Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family June 1918 - October 1918 - Part 7

I think now that the old Boche will
have to go back to his old Hindenberg
line again which is so strong &
probably now stronger that ever
before.
Apparently we are not going to
have a chance at a scrap this time
which I am rather glad of as some
of the Bns are very weak now,
but I expect will be called in
again very soon now.
The is just about all the news
darling pet & it is so hot I think
I'll lie down & have a little rest
Bye now my own darling [[?]]
loving little pet lady
Millions of love & kisses from
your very own Didi Don.
 

France
28/8/18
My dearest Katie,
Here we are
again. we are still in the place
I last wrote from and we have
done nothing since. Percys Brigade
have been in the line slowly but
steadily gaining ground as
the British Army is in man
other places. I never saw the
war look so promising for
us before but of course when
the British get back on his
old fortified Hindenberg line
it may be a different tale. There
is the old wasted fields of 
the Somme the soils is so
torn about that even yet it
is impossible to make any
sort of a trench in it & expect
it to hold up if the wet
come in so old fritz is
evidently making tracks for
his comfortable Hindenberg
line home for the winter
hoping to leave us in the mud
 

2
and wet again hot with all
the Americans in here things
should soon not look too sorry
for him there either. The Americans
have the makings of fine soldiers
but at present are terribly
[[?]] out of war. They attacked
with some of the British the
other day. Afterwards, some 
of our people relieved the British
but the Americans Major was
with us. They were losing 100
men a day & finally are 

AI from here.
o tes t ther to see what
was the matter we found tha
they were roding up rations
Honphes t the me in Broad
day light insteatt of waiting
wight full when the
got this adjusted losses per
to 50r 6 a day
to Reshal
Bert Layh wont in leave
t Lave
yesterday. He
some
annor of taking
h iter
iy any thing
Kong ont
 

about it as it may come to
nothing. Sunndee hos my
Layt would like it. Capt Hkenzo
who moraged t per nade the Di
t let him came back with ply.
arm I all was ratherladly
wounded worn pht of th210
f
ho dangerously but it
Sen
will protably wea thatn
knew as will a ham will
be stiff for life & I think
is shike the invalided the
time
We have lad rome rain not
I wake mud but lard
enough
the dust a things very much
cooler & pleasante now all
romig
my wound i guit healed
in now darling pet
millon of love I him
fom your tenyor
Dd Dr
 

Fran
my dearest Natie
118
I have been 6
neglectirg you slaiefully y late
but I care bee just about worked
to death. We lave lad fine days
almost incerentfighting night &
dying doinng
day sometime
yu out
swhenboth regeng
a few wouls but hazingng au
whenere either triedt advance
At times it raged with the
utmost jury we had an old
& very orceet city t late. You
will read about it in a norelt,
Walter Fvit called Quent Surnand
It is encereled by a rever & by a bug
moat when the rever doesnt ren
& another nver run through it
almost encerding it pincyal
bunh which is a a high knoce
onclorking the City. The city inalled
with huge romparts. Well we had
to take the Bridges & beating dorn the
fire of the eevery gan that commanded
them repair them indn fire
 

then rush across then & take
the town which we did by a purp
S
altack at dawr. Ther we held
the Booche the other &
one half &
ided our lott with
thy B
mage thells owe poindel his
blfwith ours & puished round
the oper country oth north to
mroud it & the nae in
gunners o the highthy beyond
neht the ground like a broom
threed our wys the flat ith
well lutes be act for night in
them & again advance. The little
city rocked & shook with crast
of well & the fall of buldins
and manniy as under on
earthguake for hores bit
through it all our boyI weptor
tinde
paye a trrific ight or the
144
worthenn camport infr the
Boothe from the City. Hilf thes
we had to reduce the rubmbers
wood cued hill beyind
foden we see our rewaid tor
 

Jay & wide the Sasten Sky is
black with Havery Villeages +
c & the
hipply demips
an i rent by explosion
wrecks the road
as the ouen
tbridges in a desperato attempt
But
t delay ou banguard
of Kutee the poor old prgade.
I would break you heart
see all that is left of thes
the bransh ear Haggard I
draim the other like me
ina dey walk almostI
tomorrow we fall i again is
follow the enewy for the fin
timnmy lop I I am hopng in
sall yot be engaged until to
mer lavea bhitle rerk 2t noy
an awful experiency lot
Sg
Hol Wattor are wit awayn
eare to missed the fight Wyor
Fern commanded Col Water
Bastalen to twus wouded by
hill payment but not lade
 

an glad to say. I hope then
ny recrints which we are
TGTenc
teaing is much talk of achils
bock in Hustralia will be
coming along room or ther will
5182 B.E
to no Hustration Army left.
Well katelore I must sty
olore
now withmilter
I kim for you and the dear
wee Bairne from you very
omn Dida
PS. got 3 letter from you & tuo
from Bualy tho thes day I cannot
answer then i perly yet but Igot
Brobys Just 2a Editin aclight
 

France
my darling our love
We are hoving a 8/9/10
lovly spell today, so I have nt last lesure
to write a decent letter tyou. I am enclosing
a News theet for you i which you will see
that we are getting heap of praiss p our
work over here. Your letter of the 29t gune
July came yesterday also quited good
&1
letter from the dear little shuraet besfort
one written with mums pourtan per
&ime from the dear wee laddieboy In mylast
leter I told him not to caltine dalling but
to kel that for mum but his littlloving
heart might be hurt is I'll lett hen he can
call one darling to of he would like to I was
thinking the raine thing about the
rather
Private School being male when I wrot
to you wome time back about reing min
tooper of the Preparatory School at
Wesley College about the Laddie. He will
weet as good class of laddie then & I
know mu coope will take an interst
in him. I will be rending yoing huer
over to England our offan know
very mortly. He is shaping very well
 

Seavle
Hws kind of poola nowbudge to gove
the shirrack I Laddie & nara a rgary.
Do you know whet he left & who is looking
afterh will I I wonder would he lave
given me the got Lad I ben home
to you know they are actually saying
it will be ts years after the war end
before we can get home at the very least
& perhaps more than than that. I am
wondering what that £20 - cheque for
the Trusiies was for. It seems strange to
me. If Houle did any work for me
they should have rendered me the will
direct
& not go tth Tstees. Howere
mc Aeg
pertapmo will tell me alont
it all Will you rend me along the
letter they rent you about it or a
Copy will do is care it is simke on the
way over. They have a joke in the Bryadettal
amures the man. They are always beey
carned of the danger of Hernan yiu
& not blitt who they are Well the
other day rome one rode by I asked
who thing were whilst they wre one the marce
If raid on Wer Paddy Scanlaris Irish mades