Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family June 1918 - October 1918 - Part 12

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
AWM2018.19.78
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

tole 4 and when he wis woydly Gent tobs said be inpeded he wouldn't oee lol Siveny again as the Commonalls wouldnt bothe indery back here the wer gong over on leave. St Dovely doesnt want tgo I think Sinety at alt mor wgo a much letter got here that he bas at home wont th me keeping it as long as possible I am lad nandna jokeging will H I shall be rookin forward to the whotes of thouce pret you ar going thave taken. I had not heard repre of poor Mrs Every's death If mustt are occurred put after with wrote to welar. Hancy the dear wee shuraet still at the lop of her clai. Aftera wit night today is bright &tinngt thing ale pleasunt We are luving wothat watcher this afternoon Jack Gray wshoused to play for vassity ins be of our his now. Oh Hailing I am counting thPlays on come to me. I can lifl oldly inagive that it will come true wyome dailing sweet wife I will be borelyf on you ether for your very Millignte or
France my darlang teateo 22 10/18 I Lavent much news to tett you this time The weather is thle very toet but we we all comfortatly housed & ed ao we dont ✓ mind nuct. I as esclosing a copy of a letter poor Several Rarlmor indiration we bare to long bein pebting for I wll we amit get inble Bardwood any more. He will contiols promotion in the H.J.J. unfortunately but I think he willb said put at topass to anore eloe ver my head again. His last attempt assit turned out as all well & he sa had nothin but nows al
abong the line. At a renift Beal McWichol got ged in lars attera got in England Col torey has gone back to Hurtialia. Wol knight was kieled in trying casry out a mad brawes pelome which this reant ordered him to do get be is kep fer &nothergtn placet Birdinbods favorition However chough that Katiolore. On hisday Ihad a very nice motor ride on to Pressy where the Big Buttle do th place in 1346 - 26 M of think. On the wry then we drove through the horen veery one of the largist in France which was wal it lorg 7pritum tiet. We looked at the church
which my built a 1100 & aething & is stilf quil round. He als rought home Portcard whct I lave ported b th Caddie. Ther in had lunct at a bitte in & afterward went to ree the Balllegeld On to of the will we yound the earther mound. shic t marks the pite plit windmill were King Idnade slood intited his yon the Black Prince win the Baltle against the rench & Terman or the warket fquare three is a fairly moder monument ecedily ilrcuptims Fronce anxembey Barasu t tha who fell i the Battle tr France fo the Hill. pporits Where the Kings Windmel stood at a cross roan
we saw thoold weathereat ross which marks the not where ohn of Lenenlug hive of Bohemia was killes inMrs Battle You will remember tha story that the Black krince after the Buitls loot his crest the three sstrict feathers & motts for burson foo tding King We smaln about a couple mile away thoold chaper that wus built after the Battle as a memorial t th 300 knight of France who were Killed in the Battle. It is old & crunbling into run lake the crovn thongs each as yerr from linet hime reganed I had a liftle letter fom fack pricior. He is berywll
and has had a letter fin August which you dated 26 is a week rates thar the one I got atother day so there would be more for me about. I hear the letters we posted, yrom tJuly have al X & 76 cer drowled that o very rad becaun aont Aat him 3r 2 Moleyn alr th fight we hadwith the Sernan or the 4 fnly when Mr Dwercan i a good fight wolpld. too. Stewart Las gove leave a is goinvery shortly & nome manstall will be actin as Bryadier of th N car I gm glad I mays. pr tangfor was toget him thot Dc onge 2or r Bar to Mr DS a
the Bervine Buttl wher ty2s he did pladis I am dlad that unal Major Ferris My 58 0 a MR.C for this tod no then in a litlls Yalousy Celoer then as 6o who was to for itr. ut too credit thay can t cam oct no an hopeforl gettirn $50 you Mas Water out. the Hindenhnelin yortnng. Denery Sharbuly vator& Seudr are all ry wnts tgo cooming Diner walk o leave L Duhatia m scared &death togof i year we will dischare arrival there. With 6 miltion of love of Fisher fo you te wel pet for you very om Lidn Sor y
of dearest Katre, France 2 24/10/18 I am exclosing with this letter a lit of my livis de Merre Ribbon also a Copy of the Friel Arny Order confirring or me the right to weak the Decoration. you need not phere if you dont want by all it rays daphing. The Tuinch are Bigteay kites you know. ther is no news katilove. No letters ince I last wrote I had a nice motor there yesterday into DR a tom near & paw then our Cog Doctor of the yMr Lric Gutteredge. He is now a Polve & in command of the 3rd fust Gene Hospital. He looks very well indeed & is to be widlded shortly Dbeliex. Cam Stewart is in or leave just now & Eclar Domnar Wairtall is ading ar Brigadier a his slend sornon is coming along to Lave dinner with no tonight. I told you C2nd Bar I thens wash lad got to his P.S.D. for the Capture the Eitadel at Beronne this nt is only a Spirick of a letter bad I larent a Feray of news Docon Millimy presterto. fove we katredear son be nery for you prd.
P.S. When you come bring my wedals Ratio deir 3297 3rd Serles
By dear Katie France I have just had 31/10/18 two letters from you one dated the 12 August & firished on the 73 the other is dated 4 Hug ofmished on the 6 Ang. In the prrs oe you mention that it is four years ince thowar tarted whoevr thought it world last is long. I had a letterfrom mother&the reem to be worryingorce my rafity a great deal now I flar her ale must be telling or her now. I can very thear so many of you ladies at the Depot were sle& hope they are better nor. I think I had a litterby last mail much later than there as in it you wente that Mrs Avery lad died which is later news than either of thest. I had quite forgotter about going out to Rolerts place in the con tatie but I remembered it wher you referred to it toot in your ltter! I have not yet got te letter enclosing keeth murdocks writing foor the Herold but last week I rad a letter for Mr Hardam wond enclosed a curtting which I think would be the same I hean that our letters you here for th beginning of July t tho goinly lave all drew fome

