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

France
8/9/18
My dear Baaby,
I suppose Spose you ^be thinking its about
time I wrote you an answer to your
letter of the 16^th June (Sperriky) & fat one of the
18^th June. which arrived somewhat over a
week ago. I dont remember Howard of the
60^th whom you picked up ^met. – but strange
to say I had a letter from Col Mason who
mentioned to me about a Lt Summers
of the 7^th 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 the other. In a letter
I got just about the same time Katie
told me about meeting the other Summers
at the Hospital. Baaby – I have a ^another little joke to tell
you. Yesterday our little Sperriky General
had some of my boys lined up & congratulated
them on the way they had fought on & on until
they could hardly walk & scarcely stand a
? for 5 days under terrible fire & he finished
up by saying there is no finer General
that ratic old man ^your Brigadier in France today.
Isn’t that a heap of Skite. He was I think 
 

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trying to smooth down my feathers
because I had “sorted” him the day before
& threatened to give myself the Sack ^resign
if he insisted on an order that would
have meant that my remnant of a
Brigade & half of Cam Stewart’s Brigade
would have been cut to pieces & he
dropped the idea. It was all caused
by the fact that he was about 20 miles
back in a big dug out & I was nearly
in the front line & Knew just all there
was to Know about the Situation which
he didnt. But the boys took it all
in so I guess they’ll have some more
yarns to tell Katie in the Hospital
than they have already about her old man
So tell her not to believe all she hears
or sees in the paper about me.
When you see the Cartoon of me in our
French paper “Aussie” you will think
I am always in a temper over here
from the way they have drawn it
Quite a lot of the poor chaps are really
scared of me but that I think is
good for them for its mighty little
they do fear at all 
 

Dhusach wrote such a nice long letter in
ink. Her first with a pen she says. It is
quite a good letter. The laddie is learning
to write very clearly and nicely too I think
I dont think I wrote nearly as well
at his age Col Layh & Col Watson were
away on leave during this last batch
of fighting. Col Watson has just return-
ed. Col Layh is Still away. Col Scanlan
went away today Col Denehy is awa’
tomorrow. They are all a little the worse
for wear just now & I am glad to get
them off for a spell..
It has been dreadfully hot & muggy
& made me drip with perspiration
at almost every movement which
made the fighting so exhausting
but today it rained heavily & it
is now quite chilly
Well dear Baaby I’ve told
Katie about all the news. This
fight was just about as terrible as it
could be. We had part of a little town
& the Bosches the other part & we were
shelling him & he was shelling us
[* with all sorts of huge shells until the City rocked
& reeled for all the world as if there was an earthquake
on & the walls crashed & fell around us & the Bosches called for
P.T.O. *] 
 

Volunteers from all his army to Stop the
Australians & they fought & died bravely but
our boys won in the end. It was a great
fight truly. Heaps of love & pogues
from your Very own
Dida. 
 

France
15/9/18
My dear Baaby,
Many thanks for your
letter of the 14^th July which reached
me yesterday afternoon just two
months after it was written
so our letters dont come very
quickly these days do they. Mums
9 page letter came along by the Same
post but yours was duly read all
the same. Mum’s letter had the photos
Miss Denehy took of the imps ^children in it but
one had a big blot of ink upon it. The
lad looks quite as big as Gagy ^Dhusach in
those photos. His black ^new suit must
make him ever so much bigger
in appearance.. Nana was good to
give him a nice suit like that.
The lad looks to be growing a good
Chin sure enough in those photos
Col Layh went off with a party
of the real old Anzacs just
about an hour or so before I 
 

2
got the letters. I gave him a wooden
box with a couple of big 8 inch
howitzer shells in it. They will make
nice shiny jardinieres. Some day
when Dhusach learns repoussee work
maybe she’ll decorate them for us
Anyhow they will be all right just
polished up. Or one would make a
fine Gong mounted on a Stand. It
would ring like a bell. In it are
three German egg bombs quite harmless
as I took all the powder ^explosive out of
them. I also gave him my Iron
Cross to take home to Mum. I hope
he gets it safely home. I also gave
him another Vol of my diary &
some other papers and a panorama
photo of some of the ground we
used to be fighting over – Oh yes & a
little machine for loading a German
automatic pistol that I found
I didn’t send the pistol. I have that
 

3
stowed away in England. I hope
to get it home safely some day.
I notice that Nana is doing her
best to spoil the laddie by letting
him play tricks upon her & not
sorting him up. I hope you Keep
him in decent order the young
rascal. I feel like ^as if I’m getting
terribly old Baaby with wee Dhusach
nearly grown up ^so & she was such a
wee thing when I left. & the laddie too.
I don’t think I remember M^r Poser ^Power at
Charlton at all. Mr Tonkin may
tell you what he was doing there & then
I will remember him.
Today is the Saabath Baaby
& I stayed in bed till nearly
lunch time then I had to get
out & answer all the letters.
I had a long letter from Miss Stewart
and her mother. They seem
‘dicklers ^very pleased that Cam Stewart
is a General now. 
 

I am enclosing a snap that Nurse
Davidson sent me of herself. She
was a pal of Violet at the Hospital
at Ballarat & often at Elsinore
Geordie used to call her “Old “Fat”
Davidson” & “Ginger” Davidson
I was going to see her – She is
nursing some of my boys at a
Hospital in England but I was
recalled & did not get a chance
So she sent me this photo. If
you look in that old photo album
of mine I think there is one of her
there that I took sitting in a
Chair in the garden at Elsinore
It is not very clear like this
one. It is a very fine day again
today. Billy Hughes came to see
us yesterday but hardly stopped
a minute. He shook hands with
me & the cook & a few of the boys
Had very little to say. Wont it be
[* lovely seeing the old lady soon Wish you &
the Bairns were coming over too. Love & pogues from
Dida *] 
 

France
18/10/18
My dear Baaby,
It seems about
a year since I had a letter from
you. What you mean by it ? Big long
‘fended me. There is not very much
news just now. We are away back
in Peace Country & ^it seems like
there is no war at all. The boys
are helping the farmers thresh
& dig Sugar Beets & Turnips etc
It is raining a great deal
now. A little while back owing
to the shortness of recruits
we were ordered to disband
one Battalion & the poor old 60^th
had to go just after Bert Layh
left. Dont Know where he’ll get
a job on his return. The 54^th Bn of
the Genl Stewarts Brigade had to
go too. Norman Marshall was its
Commander. The men were very
sore at heart over the break up
but they obeyed us ^me ^us. Then old
Tivey had to break up the 29^th They
have mighty little respect for
him & refused to take any
notice of him & there is still
Trouble. I am rather enjoying
it for old Tivey thought he was
making himself very popular by 
 

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