Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his sister-in-law, January 1917 - April 1919 - Part 2

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
AWM2018.19.82
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

ick trying todie in it But A5/ thewend in gradually grporating all the most then is bardly any o 2 left, now & leaving tho 1rost bong of thoner south Wales loys had ght wittold prts for a bitterp a witte bit of a bill worn from a daysr two ago We have a ridge & then a a lot of little yury Dunning dom you it & fritze holds meag ten out If you thes send you finger a bit stay then along the take you will get thetedee. We kan the kunekles & nearly down to the middle point of the prgis Fritz has all the rest of the firger & also a corresponding ridge across tho Valley. Hell the gaps blwee tho ingers remerent the gullied bhut vary a widdt from 50 yard to twoor three hundred. Well ther inagine a bunion or thomiddle joint of the fore fiven making a noticiable little fun up ver oer tho other. Well that hig was Fritys our General decided he wanted it. The jirst attack wa 250 me. They + Carried or 7
doked acron tho yer groind like redohank normed + look the will in preminutes captined two Derman officers 230 mer killed & wounded about 70other all the with hardly any loss- the ther was done like a past + most of the Herman were i then dey deyou baving tea. Wwas, about you About midnight nowever this gelac z Counterattacked wch was preceded by a treyerdon conbordment what blackered all the snow for a mile around the hill for sercial froms cutting of all approaches to the will. Under cover of this hes mer creptry close & wher the artillery lifted & went further fack they crepter drove sit wit tools there your me who were not killed o wounded. Two night later at midnight in ttattack but this time renered with t0o men. Agan the hill
was taken after a piece strugzle eastingmnly 10 minutes. Ths time we got 2 oppain & 70 men prisen will a machere gun & two trenc Mortars & Killed ed a los more. Fity counterallacked again & again int moartillen Hloo they had were letter prepared. asked myloys to help is I brought us a tien ct mortor bathry & from Genger near the our portion in the 2 the knnekle this fattery beased nearly two hundred wouds. wells into the Plank of the Booche normees must have been a frighttul experince for then stey right determined will bhut for my haret motars whose fire murthan her appallingt anyove uder it I bevew they onr would have yen driver out. Oct of he company of the W.S wdrys who enterded dom it the Valley & were 100 strong wnlt, thece offices nly re ohew who has be recommded
& about 40 mer lived pr CDV to felt the tate all the restent paler of Germar dead lay in the terches matiated ow t t shellssbombs. Aldoretheer we low nearly doomn but the Germans Must have bew twice that Sope gires they have left us in juece. I a spladed view all down the he ightleft oer the other Gully St a Gerger like ridges is no worder he tthe was anery about loving is still whelling it like him tate but the yernar dug good & stron in it the doen yive are walchfu ur muct for a few days ogeslo. of barbea out wind it old Fritzsum evere have a dogs charce of getting. it back. But I would like to know what old Fut though of my treach mortaes. tey have not ben uved in the way before Hetherty them wl has
simply feer to tast in Menches not fire at troops. But I have had mine so trained that I would back then against any nenet Bulter whritist frm ile back they Af a1 School as wh i the famosi icked the tailo sreambottir Gards th Col. yeed accuracy of yeing. I was young Scurry who gave then the read in this. Iricked him out & lold him he could have the pick of the whole brigade men or opeers but I would skee him the Battery Could anve unlessi the tait off am in a month beat Battery i an Bryade Divis you was searbrked oy Ws done. brearted wher he was wounded but he chose me another officer who is just as keen & Ecalocis enthuseartic as Scurry was ro the good work goos or the Poor ord Frity who ws o the
of my boys mut Kriuckler is pont nightsnare, ther aive in a constunt French mostarboy are then night & day like a cat watching a more hole Iff he days to fire a waltiene grnor ever a u at ommer then little trer it mortars smite the poor old thighter from all directions. The wrelesed lytle things the look little more ttor bits of old gas popes can fire nearly 80 whotst a minute bueot ith dreadful force. In veer a bt of rallway Fron 100 oil of barke 12 peet long & a whole tze Nine weire trow out of f. I burled 50 feit ttraight int than is you can guess who it is like the nar ne wher it goes off & thave 30 of thes al over you in a minute would tirn youe lai grey. Frity has nothing like then. But is get very angry & turns all me gun
on tho place. Of course if we left the French Morlar then it would &all iy with him but we know it always tates about B. Fenuter Inthens t realt hein of ben bpee a stall fom has gun to we always have day dugout near I afterfonce for never more thay ne memte at a he the poys grat then yui & diveme then turrous. He wher things gude doin the come out & least hen again to ree if they can make him bite again. The boys love the work. No other Brigaden has encouraged then like me. soe frankly bato then I wont allow then the rived except whe then is a actuall attack because they utys fire & theydont Moroke callow like the but I will now My Infantry to discomage th Shinch Mostarmer In fact you youg tell the Mantrymer
by night orday a Termar snipt machine hir who annoys you &2 go the trench mortartoys & night or day uf they must get & mon find the ream hinaway & Ie why the nevelt of this is that booh now fully realized the setility & pomto view of the other. The French mosta wa almys warks the Maritry he rogoing tpre is that they ca onry get their rabbet hurrows too excep Lance the Fentrie whin pest got t it & the Inpentry are only tro glad is ren t then now to mast maching guns which annyy their & knock out pripers who are too wel concealed to be bet by rifle fire You see the Mortar pres its shell alir h wigh into the air out of right then it turn drops stranl as a die down donn ent the trevet. to it is almost inutt unter 2 you have a dey due out or a heary nof over the trard to keis it on
ever iy the force of the exploiio is is frightful that it break the cover pequently of block in the monthof the dugont will debin r to they are not pleasant thing to fode about with of yits is getten Very civil indeed & hardly dare fire at all now from our frond Will Baalydear that a heapo White Ihear Ronald Dickso is tlairly recovering & hopes to be tack w Poor old Duignn went away delirious with a very high tempiration 100 last wek. He had the rame troulle as I have lad Bronchites wit X teatered preumonia. I hearty se recomuden is or the mend but Thirclimals him fo a job in England. is too revcre yo anyoe after a attack like that for many aday Frie Walke came back too oon I has had togo away agann this roething the rain trouble is
the are had too. You Fot 71 recommedation an followed yet his Lreest Noman Marshall will X Coloy a place of Dengan Cackson whon I had to senceana in recrutts has been todrie active the gont over then. Fe tell is lve with ym woman who I hear is littletester than of 7 the streets & was always after her serdinghis money o her mnelector hid work & theme were not propely trauned. He has married her now. He will almost certainly get the rack &be sent home to Bustulin over it as I lave reported tho walts to Gevl Mcay who has take m the training of trops in Siglan from thatold gool vewtor Moore the will staid no nonserce. Iwander what Hef'sold mother will cay tohi ther yer beings my lady home.I will kely olf itinge suppose. on a England as long as his money leave lan pameme arts. then

