Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliot to his family, November 1918 - February 1919 - Part 1

France
6/11/18
My dearest Katie,
I have not a
bt of news for you. We are still
in rest areas but expect
shortly to be moving forward
again in fact the old 1^st Div goes
forward today.Attack or point
we shall meet the enemy of course
I cannot say. The Brigade is likely
to remain where it is for another
10 days or fortnight. Genl Hobbs
asked me whether I would like
to go on leave. I told him that as
I was feeling Quite O.R. I preferred
not to go. I want to save up for
you good. I hope the £30 I cabled to
you the othe day gets to you all
right Mr Shields has not got away
yet is I have still the Box of
Cartridge Cans for you here. I
am arranging however for the
Boxes that are with my uncle Jim
Scott in England to be sent out
in a transport & they will be
left with you for you at the
Institute Queen Street ^ Melb where
you can get a carrier to call
for them. If you leave before they
arrive tell Baaby to look for
 

them. I enclose a letter i got
from little Mademoiselle Brunah
They are back at home now. The
sister is away for a year  to
a Boarding School at Versailles
I had not written to her for a
long time and as she had
read in a paper that the 1914
men from Australia were getting
leave she thought that I had
gone too. Her father has
recently received a Decoration
which is similar to our Royal
Red Cross medal. In the early part of
the war he was captured & did very
good work in on outbreak of Typhoid
fever amongst the patients. It
is great news this collapse
of the Austrians but the Bosche
over here are still fighting very
hard & it will I fear be some
time before they give in unconditionally
which is the only thing any good to
us. I have not heard from Ine's
Jack for a long time. He should
very soon have completed his
course over there & be coming back
to us. This is just about all
there is to tell you. Oh Ronald
Dickson's brother (then are two
 

brother over here) died auddene
prewmoa following or Spavt
Influenga a week o to back It
Hhis goingest brother who is in the
CHS.C. are bott all right wyou
coltinety is new of the clarce
of mpeedy pear has decided
not to take leave but to see
the thing out da port

dont know whether Bert Lays
will be allowed t come back
seeing thas the 60 Balti Laster
disbarded. But then are a
lot of ands, in England we ought
the mt home now replaced
dy good mer who are out of ao.
because of the distandment of o
there are a lot of ands hor in the
can at home who might will
be replaced in the rame wa
think this is vit atat.
all thonews that have as
presot Bye & milling
Neve
& turkes as for & the eceper
in your vary on Dide Dor

 

France
my deareod. Shuscet
12/14/18
dont this just pplandin
news we have now. The old knowe
had to rim away from hime
to sure his the & we have
driver all his nartly old poldiers
right away out of Fhance
Belgmon fir alwoys
+
Il be coming back
etd wor I
home tomy little Dailings.
torely - & Ill
won't that 4e just
see howing you have bott grows
You wire both wch wetlaly things
whe I went away & now you are
almost groin up I can talk tome
just like grown iy peope
what a dlot my wel meswill
have to belome about when I ree
them
I am delighted thear you were
still toy of you clas W tnsvery
rad laving t leave Stotimurch
to the mice little school theref
all I hope you have another nice
school t go to now
Goodhy my dear bit th Cally
for be hore & then in wel lave
such a hanng time - in masweer
at all Kecp of lorest tuber fr
you veryout Dida
 

Frice
Mr
dearest Natie
15/11/18
lave wust had a
wait in with your deartoing
letters from you dated the 25th Augult
the 11to Sept the 7th Sept & No 22 deget
waint that a lovely lot ogital
at once. I am volry that there were
no whotos with them. But now that
ther are no sutmarines to parive
ought to get our nails so very much
gaucker than before that I should
woon have the Whotos. I got you
cable about the new address and
I am wo wondeing whether you will
make the try as Peace must come
pretty roon now. Weatere you
decide upon doing will beguite
all right for me but all the same
I an hoping to see you very soor
now Cant Hoyle was heer promoted
to major wrs io has Ronald Dickson
I thed you all about my wound long
longago is I wont rpent it agad
I am is glad you were nnt alarned
by the cable. Then was nirciam
need to go into isspital for
a wee wound like thas sgteI
I like t be near my boys
of will be hard lack for Imes
Jack wit
sprit sppose
they will wase him
then
 

mut tave
Dern
etda
beg gurt also
nt really pos
yu sevam He leftt no last
day I think or gue
got tt

