Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his sister-in-law, January 1917 - April 1919 - Part 13

we spent our first Xmas in
France & the people had thought
themselves quite safe since
we drove them ^Germans back the next
year & now here they are
back further than ever. It is
Very sad & disheartening.
According to the papers people
at home are suddenly waking
up to the fact that we haven’t
been anything like winning ^the war
this long time.
We have a lot of Americans
over now. I had 10 officers & 20
men attached here this last week
to learn all about things
They are a fine lot & get on
Splendidly with our fellows.
The “Eggs a’ cook” Division is
the 3^rd. It doesn’t mean “The
Eggs are cooked”. But “Eggs
cooked” or “Boiled Eggs”. The nigs 
 

in Egypt used to sell
millions of hard boiled eggs
cold to the boys & used to
come along bawling out “Eggs
a’ cook  Eggs a’ cook”.
So the ^oval Color patches of the 3^rd Div
which are somewhat lik egg shaped
were called “Eggs a’ cook” & now
almost everybody calls them the
“Eggs a’ cook”. I had a nice
little letter from Janie. She seemed
to be pleased with our wee people
this time.
I don’t remember for sure who
Mrs Lockie is. I suppose she
is the old lady Miss M^cMasters
used to look after – an aunt or
something wasn’t she. And has
the remarriage put Emily’s pot
on, or what. ? That would be
bad luck for Emily wouldn’t
it after all these years 
 

May be Johnny Avery will “sell”
you Rosemary Baaby dear. I’d
like another wee pet myself &
there doesn’t seem much chance
for another “Diamond” for Katie
& me what with the old war &
all. I told Katie I was sending
her poor Lyns letter to me to
read. I forgot to put it in. I
am enclosing a wee scrap of
my new Ribbon for you to see
It goes in front of the C.M.G.  –
So my full initials are “C.B. C.M.G.
D.S.O. D.C.M.” A heap of Skite
isnt it. There is only a VC to
be got now or a K in front of the C.B.
or C.M.G. which would make our
old lady a Lady. You’d be a heap
‘portant person then wouldn’t you
Baaby dear. Old ^Genl Tivey got a
mouthful of Gas the other day
just about the time I did so he 
 

toddled off to the Ambulance
& got a bottle of Medecine for it
& is duly reported “wounded”
again. I suppose he called to his
wife not to be alarmed again.
Tivey’s wounds are rather a
joke over here.
You never saw anything so
pretty as the fields about here
just now. Just Millions & Millions
of Shirley poppies ^(Very like Shirley poppies) growing wild
& Cornflowers & daisies & forget me-
nots & buttercups everywhere.
The weather is beautiful too.
My Head Quarters was very
heavily shelled the other night
& blown to pieces but we managed
to get into some old Vaults
under the Ramparts of the
old Castle here where we are
Very safe. It is rather damp
& fusty though. Still we 
 

[* P.S. Ine’s Jack is well. He is still back
at the School in rear getting ready for the
Cambridge School. *]

must be thankful for small
mercies.
I am hopeful of getting
leave soon. I’snt Dhusach
a little pet the way she gets
on with her work at School.
Tell her she is the best comfort &
blessing in all the world to her
Dida. Heaps better than medals
& decorations & things like
that. Tell her Dida can’t
help loving her & thinking
she’s the best & dearest little
pet lady in all the world.
I hope you will see that you don’t
Knock yourself up because
the wee pets want their “Baaby” &
Dear & mum wants her & Dida
wants her good. Bye dear old
Baaby & millions thanks &
loves & pogues for all your goodness
Yours very sincerely H E Elliott
 

France
7/7/18
My dear Baaby,
Many thanks for your
letter of the 12^th May which has
just reached me. I got one
from mum with a lovely lot
of photos of all the little cousins
except wee Jacqelyn. They
look lovely They must have
lovely ^great fun together. Oh! Baaby
what a pity about the wee
house I hope you get another
in the Same Street. In
England there is a law that
so long as a Soldier’s lady ^wife
is prepared to pay her
rent she cannot be put
out of her house unless
she wants to go. I don’t
Know if Mr Hughes has made
the Same law there ^in Australia.
No I don’t think you should
buy a house Baaby dear 
Certainly not one of the “Jerry”
built ones at all ^present. One
does not Know where
we may go & live after
I come home. How would
you like to buy Elsinore,
& go & live there. It could
 

2
be got for Very little more
than you would pay in
Melbourne for a Jerrybuilt
house & would last
for hundreds of years. Do
you Know if it is let
now or going to rack
& ruin empty. I saw
that Judge Winnecke
had been moved back
from Ballarat to Melbourne
long ago & think he has
probably given up the
house & it would be
difficult to let it ^again I
think
I didn’t Know who “Lynchie”
was. Baaby dear I expect
I will be going on leave in
a day or two I hope
to Visit Jerrie Campbell ^at Ullapool.
this time for a few days
I lost your ^the bible.^you gave me I am sorry
to say at the Evacuation
of the Peninsula when my kit
was stolen but I Kept Mr
Rock’s little book in my
pocket all the time & so I
have it still. You can send 
 

3
me one at Xmas if you like
as I miss it at times. I
told Katie I remember
at the time I lost it but
perhaps that letter was
lost. I will get Col Layh to
inquire of the Commonwealth
Bank about Jacky boy’s
account. Layh is a 
Commonwealth Bank man
himself & will have no difficulty
in finding out at any rate
the first time he is in England
The “Something more” duly
arrived in the Kings Birthday
despatches & I am now
C.B. C.M.G. D.S.O. D.C.M. Just
about all I can get now for
I am a non Starter for the V.C.
& the M.C. & M.M’s are given
only to Captains & under.
Ine’s Jack is very well.
Very shortly he will be going to
England to study for an
Officer & I will try to Keep
him out of harm’s way
until then. He is a very
nice boy indeed.
My word Gagy^Dhusach is coming
on I expect shell be
 

4
sorting up Dida for his bad
writing one of these days
I am delighted to hear
of the little trip that the
wee people & mum & Nana
are having. I guess you
will be glad to have them
back with you. You’ll be jolly
lonely without them all
What do you think of my
idea of inviting Mum over
here. Do you think you could
manage without her ? It
would be lovely to see her
again for a little while
We had another little
battle on the 4^th July. Some
American’s were attached
to us to learn the Game
They fought splendidly
& will do wonders presently
My Brigade only had
a small part of the Show
but what they had to do
they did magnificently
I lost three of the
very finest officers I have
ever had & I am very
sorry about it.

(5)
It was a great success
& every ^one was very
congratulatory as usual
about it. I dont Know
whether Birdie is a “Fenian”
I would not say for sure.
but I did not know if he was
Anyhow he’s no good to me
& I was simply delighted
to get from under him.
Monash is splendid like
Jesus a little too forgiving
the Jews under him
However ^and I think I’ll get
on all right under
him. Couldn’t do worse
anyhow than under
Birdwood.
Well Baaby dear thanks
just about a million
for your letter. Send me
some nice ^enVelopes next
parcel please. There are
only sperriky ^very poor one to be bought
here
Million pogues & loves from
Dida.