Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliot to his family, November 1918 - February 1919 - Part 2

unfortunate enough to have been
captured by them in the fighting with
the very utmost brutality. I am
not expecting you see any more now
as I suppose the post has told
you it will be very hard to get a
passage back once the return of the
troops commences. So now begins
a fresh period. How long it will
continue no one again appears to
know but the lowest, estimate of the
time that I have heard is nine
months. Of course that is until
the last of the men get away.
Whether we ^ Generals  (now expensive ornaments)
will be retained to long or
no rest with Billy Hughes I expect.
I hope you have paid up the
Trustees debt so that will be off my
mind. I have heard nothing from
Mr Bigg since about last April or
May. Possibly when he got my reply
to that letter he would write
again. It is just as well that he
does not would do much for he no doubt
makes a charge against me for each
one. Well Katie my love their is
nothing more to tell you except that
Capt Jack Edwards. Mrs Lloyd
Edwards nephew & Gertie Edwards
 

brother has died from influenza pneumonia
He was wounded just before the
Armistice & died at Boulogne. I
enclose Mrs Lloyd Edwards letters
which you can send to me through
Violet as they would like to hear
all about it. Mrs Lloyd Edwards
son Lt J. C Edwards is well and is
still in Italy at latest news
Ronald Dickson is now a Temporary
Major. His brother died too not
long ago very suddenly. He has another
brother missing & they only found out
by accident, of the other brothers
death like ∧as I did about your
Jacks. Dicksons brother met a
man in the other brothers Battn & asked
him how the brother was & then it came
out that he had died three weeks
before. Naturally it was a big shock
to Ronald. I don't know if his lady
has left for Australia yet. Ronald
was anxious to get her off before the
rush started & she didn't want to go
much not now that Peace is
well within sight no doubt she
will be more content to go than
before. Millions of love & Kisses dear
old Katie love from your very own
Dida Don
* I haven't forgot your Table Linen dearest. I got the 

address of a reliable firm in Belfast whom I will get to send it to

your direct hit I am a bit short at present. That last £50 I sent you took

just about all  my spare cash. *

Favrel
near Landrecies
France
30/11/18
My dearest Katie
Here we are again
We moved north on Monday night
the 26^th Inst by train from Abbeville
at least the men did. I had a car.
I spent the night in Amiens &
came on next morning to a
Conference with the Corps Commander
at Le Cateau. The men spent all
the night & most of ∧the next day & 
night in the train as a delayed
mine left by the Germans
blew up a culvert on the line
& they had to wait until it had
been repaired. They detrained
at last at a little village south
of Le Cateau called Besby &
we marched about 8 miles
along very wet & sloppy roads
to a place called Mezinghein a
little village very much wrecked
by shell fire where we found
however sufficient shelter for
the night. Next day we marched
through the pounding rain
another 8 or 10 miles to the
place Fevril which is only a
mile or so from Landrecies
a town where a pretty big battle
was fought during the Mons
 

Retreat in 1914. The Coldstream
Guards inflicted a severe
reverse on the German Van
Guard which was pressing close
after the retreating British
Army. The Village has been
rather badly knocked about
but there is straw available

& the men have made themselves

pretty comfortatle on the whole
particularly as the Germans
left a big pile of wood

nearby to which they are helping

themselves with great freedom.

I had a letter from Jessie

Campbell at Ullapool telling

me about the different relatives

of yours that I met in

Ullapool. I enclose her

letter. I have given up all 

hope of seeing you over now

as I think the Govt will

prevent people coming over here

as they would have to wait 

months before returning &

thousands of people are already

waiting to go back now.

The King is coming to see

us tomorrow Katie. I am

sorry to tell you for John Monash
 

is leaving in to take up a 

position as Director of Demobilization

in England. Our little Spirrik ∧General
is going to take over the Command
of the Corps & Genl Terry is to
hold command of this Division
but I am not sure if he will
be promoted to Major General.
Indeed I rather think not as
all promotion has been
stopped in the A.I.F. General
Birdwood still hangs on to
Command of the A.I.F. and
controls all promotion in
it so I haven't any look in
Col Watson got his D.S.0. out
of the Bellicourt fight all
right & that Denehy his Bar
which pleased me greatly.
Norma Dalglert who carried
on with half his face shot away
and died later got the D.S.O.
hope it will be a little
consolation to his parents.
His brother came up to see Col
Watson. He has the D.C.M.& is
a Sergt in one of the 2^nd Div
Battalions. He was not one of
my Essendon boys as Norman Dalgliesh
was.
 

