Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his sister-in-law, April 1915 - December 1916 - Part 2

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
AWM2018.19.81
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

Nere 3 & tate agt I has do that will run grod lot of theoe fellow & are wrilling seryendl indeed to lorely to get almptinof I littel H gir wrond st ry alon herful er he ist geent litts 4 frighteth cheinest i th place d 6 a P7 it wont bist it inalek have be difficult I think it Honrer are hur thes
24a all t 18 a bad sit rcks ita gth Gatr yed te lts in Bill
1 fr 22 At o Forly Pray 72 t le t Iill the Brigadin
14 March 1716 my decrest Boat Your letter o7 th 24 Garduth reached me bhy the som wait a better cald daled M 234 sugut last. What a en that wee luddie must be to get u tall tha trick. in the letter caid for lettee of te turning oy thorein the whot t spodling them full of wotes It will be lovetn sect again it what do you thene of Bob Sitt would Dacks transpe to me hem & now her Brigadies has flock done it also, But pot must have told the General alont gack bng too good tolos a a war more leve doesnt wall alt ta Brigadier. However ty my writing gock appears t have gained him the recognition he deserve t rother wan love a good nor they will y to promote him which will sebelles then me doing it as ther would be pleater t ray it was nlybecoun he was vyly I pusted t Brother is ol that FFrance ches Batkr on or soeer her very roon bt rother difinted . I hear ot Dook yet Beob youan Cafter my Bairnies is will. Ifis then ebb latle a foatth ob s < <g g </>g Idon serm what the pros oce petoroned willos no under shuraet think 8 the belongs to you. Tell me ety to what would you like we tobug for your Birthday & if you sn said out whas the old laty wosed yor can thind like for ness. to bee methig nice or lg Bigheap higlor foe torceyladpt
nto t Not gont it lovely to guet ber hi Cnm fixe. My Searot Baab 9 A I have got you wel 20p parth 1915 yrt letter dated the s yet & not a bito News thet have I to put in is bcause I re just told katie all there is to tell. Of I forgst to telt her that when I paid Cooks for rendugont or Bagr but can I paid them 30/- The did not know what tho freight would be & they gave me a receipt for deposit 30/. decomnt Mrs H.S othoss. Pati should ark about this & of the freight was not ro much the should collect tho balance over there. The ought I have got $50 I had not over a his before by this hid muchor I have nover had the letter which toldone whether she had really got the 19or as I had rent over t bel once before but I suppose it came along all right have had a rise of 7/0 a day since I was made Full Colonel. Fon at o that the is no mou nioe for Nugadteer Sineral & tham General lorks to lond long wny off. Twonder y to Wstratter m would if Iwortof they masse me po opictor Senceve & Majn General tike Inccay. There is some talk fhim scent Vencial booond. Wfe tha thentr ore bi Field Marshall Wuldn he tgreart Getere tild Mairace ffed nott a about hilt Anstrated hedb se puffed up atout himself tmth that hhal gy me tett abor t tstodya atwillga cdt is tat tept dtl tuyne netinge ch o dlin a ptefae chant wyn
AN32CO Leeut C. Ellick 59th Bathaliow B3 Brigade 5tDpersion A. J. F. Mrs A. Reissell 1 Naierly St. Richmond
&gyns My dealBo 4/10 I have your letter dared the 5t March & a mistery of a me it is too But you do tell she a wee lit about those two little impo. My word that ladors pretty swart in getting his way isn't he. He have to wolnt out for him when I get home Tell katee the whotes came just afterI closed her letter so that I didn't mention receiving them. I liked me of the laddie wher he is sonding wih tolady near the summer house. He look met a dear bight little laddie. It isn't boe of the Shusach either. Geve then loot not from Lida & lett then he loventhen good I is delighted to get their photos & they must always stand good & do just what d tells then is that Dida will get a lovely photo of them &he pleased with it. Tell them bida is vere sad & lonely because he can't co & play with his wee pets & has no did mm or ben ovrhe tlove him, & cheer her up but he is quite checred up when he get a once phots of them to look a m Iwould like 11 tod mnat the
moretimes cor I low her too. hee th little lody dida was very pleased to get her letter & he will writ to her soon. Tell her the must try tlearr t write nce & place like mun so that fida can read it earely when the writes to him again. Tell her sids thinks sher a dear good little girl to think about Leda I try t witt him a great biglong letter likt she did. sell her too that when she can write qunty plan she co tell Dida what she would like Didat send he for her next firthday or t0 that Dida Clar have a word with Fanta Clouok before he come at I mas Have you had your rilk dress made sy yet Burl I will try to get & run by to cairs rend a bit of tilk trickdoy. along for thold lady. the says she pitter the plan dlfet wehtan flowers upon it, to you? I dont think there is very must news to tell you the come. It is pretty hot down her swe rert in the middle of the day eanly dill. Bye Bat sort o gordlack oblerting alty gooda tat Bngren & blay the +
my dear & Baake Saypt 28/5/16 Your long letter doen 1April Ms reached me wtnen knows what he came of mums no sign of it yet. I was just about broke hearted at not geeting a letter for so long. Thank you mnlineomelion for your letter telling me all about the dear wee people Fowsana by bay declay tanas. I hope you will like you will staff when it comer I could not get away by t Cauro myoy but I wrote to mrs Milne & the has go then for me. He could not get nce llock nlt at the place Iarked her tgo to is the crent to another place I got it there. There is a plan white & a plan black for mum & the same for you & a plan Back for hong & a tharve for Shersack's Blory box & a little Tarbook or Turk cay for the Laddie also anoher little enbiordered cay for him I think but an nt quite min yet Katie didn't tell me about the Icarf in her letter of I should have lied to get it also nayre I will have ochance toget it yet after all. Mr murth that you dont devrre itf
jurt the fert odcarnt & all the world deveve everytheng sate make yrue ta fn enit ter I wih I couldo I am very glad you are pleased with us. If I hae done anything wiith while t be worthy. it is becaused worted my do old Kalie. It is qieen that the boys say then like me when te go away ntit because I aa who they are wilh one but I always try the you tthen. I alway wake ther obrg & after it call ver thy seen i be knowd that they were kept in o the collar I not allowed $go mack. I gradullly getting thet Brigade into metheng te thold. t but the me an br so good although thy are coming or fine &f some of the penor officers are tho. my wide bt sam gradually husdrn up rood mes a fine to 7 yoy ope to help me & I think we will muke a Very good showng when we get I Frorse. You mhtheng g & hard Boal & that Iitill bave wrodon give me worthy you c