witts peoples pootcards telt the
I rome delighted. They write very will
now don't thay I think the
is very like
laddies writing.
Shuoachs very clear and ferm
Wrs much better tar thetiground
laid that little ctec Peastor
writes. I mppos then was
a great now in Meltourne or
the atmistice seing announed
cto presnt we have not the least
idea what io tobe done with
us. We may be snt by in
the Rhine to do occupation
dutyor ngt. Iean Bill
Hignes is to mirry us off lack
tBurtgation as jast as ihe
-there is nothing dippul
con but
at all. Today senl Hoth vagone
in thave a Emprence with
general Monast and we should
hear monething very depaitor
the subject after that. The
breather has recomedin & netter
again with very viting grost
in tho mornings. I will
 

writes tett you as roon as
I lave
bave any news at all.
not heard fom M Roddick for sone
time & he did not mention the busser
Fancy Shurath bon a stom heavic
tha the laddie Hill In thophtos
we looks nearty as lig as the doe
He will calitu though when they
cme to be about 120r 14 Berls modly
dereloy at first faster than boys
It ame enough is a very great
comfort tone Oknow thatz 2 bo
o my boys. It is
the regpect
yor more the than Berdword
fayor which I might lave got
by racupcing their live
mttion guestion, I am is
grad you got my letter from
villapove & that wand got the
Heatherall right. Pertam afte.
all you will to here for the versary
decnce cans the mys will ce
quitker now. I have the ploto
tin out well decme but In
rory you didnt have on
taker
yoursely you me.
wwnt matter much if you are
comagon but it will
be ma
you dot come.
willio f cove kioss my dear
full conngeady frmm you veryon weda
s
 

France
My dearest Katie
21/16/18
As I have not lan
any cable from you about coming over
I lave just about given u all hope
of seeing you thi ride of the water.
& iuppose ther will be all with of instuction
placed on people wanting to come to Ingland
now as they will want all the space
on the thyn going back for troops for many
months & it would not do teave people
ttranded in Irgland at that time.
The news that we were going to
Fermany turned out tthe prenature
We ard not going at least for the prevent
& of it is doubtfulyf we shall go at all
&t appears ptbryine toct has
concluded that the Hemn army is no
no demoraligen thathe can of foid
to take chances & sure money by
moveng only 50 of of the frice be originlly
interded to more to the strine up to that
River
It begins to look as if the wor was mre
enoull over of klitie young oack
Robert came here today to see his
coron Ler Killman. I had bitlet
ray to him. He looked well. He said
b ad beer in France since about
asd september - jurt about when we
had or last fight at Billiwurs. He is
 

now a full bow Lieut in the Flying
Corps. I have no idea how long it
will be before we are the rentlhme
expect Ill wave to rtait out
look for a new got soon. I am
Very Ged i
with Birdwood & the rotr
way we was always treated me from
the start
Woone did more to make that 27 the
I did & got no thanks for it pr him
&fit pr the H.22. he would nover have
been peard of in this war.
I laven't the teeniest timen
let of new for you kalissealing. I dont
know abat Tuis gact will bo doing
now but I dont we how he ca
get a communion now. Has real
said luck fo him wnt it. All
promotion of officer & nor com is
now stopped at any rate untitive
bee wnether Peace is to be made or not &
if as we hope Peace is made it will
of comos perent any more promotans
at all from hing made.
I enclose a vew weet that
intended to post to you some timback
but it got missed, to you want ine
to come tact hove tyou Kater very much
bit
I seem the a farture altogether at
whatevers thy I dont do put it
 

Huppy
may HHeville
France
My dear Ratc
We are gust packing 24/11/18
by here to go north. We get our
at Le Catian after what promises
to be a wearioome train journey
commencing at 8.40 pr tomoriow
night. We lave to march about
80 10 miles to Abeville tomorrow
afternoon. Whether we will go or
into Dermany or not no one
at present appears toknow
oft firot we were told we were
to go eater that we were not now
the are vague runnors that we
are to go afterall.
ctytion I am glad to go oith
of thes as I am giiting rick of
the right of the place then is
nothing t do & everything you
want tobery is terlibly expension
now egg 5d each & applie the same
while you cannoot look at Chickens
or the like at the cortthey are
I eoclose a News Steet giving the
chelied terms of the Hrmistict as
coyrced to by the Germans & now in
proguess of bing carried out though
with many squials as t then Larshness
yet all the time even now they
continue & treat than who were