Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his sister-in-law, January 1917 - April 1919 - Part 14

France
My dear Barby[[?]]
8/9/18
I suppose you are [[?]] thinking it's about time I wrote an answer to your 
letter of the 16t June (merity)[[?]] & for [[?]] me of the 18th June which arrived somewhat seven[[?]] week ago. I don't remember Howard of the 60th [[?]] you picked[[?]] up met. - but strange to say I had a letter from Col Mason[[?]] who mentioned time[[?]] about about a Lt Summers[[?]] of the 70th Bn who was killed just the other day. Mason[[?]] said he remembered that there were two brothers in his company
who lived at Brunswick[[?]] & wondered what had happened to them there. In a letter I got just about the same time Katie
told me about meeting this[[?]] these[[?]] Summers[[?]] at the Hospital. Barby[[?]] l have a another little  joke to tell you. Yesterday our little  portly[[?]] General had some of my boys lined up & congratulated them on the way they had fought[[?]] on & on until they could hardly walk & scarcely slept me[[?]] for 5days under terrible fire & he finished
up by saying there is no finer General that tates old man[[?]] your Brigerdier in France today. I think that a heap of shite[[?]]. He was I think
 

trying to smorthe down my feathers
ith day fypr
because I had will
resyn
& ticatened to givmyself the Pack
if he onnolitn an order that would
have meant that my remoant of a
Bryade Shalf of Car Remit Bryad
would have ben out to prece & he
dropped the idea. It wo all cored
by the fact that he was alout I omile
lack in a by dugont & I was nearly
ith fron line I knew just all then
was b knw about the Situation which
he didnt. But theloy took it all
in io I guess they'll have rome more
youns to tell Katy wth Hospital
than they have already about her old ma
to letther not bhliese all the hears
or rees tho paper about me.
When you see the Cartoo of me in our
French haper turnie you will thin
I am alway in a timper ovr hers
pou thomy they have drain ix
Initea lotof tho poor clays ane really
seared of me but that I think is
good for them for its mighty lttle
a
they dopay
c
 

Thuraet wrote met a nice long litter
int. Her fart me with a per the says. He
quit agood letter. The laddie is learsning
tweetovery clearly and ncel tod I think
I dont think I mote nearly as rec
athisage Col Lays old waltr were
awayor leave duing thi as later
fighting lol wation has first return
ed lol Layt is stitt away. Lo Scanlan
event away today lol sendhy is awa
tomorrow. They are all a little the worn
for wear just now & I am glad toget
then
2 pr a pell.
It was veer dreadfully has smudgy
& made one duy with perspuction
at almost every morment which
made the fighting is exhanting
but today it raised hearly o it
is nor guit chilby
4
well don Baal I re told
Katie about all thonewor thro
fight was jut about as terribly as it
could be. We had partof a biitle fo
& the Boocher the other part owe vere
Wellinghim the was shelling in
 

boluntens hio ale his arrg o noy the
Auhalior & they fought died brorely but
our boys an a toand. Mirs, a great
fight truly. Weap of ho poye
from prtin
bit
 

France
157
115
My dear Baat
many thank for your
July which realred
letter of the 14
me yesterday afterno just two
month after it me written
so our letter dont come very
quiekly there days do they mums
I letter came along by the same
9 pay
post but yours wasdily readall
the nme Mums litterbad thahst
childen
Mrss Deneky took of the mp in it but
The
ane lad a by blotowk upon
Dlnovet
lad looks guit as brg as Dogag
ac
there photos Hi block purtmust
make him eve is muct bigger
in appearace. Nava was good
give him a mee nutlike that
The lad foom to be gronng agood
Chienher thosefhotoo
Col Leugh wvent of with a part
of the real old Anzacs jurt
about an hor or is before I
 

2
got the letters I gave him a wooder
for with a couple of beg sirch
hoitzes shill an it tthey will man
nice thing gardinieres. some day
then Dhurast leavne reposs seeant
may be shell decorats then for no
ctryhow theywill lo all right jus
polited up. Or one would make a
fire Long mounted in a hand. It
would ringlise a bell. W Mtan
thre serna egg lowls gent lamber
experire
ao I toon all the p outy
them. I als gave him my Irm
bross to tave home to mem I hope
heget it roply home I aloge
him another vol of my deary &
rome the paper and a panoran
phots of moneof t ground we
und the fyti over oh yes & a
witly machive fo conding a terna
antonatic pirtoe this I foud
I didn't und the pirtol I have thas
 

stared away in England. I have
to get it thore mply some day
notice that nana is doing be
bst to soil the laddie by letter
him play trick upon her &no
sortivg him i I hope you tey
hem i decent order the you
es
I feel ts Ingette
raocal
terrilly oldBl with wee Dhenor
stowas wet a
grow it.
mate
wel thing when I left & the laddietod
power
I don't thenk I remember Mr Posen at
Hailton asall. Mr Tonkn may
telt you whathe was doing there other
I will remember him.
Today is the Sadbath Brat
& I stayed is bed tiltnearly
lind time then I lad to get
out & answer all the ltter
I lad a long letter por Mt Stewas
and her mother. they ven
very
Aeklan pleasy that can Kerow
is a several now.
 

an enclosing a mas that hurre
Havidmn sent me of herself the
was a pal of violet at the Hospital
at Ballaratt often at Sennore
Geordie und to call he "ld tat?
Dandin & singer. Danidoon
I was going to ree her- She is
musin some of my loys at a
Homitaln Egland but Iwas
recalled & did not get a chance
to the rentme this photo
you look in that old photoallin
of mive I thinkthen is oe of her
there that I took uttnin a
chair win yarder at Hnnor
It is not overy clear like this
one. It is a vewy fine dayagain
today. Billy Highes cave tree
us yesterday but hardly stopped
aminut the short laid wilh
me & the cook & a few of the boys
Had very btle to day Montith
 

Flance
My dear Buaty
It reing about 18/10/18
a year snce I bad a litter foor
you. What you nean by it? Bilong
pesded me. There is not very much
news just no. We ar away lock
in Beace country & seems like
there is no was at all. the boys
are helping the farmer threet
& dis hyor Best& Tumipch
It is raining a great deal
. At btt wile tack oning
+
to the shortness of recrint
we were ordired to disland
one Battalin the gvorold CS
bad toeo just after bent bang
up. Hout know where wellges
drot o by return. The 52t M7
sent Stemait Bryade Lad 6
o too. Nornan harhall wards
commander ohe mew yenvery
mere atheart or
he treaking
me as
but they obeyed u. Ther old
sivey had tbreak in the 29th the
ake mighty little respect for
refuied to take am
him &
notice o um & they is still
Trouble. I am rather enjoying
it for old Fevey thought he and
naking himself very popular h