or if I make it up wrongly. Never 
mind though I have Baaby [[ If I son ]] & Katie 
praying for me good & that will see me 
through. They seem a good lot of 
fellows & are drilling very well indeed. 
It was lovely to get descriptions of the 
wee people in all your letters. It is 
wonderful to think they are growing up so 
fast  If you don't mind Baaby little 
Dhurach will be having your [[ ? from ]]
you [[ from your room ]] & you'll be left on 
the shelf. You need not worry about 
Jack not being cheerful. Everyone 
in his regiment tells me he is the 
brightest & cheeriest in the place 
never downhearted or dull. This 
is a great thing. I am longing to [[ He should be an officer ]]
get him made an officer. If he  
had been with the 7th it would 
have been all right but it is a little 
difficult in an outside Regiment
However sooner or later I think it  
will come out all right 
I think I have got all or most of 
the parcels that you sent although 
 

 


during the Evacuation operations 
I lost a lot of them your Bills Katies 
photo & my lovely English Overcoat that [[ which ]]
I gave 1-5 lovely golden quidlets for & only 
wore about once. Of course now 
we are back in Egypt I doesn't 
dont really need it but it was a 
draffed pity to lose it all the same 
I have heaps & heaps of socks but they 
cannot be carried about so are 
safe in my [[ bed ]] at Cairo. The men 
have a bad time [[ ? ]] way. their people 
send them heaps & heaps of socks if we 
are in the trenches it is all right but 
if we are moving as the men 
have to carry everything on their backs 
all these things have to be wasted every 
time we move Still I suppose people 
would rather have them wasted than 
have the boys go without when they are 
really in need of them, Tell Mum [[ Katie ]] 
it is lovely to get the Euthymol
Tooth Paste. It Keeps my teeth quite 
all right & I never have had any 
trouble since I left with them 
 

 

