Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his family June 1918 - October 1918 - Part 9

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

Page 1 / 10

P.S. W beliere old Birdnood is breakin week t get the H.U.G. back inder neron Command dead aid General Rantnn whoterus nwrnt nogtc o are delighted Hrroneold Birdeing be beten good 2 12
France 19/18 Deare t Katilne we got yung or us as a great purprise a charcefor lol dayh to go home or leave for 6omonths & I am taken the opportunity of founardewill of my deary a hrin vol 10 Coople of by Gernan Hourtzer cares 8 Diich they will nake nice gardenerss or flonespote for you moide then an three listle Servan Egg hombo. The are empty and give to tarmlers for the children hut I am not mre of the purco. Take the cap off then of you find these a round worder knot with a tin to it the fun nalive & want not be played with till it is fired this car be done by giving the worder knot or may trigwher it will fuillout & dgnite th juction
tube - tho pre will here for about 5 records giving you ample time to thnow it a couple- yords away at the end. the fire reconds then will be way crock like a Chinen a cracker & the fun will be perfectly rafe afternard. The part from the cay in it equites the powder with which lefr their emptied the bomb are pilled cauves it to eaplode the 5 fends are t allow it to turn until it weached the abject theom us. They can he throw 1to 60 yards and tirst other they full lay will give you an account the receitfighting also lett you about oue parade thi mornin in Honor of Billy Highe that is if he turn up. He will tell
MSIACR you perhaps of dd Pircy. We captured a number of Hteroplan Bombo in om advance. Pevey got nothing beevi as roon as on fighting took place Tery rae his mer wre tired. Well the other day Vevcy rent alo The esacting for General Hoth just now & said he would rend a motor bogge for then tombo so they could be rnt to England as Tropiis py this Bilgade word I fond that be stopped then attr oin Brynd H. As inloaded then then & is to them to take the Prime mine as htionte to see then tomorrow after Billy Hughes nes us. What do you think of that now Well dearold Katw lore no more newt - but it waker on pretty nick t pd all ther. hetty with jealonage doemt is Wiltions Alove Rin eroid
France 44 14/2/16 My darling Kotir have your eeceived I the fars at evestest letter from you dated th 8 July & pomed 14 Jul telling me about Johninsr Nole arrival home & Wichies departure & about your resolve to come & me me is the new year. Col Lay less for Austialia wilt a los tt old boys about 80 Br & about the of the sed nne number of this Bregade gave him to with him take home for you a wooda by with trs beg Brarlastridges ouct hourtzers of the Booches they will make you nice jardinng apertars a lattfo thonent Bu chytion I think they will please you as i thema but theyeils Y S 62 Gloolvvely & tiny. I am
hoping to get ever a larger or I rich from the be ralliny giv captned from the Bosche I have rome long ones about a gard high but not very wide that will wake good unkidla or stien tands. Fou's know of I can marage to get them home ravy we I als gave Lay. of my deary and also Vol 4 the Yyor Kross I had for you I hope it get home roply withhim You will all his a impressnher you know they are coming. W was all preed up as alout on hou yesterday Mr Hughes is ver here now & he procably bad romething tas He was to wentus with r they andiningsht toweltig yed him and he has C C t r nver turned up is yor
Genl perhaps old Very who is acting as Sevisional Commander is working ione point to keep hr away poor us trey is tecull ar entraolderary clay never letters Brigade lana fihe t be car bely it & ey are i pietty nct of him as that pryade nor over it the othe day his Bryade narched trough Kewarts Bryade & here openly greetdwt tt or near thrend It must be b of the war of they are going t let my Chocotatel can a figh. But severy look fine care the didn't & cts son as the Bosche Moyed retienting & made sand serey squeaked Wathe mer were too fired & my poor fellows had to come through him odo thoattack
thanks very much for the maps, the looks as by a gagy in ladd them though Bualy rays that mon sagy grows like a must roown th night Laddie look fulty tar sacy too Poor of Col. Denety will be diappointed. He ivery keen or gettinga try to Hustialia soon. H I would have given preprerge over Col Lopyt asth lattle had wet a tooel spell in England but Denelly mis ary or leave & they wouldn'e as they had to leave today wast to catet whlout in Italy. I guve Layt a big panoranc whoto to give you to you can get ar ides of the counte we fright for is long in Fell Baoby her letter got here jurt the sam time as yours this time & of coma the Cutting was io it
we Dhusalhs letter Idont and think very muct of batlacks letter do you I could write a letter of thas Tr B Seray account of what a mery uz about My Sel J shnny arrival I hope they don't ben layt ohis people by like that I am delightest that Mrs ofa whole heap f letters Layt I told him the morning that Mrs I would be gunghin a curtain Lectun all right when be got hom the told me be lad written a whole heap to hel po ight it as would be all 4 Ma t to DeAn W P t the £ Noy ban Her I don't want to have anything more to do with mrds though I hear he is breaking his neek
to get in all in hi army with the Portuguere & other Ducs that they have given him to play with If course he wonts in to cate all the hard knocks & give him the prain I think it is a lit of a goke about Fogey bing down or Dr of al with you now though I am rong p poor Lyr. I must rave i real Big & haid now for wher you will be with me Arent you the infefe ogg dear we daddig I hope ed wt bo y Garfletter te ee he lte d wi oull tcap yo dailin F and fiet in oo sania t of I could call hen talditin Canue lkmal inenbad anno Satont St.