of a pick trying to dig in it. But
the wind is gradually evaporating all
the snow. there is hardly any of it
left now & leaving the frost.
Some of the New South Wales boys had
a bitter fight with old Fritz for
a little bit of a hill in our front
a day or two ago. We have a ridge &
there a a lot of little spurs running down
from it & Fritz holds this. If you
bend your fingers a bit [[ spread them out & ]] & lay them along
the table you will get the idea. We have
the Knuckles & nearly down to the middle
joint of the fingers Fritz has all the
rest of the fingers & also a corresponding
ridge across the Valley. Well The gaps
between the fingers represent the gullies
which Vary in width from 50 yards
to two or three hundred. Well then
imagine a bunion on the middle joint 
of the fore finger. making a noticeable little
bump up here over the others. Well that bump
was Fritzs & our General decided he
wanted it. The first attack was
carried out by 250 men. They 
 

 


dashed across the frozen ground
like redshanks stormed & took the
hill in five minutes captured
two German officers & 50 men
& Killed & wounded about 70 others
All this with hardly any loss. – the 
thing was done like a flash & most
of the Germans were in their deep dugout
having tea. It was about 7 pm.
About Midnight however Fritz
Counter attacked. which [[ This attack ]] was preceded
by a tremendous bombardment
which blackened all the snow for
a mile around the hill for several
hours cutting off all approaches
to the hill. Under cover of this
his men crept up close & when
their artillery lifted & went further
back they crept in & drove out with
bombs those of our men who were not
Killed or wounded.
Two nights later at Midnight we
renewed the attack but this time
with 700 men. Again the hill 
 

 


was taken after a fierce struggle
lasting only 10 minutes. This time
we got 2 officers & 70 men prisoners
with a machine gun & two trench
Mortars & Killed & wounded a lot
More.. Fritz counter attacked
Again & again but our artillery
were better prepared. Also they had
Asked my boys to help so I brought
up a [[ my ]] trench mortar battery & from
the 2 our position on the 2nd finger near
the Knuckle this battery heaved [[ hurled ]]
nearly two hundred rounds. of
shells into the flank of the Bosche
stormers. It must have been a
frightful experience for them
but They fought determinedly &
well & but for my trench mortars
whose fire must have been appalling to
anyone under it I believe they
would have been driven [[ our men ]] out. Out
of one Company of the N.S W Corps
who extended down into the Valley
& were 150 strong with three officers
Only one officer who has been recommended 
 

 


for the V.C & about 40 men lived
to tell the tale all the rest with
piles of German dead lay in the
Trenches mutilated & torn with the
shells & bombs. Altogether we lost
nearly 200 men but the Germans
must have been twice that. So far
they have left us in piece. It gives
a splendid view all down the big
gully & to right & left over the other
finger like ridges so no wonder he
was angry about losing it. He
is Still shelling it like fury
but the German dug outs are
good & strong in it & he doesnt
hurt much. If we are watchful
for a few days & get a lot of barbed
wire out round it old Fritz wont
have a dogs chance of getting it
back. But I would like to
Know what old Fritz [[ though ? ]]
of my trench mortars. They
have not been used in this way
before – Hitherto their use has 
 