and when he said Goodbye Gene Hobbs

said he supposed he wouldnt see

Col Danchy again as the Commonwealth

wouldn't bother sending back here

the men going over on leave.

so Danchy doesn't want to go

at all now. I think Danchy

has a much better ^hand of it here than he

has at home wants to be sure of

keeping it as long as possible

I am glad Grandma is keeping

well & I shall be looking forward

to the photos of the wee pets you are

going to have taken. I had not heard

before of poor Mrs Avery's death.

It must have occurred just after

Will wrote to me last. Fancy the

dear wee Dhisnet still at the top of

her class.

After a wet night the day is bright 

& sunny & things are pleasant.

We are having football matches

this afternoon. Jack Gray who used

to play for Varsity is one of our [[/]]

own.

Oh Darling I am counting the days

till you come to me. I can

hardly imaging that it will come

true my own darling sweet wife

It will be lovely to see you.

Millions of love & kisses from your very

own Didi Doo

 

                                               France

                                                    22/10/18

My darling Katie,

                    I haven't much

news to tell you this time

The weather is still very wet

but we are all comfortably

housed & fed so we don't

mind much. I am 

enclosing a copy of a letter

from General Rawlinson

under whom we have

been fighting for so long

I hope we don't get under

Birdwood any more. He

still controls promotion

in the A.I.F/ unfortunately

but I think he will be

hard put to it to pass

anyone else over my head 

again. His last attempt

hasn't turned out at

all well & he has had

nothing but rows all

 

along the line. As a result

Genl McNichol got fed up

& has taken a job in England

& Col Norey has gone back

to Australia. Col Knight

was killed in trying to

carry out a mad brained

scheme which this beauty

ordered him to do.

Yet he is kept in his

place by nothing but

Birdwood's promotion.

    However enough of that 

Katie love. On Sunday I had

a very nice motor ride over

to Cressy where the Big Battle

took place in 1346 - 26 Aug

I think. On the way there

we drove through the Forest

of Cremy one of the largest in

France which was in all 

its glory of Autumn 

tints. We looked at the Church

 

which was built in 1100 &

something & is still quite

sound. We also bought some

postcards which I have posted 

to the laddie. Then we had

lunch at a little inn & afterwards

went to see the Battlefield On

top of the Hill we found

the earthen mound which

marks the site still of the

windmill where King Edward

stood & watched his son the

Black Prince win the Battle

against the French & Germans.