P.S. I believe old Birdwood
is breaking his neck
to get the A.I.F. back under
his own Command again
and General Rawlinson
who has us now wont
give us up. I am delighted
& hope old Birdie will
be beaten good 
 

 

France
14/9/18
Dearest Katie love,
We got sprung on
us as a great surprise a chance for
Col Layh to go home on leave
for 6 months & I am taking
the opportunity of forwarding with
him Vol IV of my diary a
couple of big German Howitzer
Cases 8.2 inch. They will make
nice Jardinieres or flowerpots
for you. Inside them are three
little German Egg bombs. They
are empty and quite harmless
for the children but I am not
sure of the fuses. Take the
Cap off them & if you find there
a round wooden Knob with a
string to it the fuse is alive
& must not be played with till
it is fired. This can de done
by giving the wooden Knob
a sharp, tug when it will
pull out & ignite the friction 
 

 

tube – the fuse will hiss for
about 5 seconds giving you ample
time to throw it a couple of
yards away. At the end of
the five seconds there will be
a sharp crack like a Chinese
cracker & the fuse will be
perfectly safe afterwards. The
flash from the cap in it ignites
the powder with which before I
emptied ^them the bombs are filled &
causes it to explode. The
5 seconds are to allow it to
burn until it reaches the
object thrown at. They can
be thrown up to 60 yards
and burst when they fall. Layh
will give you an account of
the recent fighting also tell you
about our parade this morning
in Honor of Billy Hughes that is
if he turns up. He will tell 
 

 

[* Also an account of one of our
recent Scraps.*]
you perhaps of old Tivey. We
captured a number of Aeroplane
Bombs in our Advance. Tivey got
nothing because as soon as any
fighting took place Tivey said
his men were tired. Well the
other day Tivey sent along (he
is acting for General Hobbs just now)
& said he would send a motor
waggon for these bombs so they could
be sent to England as Trophies
for this Brigade. Now I find that
he stopped then at his own Brigade
H.Qs unloaded them there & is
to take the Prime Minister there
to see them tomorrow ^ as his Brigade own trophies after
Billy Hughes see us. What
do you think of that now
Well dear old Katie love
no more news. – but it makes
you pretty sick to find ^out all these
petty little jealousies doesnt it
Millions of love & Kisses from your
Very own Dida 
[* P.S. I enclose a very interesting letter from one of my
Old 7th Boys who joined the Camel Corps in Egypt after
the Evacuation also notes from two of my Boys who where via
Bagdat to Rusia *] 
 

 

