col
Mason ^Genl Henry is very pleased
with Neil. Neil younger brother 
is attending the same School
as Ine's Jack & doing well. Ill
soon be sending both to England now.
Ine's Jack is a good signaller &
this will be help him. I am
so glad Nana is enjoying herself
Rory says Dear Belle is very thin
& his photo shows this. You
must send her & Mary on
somewhere darling for a rest. It would
never do to have one xxxxx her knock
my would it - I did not
know Jack Roberts had left
I must have missed your
letter about that. Tell me his
 

address some time will you dearest
I might be able to help him. I am
glad to say that I got Len Stillman
Mrs Rs nephew his U.C on the
Kings Birthday. He has repeatedly
done very fine work & fully discussed
what he got. Mrs R. didnt seem seemed to 
think he was effeminate but he
is by no means so & the men
like him will and would follow
him anywhere. I am glad you
saw my boys at the Hospital.
Power was one of my Essendon
Rifle Bys. "Knuckey" is the way
to spell that Boy. Name all right
Anderson is the best of this all
I do hope they are able to send
him good as I feel responsible
for taking him past the danger
unnecessarily. I could have
gone myself alone to the top of the
Hill but I thought in case I was hit
I should have someone near but it
was him that was hit ^however not me
Tell them all at home they
cheered up but send all the
reinforcements along. We have
 

this old Bosche just scared
to death of the distractions now
he cannot be persuaded to
attack us at all these days
We will win in the end but
it will be a long time yet
I fear. I am so sorry to hear how
Mr Tronbridge & Mrs McLeod
& Miss McKenzie are suffering It
is so sad to see & hear of. Now dont
you get worrying about decorations
I've got all the British ones it is
possible to get except the V.C. or a
Knighthood & if you like it you
can write C.B.C.M.S. & S.O.D.C.M.
after my name but as it doesn't
help me the least bit to look
after my boys I don't care a bit
in that. Your prayers are much
more of a help my sweet loving
old darling
Never you mind about the my saving
up either. I am buying some
clothes now & will send you the
Bill when Ive paid it to show
you I'm not going in rags altogether
 

and I am going to get some
leave soon General Hobbs says
so there'll be our [[?]] [[letter?]]
my black book. But isn't it
lovely & [[?]] that old debt nearly
settled - The Trustees one I mean
I got the Birthday parcel
the other day. It was very nice &
we did enjoy the tea. Thanks
just about a million for it. The
envelopes & novelty socks
were just lovely too. I'll be
forty in five days darling
Thanks just about a million for
your terms darling good wishes. God
bless & keep you safe always
 

France
21/6/18
My dearest Katie
We have been
in line again and the 16^th. Since
my Birthday I have had a bad attack
of a sort of influenza going about
over here - nearly every one here has it
or is having it.
I am practically all right again
but it has made me as weak as a
child for the time being. I can
hardly hold the pen - so you won't
mind a specially short letter this time
sweetheart. I will be all right
in a couple of days.
Everything is going well. It
is rather an unpleasant place
to live as the shelling is very
severe at times & people
say the one place in the
whole area to be avoided is
the Brigade H.Q. However we
are well underground & it is only
going & coming that one gets into trouble
My darling, millions kisses for Katie xxx
 

France
26/6/18
My darling Katie pet,
I have ten dear 
loving long letters & thank y ou for
they came a couple of days back
I haven't been too well since
the 'flue. I ^have felt weak & have ^been had
some xxxx left weak & miserable sort of earache or
something - not bad but annoyingly irritating.
One of your letters was dated
31^st March (Easter Sunday) which is
older than some I have had already
You had just had news that
the Australians were fighting
then and as you will know we
were ourselves having a rather
[[?]] time those very days
with the Tommies running
away & leaving us to do the
Scrapping. They have got their
2^nd wind since & are doing a lot
better. Oh Katie I met Capt
Hogg the & [[?]] day. We look over
 

2
from his Brigade here. He
said his mother had been
living nearby on at Surry Hills
He seems a very good fellow.
I liked the dear wee pets little one's letters
Katie. Suzy Dhurach rites very well now.
Your other letter is dated the
7^th April. Isn't Dhurach a little
wonder the way she gets on ^with her
lessons & music. Tell her I am
just delighted with her. She is
the greatest comfort & blessing
to me she could possibly be. Tell
her Dida is so happy that she
is doing so well. You must find
out something that the dear little
pet would like to have. Please Jatue
dear tell me & let me get it. She
does deserve a little reward
for being such a darling.