tomorrow the King is coming
to see us. We line the main
road near Landrecies & he will
drive along the route. I don't
know if he will stop or not. I
will tell you what happens when
I write again. Col Denehy is
away on leave. Uncle Jim Scott
sent four boxes of curioes out
by boat to you. They will go
to the naval & military institute
in Queens Street. The laddies little
rifle is is one of the Boxes. I hope
it reaches him safely. It has
a little bayonet dagger thing to go
on the top of it. The Booches used
there light rifles in raids as
they were easy to carry. Capt
Bob Salmon is taking a little
box containing a parcel & some other

things that I found near Harbonniere
on the 9th August attack. Dont
let the laddie play with the pistol
I dont think it is loaded but
it might be. I was going to get
Capt Corney to take it but Bob
Salmon took it instead.
Jack Salmon, Bob's brother had his
right arm torn right out of its
socket by a shell but he is getting
 

on well. Lt Sheils has not been
able to get away on leave & is I got
the box of curioes that he was
to take safely over to Uncle Jim
by Col Denehy so I will get
some one to take it from
there one of these days. Col Watson
is to go over to London. He is
a very clever man although
Col Denehy doesn't like him a
bit & will do well. Although

the fighting is I think over Col
Watson doesn't want to go a
little bit but because fighting is
as I believe over I am advising
him to go where he can best
serve his country. Major
Ferris who has now recovered
from his wounds will be coming
back shortly & will I feel sure
get the Command as I shall
recommend.
I dont think I have any more
news darlng pet. love & milions 

of kisses for you & the wee pets from

your  ery own Dida Don
 

My dearest Katie   France

Yesterday  2/12/18
I got three fat long letters from

you with two other special little ones enclosing

photos of the wee pets. Thanks

about a million for them. The

Dhusach does look a dear wee

darling & the wee laddies looks

a merry wee little rogue. I am

very pleased with them. I am

sorry they are not taking as

much interest in their cousins

now. That is very bad. I'll have to

write to them about it. I got the

little leaves Mother enclosed

they were still smelling very

sweetly when they came. In the

first letter you tell me about the

new house you are going to take

at Camberwell but as I got a cable

giving a different advice you must

have changed your mind about it

Your description of it sounded

very nice indeed darling. I am

wondering why you didn't take

it. I am sorry you didn't get

wee Rosemary's photo taken. I

would have liked very much

to have seen it. I am afraid

that xxxx Jack Proctor will not get

his commission promotion after all

his trouble darling.  I hear

there are to be no more commissions promotions

given now. However if I had not

sent him over there it is possible

that he might not have been killed or

badly wounded. I think Mavis

Stewart came down Avery House

in Northcote once with me but

am not sure. Anyhow I would not

 know how I am sure. Tell wee

Dhusach I am proud of my little

soldier lady because she is so brave

about the nasty old castor oil.

Tell the wee laddie that I expect

him to be brave too & a little 

soldier like Sagy Dhusach & not have the

promised all sorts of things to take

it. Tell him my soldier boy

when I ask them to go into

water where they might be

drowned to kill Germans &

sometimes shells hit them & break

them all to bits but they do it just

the same because Dida tells them

So laddie must be a good soldier

& do everything his dear mum

tells him or else Dida might

be ashamed of his laddie if

someone told Dida's soldiers that

the laddie wasn't brave like them

and I know laddie wouldn't

like that to happen for anything.

I wish I knew for sure that

you were coming dearie pet.

I am afraid you'll think that no now peace

has come we must be more

sassy than [[?]] but I eould like

to give you one big big [[love?]] & a [[l?]] anyhow

& blow the expense.  I shall look

forward to seeing [[?]] [[?]] [[?]]

photo. I got a typewritten copy

of Mr Anderson's poem. I didn't 

know he was printing it. I haven't

[[s?]] him yet. It wont do any

harm I suppose, don't you think I'll [[?]]

trouble to live up to my reputation

after the war Katie darling. I

had a letter from Mr Ball recently.

I didn't know about his two wee girls

though. I have his cousin Capt Ball

with me. The latter is a son of Sir Robt

Bert who lives somewhere out

at Surrey Hills I believe. Who is

Eddy Clarkson going to wed? Anyone I

know? I suppose Winnie is eager to

have her man back again. It is

[[funny?]] wasnt it that I got the photos

& the letter of the 29th Sept at the same

delivery of letters. It was very

decent of Rory to want to help us