 


simply been to bash in Trenches
not fire at troops. But I have
had mine so trained that I would
back them against any Trench
Battery in the British Army.
At a School a while back they
licked the tail off [[ even ]] the famous
Guards the Coldstreams both in
speed & accuracy of firing. It
was young Scurry who gave them
the lead in this. I picked him
out & told him he could have
the pick of the whole brigade men
or officers but I would skin him
alive unless the Battery could
in a month beat the tail off [[ lick ]] any
Battery in the Brigade Division &
so it was done. I was nearly broked
hearted when he was wounded but
he chose me another officer who
is just as Keen & zealous &
enthusiastic as Scurry was
so the good work goes on.
The Poor old Fritz who lives on the 
 

 


Knuckles in front of my boys must
live in a constant nightmare. These
Trench Mortar boys are there night
& day like a cat watching a
mouse hole & if he dares to fire
a machine gun or even a w rifle
at our men then little trench
mortars smite the poor old blighter
from all directions. The wretched
little things – they look little more
than bits of gas pipes can fire
nearly 30 shots [[  f  ? ]] a minute &
burst with dreadful force. I’ve
seen a bit of railway Iron 10 or
12 feet long & a whole coil of barbed
wire thrown out of Fritzes Trench
& hurled 50 feet straight into
the air so you can guess what
it is like to be near one when it
goes off. & to have 30 of them all
over you in a minute would turn
your hair grey. Fritz has nothing
like them.. But he gets very
Angry & turns all his guns 
 

 


on the place. Of course if we left
the Trench Mortars there it would
be all up with him but we Know
it always takes about 3 minutes
for the news to reach him & for
him to fire a shell from his guns
So we always have deep dug out
near & after firing never more
than one minute at a time
the boys grab their guns & dive into
their burrows. Then when things quieten
down again the come out & tease him
again to see if they can make him
bite again. The boys love the work.
No other Brigadier has encouraged
them like me. Some frankly hate
them & wont allow them to be
used except when there is an
actuall attack because they
provoke Fritz’s fire & they don’t
like this but I will never allow
my Infantry to discourage the 
Trench Mortar men. In fact I
tell the Infantry men. If you find 
 

 


by night or day a German sniper
or Machine Gun annoys you
go [[ to ]] the Trench Mortar boys & night
or day up they must get & hunt
him away or I’ll find the reason
why. The result of this is that
both now fully realizes the
utility & point of view of the
other. The Trench Mortar man
always warns the Infantry he
is going to fire so that they can
get [[ into ]] their rabbit burrows too except
the Sentries who [[ have ]] just got to chance
it. & the Infantry are only too glad to
run to them now to smash Machine
guns which annoy them & Knock
out snipers who are too well
Concealed to be hit by rifle fire.
You see the Mortar fires its shell
right high into the air [[ almost ]] out of sight 
then it turns & drops straight as
a die down down into the trench.
So it is almost impossible unless
you have a [[ very ]] deep dug out or a heavy
roof over the trench to Keep it out 
 

 


& even so the force of the explosion
is so frightful that it breaks the
Cover frequently or blocks up the
mouth of the dugouts with debris
So They are [[ consequently ]] not pleasant things
to fool about with & Fritz is getting
Very civil indeed & hardly dares
fire at all now from [[ along ]] our front.
Well Baaby dear thats a heap of
“skite”. I hear Ronald Dickson is
slowly recovering & hopes to be
back soon.
Poor old [[Colonel ]] Duigan went away delirious
& with a very high temperature [[ 104o ? ]]
last week. He had the same trouble
As I have had Bronchitis with
threatened pneumonia. I hear he
is on the mend but I’ve recommended
him for a job in England. This climate
is too severe for anyone after an
attack like that for many a day.
Eric Walker came back too soon
& has had to go away again. This
trouble is something the same 
 

 


Lots of others are bad too. If my
recommendations are followed
Norman Marshall will get his Lieut
Colcy in place of Duigan. Alf
Jackson whom I had to send away
to drill our recruits has been
acting the goat over there. He
fell in love with some woman
who I hear is little better than off
the streets & was always after her
spending his money on her & neglecting
his work & the men were not properly
trained. He has married her now.
He will almost certainly get the
sack & be sent home to Australia
over it. as I have reported the matter
to Genl McCay who has taken over
the training of troops in England
from that old fool Newton Moore. & he
will stand no nonsense.. I wonder
what Alf’s old Mother will say to him
when he brings my lady home. I
suppose she will Keep Alf stringing
on in England as long as his Money
lasts & then leave him for some one 
 

 

 

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G. Ned ThayerG. Ned Thayer
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