France
14/9/18
My darling Katie love,
I have just received
the fattest & sweetest a letter from you
dated the 8th July & finished 14th July.
telling me about Johnnys Avery’s
arrival home & Wickie’s Violets departure
& about your resolve to come &
see me in the new year. Col Layh
left for Australia with a lot
of the old boys – about 8 or 9
of the old 7th Bn & about the 
same number of the Brigade
with him. I gave him to
take home for you a wooden
bog with two big Brass Cartridges
8 inch howitzers of the Bosches
They will make you nice jardinieres
or perhaps a bath for the next
Bairnie. Anyhow I think
they will please you as if
you rub them a bit they will
shine & look shine & l lovely & shiny. I am
 

 

2
hoping to get even a larger one
11 inch from the big railway gun
captured from the Bosches.
I have some long ones about a yard
high but not very wide that will
make good unberella or stick
stands. Don’t Know if I can
manage to get them home
safely or not. I also gave Layh
Vol IV of my diary and also
the Iron Cross I had for you
I hope it gets home safely
with him. You will all get
a surprise when you Know
they are coming. It was all
fixed up in about an hour yesterday
Mr Hughes is over here now &
he probably had something to do
with it. He was to visit us
this morning but something
delayed him and he has
never not turned up so far 
 

 

3
Perhaps old Genl Tivey who is acting as
Divisional Commander is
working some point to Keep
him away from us. Tivey is
an extraordinary chap. He will
never let his Brigade have a fight
if he can help it. & they are
pretty sick of him in that
Brigade now. over it. The other
day his Brigade marched
through Stewarts Brigade &
were openly greeted with the cry
It must be b         near the end
of the war if they are going to let
Tivey’s Chocolates have a fight.
But Tivey took fine care they
didn’t. As soon as the Bosche
stopped retreating & made a
Stand Tivey squeaked that his
men were too tired & my
poor fellows had to come
through him & do the attack 
 

 


Thanks very much for the snaps. The
laddie looks as big as Gagy Dhusach in
them though Baaby says that
Gagy Dhusach grows like a mushroom in
the night. Laddie looks fatter
than Gagy ^Dhusach too. Poor of Col Denehy
will be disappointed. He is very
Keen on getting a trip to Australia
soon. He I would have given him
preference over Col Layh as the
latter had such a lovely spell
in England but Denehy was
away on leave & they wouldn’t
wait as they had to leave today
to Catch the boat in Italy..
I gave Layh a big panorama
photo to give you so you can
get an idea of the country
we fought for so long in.
Tell Baaby her letter got here just
the Same time as yours this time
& of course the Cutting was in it 
 

 


and wee Dhusach’s letter. I dont
think very much of Catlack’s letter
do you. I could write a better
account of that V.B. Scrap
myself. What a mess up about
Johnny’s arrival. I hope they
dont mess Layh & his people up like
that. – I am delighted that Mrs
Layh got a whole heap of letters
I told him this morning that
Mrs L would be giving him a
Certain Lecture all right when
he got home & he told me he had
written a whole heap to her so
that would be all right.
I am sorry to hear Lyn is not
pleasing you. She must be queer
not to mention to you a mother
Saving back a letter from me
I don’t want to have anything
more to do with Birdiewood though
I hear he is breaking his neck 
 

 


to get us all in his ^5th army with
the Portuguese & other Duds that
they have given him to play with &
Of course he wants us ^back to take all
the hard Knocks & give him the praise
I think it is a bit of a joke about
Fogey Flory being down on Lyn & pals with
you now though I am sorry for
poor Lyn. I must save up real
Big & hard now for when you will
be with me. Aren’t you the
darlingest darling to be wanting to   e
sweet loving pet
wifelet. Poor dear wee Laddie I hope
you will get both my last letters
together because he might be sad if
I said only to call you darling.
In one letter ^to you long ago I asked the
laddie if I could call him Laddikins
like mum did & I’ve never had an
answer yet about it. 
 

 

 

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G. Ned ThayerG. Ned Thayer
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