In one of your early letters you say 
you will [[ would ]] write each mail. If you 
have done so a most awful lot 
of your letters have gone astray 
As I have not had many from you 
see that you Keep me posted in 
future about the wee people. It is 
lovely to hear of them. I was pleased 
to hear that they are learning to 
write & read. I am waiting now 
to hear that the little lady can write 
her own name 
If I can last out in this job I will 
be made full "Colonel" & then "Brigadier 
General" as it is a Brigadier General's 
job I have taken on. You will feel more  
important than ever when that happens 
next year But I was much happier with 
my own boys - Perhaps [[ though ]] the deaths of these 
poor fellows when we go into action will 
not affect me as did those of my [[ own ]] 
men & I may be able to do better work 
in action in consequence of this 
Only Pray for me good Baaby dear that 
I may be given wisdom worthy of 
[* My station for I don’t feel capable of my [[ ? ]] 
to do the job properly. Only I can say [[ honestly that ]] there does
not appear any others much more capable about.[[ Bye ]] Baaby dear 
[[ Pogues from Dida ]]  *] 
 

 

14th March 1916 
My dearest Baaby, 
Your letter of the 24th Jan duly 
reached me & by the same mail a letter card 
dated the 23rd August last. What a [[ ruffian ]] [[rascal ]]
that wee laddie must be to get up to all 
those trick. In the letter card you tell me of him 
turning the Shower on the photos & shooting them 
full of holes  It will be lovely to get home again 
wont it. What do you think of Bob Smith 
blocking Jack's transfer to me so he would 
become an officer & now his Brigadier has 
done it also. But Bob must have told the 
General about Jack being too good to lose 
as a man more or less doesn't matter 
a lot to a Brigadier. However it ap my 
wanting Jack appears to have gained 
him the recognition he deserves & rather 
than lose a good man they will be forced 
to promote him which will be better than 
me doing it as there would be plenty 
to say it was only because he was my 
Brother-in-law that I pushed him 
on. I hear Jacks Battn are off to France 
or somewhere Very soon but nothing definite 
yet. Baaby you are a darling [[ very good ]] for [[ to ]] looking 
after my Bairnies so well. If, as they 
talk about they allow all the men who 
are alive after the war to wed two wives
if they want to, I'll sure wed you if 
Katie will let me & love you big heaps too 
I don't know what the poor wee pets would have 
done without you. No wonder Dhurach thinks 
she belongs to you. Tell me Baaby dear what would 
you like me to buy for your Birthday & if you 
can find out what the old lady would 
like for hers. See if you can think of 
something nice. You are both darlings & 
deserve all I can give you
Big heap million love to everybody from 
Dida 
 

 


P.S. Isn't it lovely that Jack has his Commission
forced up. 
Egypt 
20th March 1916 
My dearest Baaby, 
I have got your wee 
Merriky letter dated the 8th Feb & not a bit of news 
have I to put in it [[ this one ]] because I've just told Katie 
all there is to tell. Oh I forgot to tell her 
that when I paid Cooks for sending out my 
Bag & Suit Case I paid them 30/- . They 
did not know what the freight would be 
& they gave me a receipt for deposit 30/- 
on account Mrs H. E. Elliott. Katie should 
Ask about this & if the freight was not so 
much she should collect the balance 
over there. She ought to have got ₤ 50 
I had sent over a bit before by this time 
& somehow I have never had the letter which 
told me whether she had really got the 
₤ 19 or so I had sent over to her once before 
And I suppose it came along all right. I 
have had a rise of 7/6 a day since I was 
made Full Colonel, I'snt it sad that there 
is no more rise for Brigadier General & Major 
General looks a long long way off. I wonder 
if I sneak off to Australia sometime would 
they make me Inspector General & Major 
General like McCoy. There is some talk of him 
being Lieut General soon. After that there is only 
General & Field Marshall. He'd just 
about fit Australia he'd be 
SO puffed up about himself 
That is McCoys trouble. He 
imagines himself above everybody in 
brains & will give no one any credit if 
he can help it except himself. Everyone 
was disgusted that he made not a single 
recommendation for the Helles charge except
[[ himself & he got a C. B ]] 
[* The Brigade Major Major Cass let the Charge after McCoy stopped & [[ was beat ]] 
[[ three times ]] & really saved the Situation. He would have loved to get the D.S.O. & McCoy 
had only to ask it for him & it would have been granted but he [[ ? ]] Bye Baaby darling 
Million pogue from Dida *] 
 

 

Lieut C Elliott
59th Battalion
15..Brigade
5th Division A.I.F. 