   In the market Square there

is a fairly modern monument

erected by subscriptions of

France Luxembourg & Bavaria

to those who fell in the Battle

for France.

  On the Hill opposite

where the Kings Windmill

stood at a cross road

 

we saw the old weatherbeaten

cross which marks the

spot where John of Luxembourg

King of Bohemia was killed

in the Battle. You will

remember the story that the

Black Prince after the Battle

took his crest the three

ostrich feathers & motto

for his own for the dead

King.

We saw also about a couple

of miles away the old chapel

that was built after the Battle

as a memorial to the 300

Knights of France who were

killed in this Battle. It is

old & crumbling into ruin

later the cross though each

has been from time to time repaired.

   I had a little letter from

Jack Proctor. He is very well

 

and has had a letter from

you dated 26th August which

is a week later than the

one I got the other day so

there should be more for

me about. I hear the 

letters we posted from

2nd to 10th July have all 

been drowned. That is 

very sad because about

that time I wrote & told you

about the fight we had with

the Germans on the 4th

July when the Americans 

helped. It was a good fight

too. Stewart has gone on

leave or is going very shortly

& Norman Marshall will be acting

as Brigadier of the 14th I hear

I am ^very glad I arranged

his transfer so as to get

him this change. he got

a 2nd Bar to his DSO for

 

the Peronne Battle where

he did splendidly as

usual. I am glad that

Major Ferres of my 5th got

a M.C. for this too as there

was a little jealousy between

then as to who was to

get the credit for it so

they can both claim it

now. I am hopeful of

getting a D.S.O. for Chas Watson

out of the Hun dinking line

fighting. Denchy & Marshall

& Watson & [[?]] are all

blooming. Denchy wants to go

back on leave to Australia but

is scared to death to go for

fear he will be discharged

on arrival there. With

millions of love & kisses for you

for the wee pets from your very

own Didi Doo.

 

                                  France

                                    24/10/18

My dearest Katie,

            I am enclosing

with this letter a list of my Levix de

Guerre Ribbon also a copy of the

French Army Order conferring on

me the right to wear the

Decoration. You need not believe

all it says if you dont want to

darling. The French are very big heap

skites you know.

   There is no news Katie love. No

letters since I last wrote. I had

a nice motor drive yesterday

into Al a town nearby & saw there 

our long doctor of the 7th Bn Eric

Gutteridge. He is now a Lt Col

& in command of the 3rd Aust Genl

Hospital. He looks very well

indeed & is to be wedded shortly

I believe. Cam Stewart is in

England on leave just now &

Norman Marshall is acting as

Brigadier in his stead. Norman

is coming along to have dinner

with us tonight. I told you

I think Nashe had got a 2nd Bar

to his D.S.O. for the capture of

the Citadel at Peronne. This

is only a spirit of a letter but

I haven't a scrap of news. Does do

love me Katie dear? Millions of love & kisses

for you from your very own Dida Doo.

 

P.S. When you come

bring my medals Katie 

dear.

 

                                                           France

                                                           31/10/18

My dear Katie,

           I have just had

two letters from you one dated the

12th August & finished on the 13th. The

other is dated 4th Aug & finished on the

6th Aug. In the first one you mention

that it is four years since the war 

started. Who ever thought it would

last so long. I had a letter from

Mother & she seems to be worrying over

my safety a great deal now. I fear her 

age must be telling on her now. I

am sorry to hear so many of your

ladies at the Depot were ill &

hope they are better now. I think

I had a letter by last mail much

later than these as in it you mention

that Mrs Avery had died which is

later news than either of these. I had

quite forgotten about going out to

Robin place in the car Katie but I

remembered it when you referred

to it the ob in your letter. I have

not yet got the letter enclosing Keith

Murdoch's writing for the Herald

but last week I had a letter from

Mr Henderson which enclosed a

cutting which I think would be the

same. I hear that our letters from

here from the beginning of July & the

9th July have all gone down.

 

 

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