Mrs A. Russell
1 Waverly St
Richmond

Miss  Campbell
21 Mitchell St
Northcote
Victoria
Australia
 
HE Elliott 
 

 

Egypt 
8/4/16
My dear Baaby
I have your letter dated the 6th 
March & a misery of a one it is too.
But you do tell me a wee bit about those
two little imps. My word that [[ the ]] lad [[ die ] is
pretty smart in getting his [[ own ]] way isn't he. I'll
have to watch out for him when I get home
Tell Katie the photos came just after I
Closed her letter so that I didn't mention
receiving them. I liked one of the laddie
where he is standing with the lady near
the summer house. He looks such
a dear bright little laddie. It isn't bad
of the Dhurach either. Give them [[ both ]]
[[ hot ]] from Dida & tell them he loves them
good & is delighted to get their photos
& they must always stand good & do just
what dear [[ you ]] tells them so that Dida
will get a lovely photo of them & be
pleased with it. Tell them Dida is very
sad & lonely because he can't come
& play with his wee pets & has no
dear Mum or Dear or Nana over here
to love him & cheer him up but he
is quite cheered up when he gets a
nice photo of them to look at. I would
like a snap shot of "Dear" [[ you ]] too 
 

 


sometimes cause I love her too. Tell
the little lady dida was very pleased
to get her letter & he will write to her
soon. Tell her she must try to learn to 
write nice & plain like Mum so that
Dida can read it easily when she writes
to him again. Tell her Dida thinks she's
a dear good little girlie to think about
Dida & try to write a great big long
letter like she did. Tell her too that
 when she can write quite plain she can 
tell Dida what she would like Dida to
send her for her next birthday or SO that
Dida can have a word with Santa Claus
before he comes at Xmas
Have you had your silk dress made
up yet Baaby dear? I will try to
get a run up to Cairo & send a bit of silk
along for the Old ladys [[ birthday ]] She says she
prefers the plain cloth without any
flowers upon it. Do you?
I don't think think there is very much news to
Tell you this time. It is pretty hot down
here & we rest in the middle of the day
[[ & get ]] up early to drill. Bye Baaby dear
[[ All ]] sorts of goodluck & blessings attend you
[[ ? ]] goodness to the Bairnies & Katie
[[ ? ]] e & Pogue  from Dida 
 

 


Egypt
28/5/16
My dearest Baaby
Your long letter
dated 17th April just reached me. Goodness
knows what became of Mum's no sign of
it yet. I was just about broken hearted
at not getting a letter for so long. Thank
you millions & millions for your letter
telling me all about the dear wee people
You are a big heap darling to do so. I hope
you will like your silk stuff when it comes
I could not get away up to Cairo myself
but I wrote to Mrs Milne & she has got
them for me. She could not get nice black
silk at the place I asked her to go to so
she went to another place & got it
there. There is a plain white & a plain
black for Mum & the same for you
& a plain Black for Nana & a Shawl
for Dhurack's Glory box & a little
"Tarbooh" or Turk Cap for the Laddie &
also another little embroidered cap for
him I think but am not quite sure yet.
Katie didn't tell me about the Scarf
in her letter or I should have tried to
get it also  Maybe I will have a Chance
to get it yet after all. You musn't think 
you don't deserve it for you are all 
 

 


just the best & dearest old girls in
all the world & you deserve everything
you & my Katie to make you happy
for ever & ever & I wish I could do it
I am very glad you are pleased with
us. If I have done anything worth while
it is because I wanted to be worthy of
my dear old Katie. It is queer that
the boys say they like me when the go away
because I [[ sort ]] them scandalous [[ am very strict with them ]]when 
they are with me. but I always try to be
fair to them. I always make them
obey & after it is all over they seem to
be proud that they were Kept up to the
Collar & not allowed to go slack. I'm
gradually getting the Brigade into
something like the Old 7th but the
Men are not [[ yet ]] so good although they
are coming on fine & particularly
Some of the senior officers are thorns in
my side but I am gradually huddling
up round me a fine lot of young officers
to help me & I think we will make a
very good showing when we get to
France. You must pray good & hard
Baaby dear that I will have Wisdom
& courage given me worthy of my 
 

 

 

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