Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his sister-in-law, January 1917 - April 1919 - Part 9

just been drapers & grocers & bankers
& solicitors – never had any military
system such as we had. I fear
that there will be many blunders
made until they learn the game.
Wasnt it just a blessing that I and
a few others did see this was coming
& try to fit ourselves for it – though I
never dreamed to fight here. I thought
Japan would be sure to join Germany
& we should have had to fight hard
for Australia. If Japan had joined
the Central Empires instead of the Allies
things would have been rather blue in
Australia today. The parcel hasn't come
yet.  Do you Know that I feel a bit of a gawk
Some one told me the other day that unless
tea is packed in lead lined cases it loses all
its flavor during a sea voyage & no matter
how carefully packed it may be it still
loses a lot of its flavor. So perhaps that
is the reason of the flavorless tea we get
here & I suppose what we get from home
will be worse than that. Have not seen
Jacky boy since just before the Big Battle. They have had
one more since so dont know if he is still all right. Bye now million
pogues from Dida
 

Berners
Hotel
London
11/11/17
My dear Baaby
I have three
letters of yours to answer – two
sperriks [[ ^{little ones} ]] dated the 26^th July &
2^nd Sept & one decent one dated
5^th Sept. I have had one letter from
Katie dated the 16^th Sept telling me
you were writing a fat one all about
the Bairnies so I better answer
the others right away. They came
a little back while I was in France
but I was worried and busy & so I
just didn't write for a bit. Things
are pretty beastly aren't they Baaby
dear – with these Russians fighting
themselves & everyone but the Germans
& the Italians running away like
mad & all our poor boys getting
Killed like this,. but never mind
Baaby dear we'll win yet & you won't
have the Germans tramping round
in Melbourne – anyhow a mighty
lot of them will be dead before then
Its a weary old world & goodness
Knows when I'm going to see my
babies any more so you must be good
 

and tell them me all about them
the poor little mites. The first letter
was all about a house you were going to take
near Mrs Smith at Brighton beach
& near Mr Roddick. The next
letter was about parcels. I think I've
got them now. They were delivered over
here the other day. There were three
of them. One with a Plum Pudding
in a tin. There had been some
Euthymol Tooth Paste with it & it
got bust & got over everything in
the parcel but – nothing is the worse
for it. Then there was another parcel
with the Diary which will be quite
good although they didn't make a soft
binding. I thought my big fat one that
you sent last year would be full
but it is still going strong. I am
sorry t hear of poor Miss Mills not being
well. She is a good hearted old soul &
of Mr Trowbridge's fall. Poor old chap
his luck is right out isnt it. Poor
little Dhurach. She is a good wee thing
to pray for all the poor damaged bodies.
I am glad you got a pile of letters
Baaby – after such a long time.
 

I called on Mrs Ronald Dickson last
week. She is very nice. I got some
beastly old Mustard Gas on my face
in France & all the skin is peeling
off & it is very sore & horrid looking,
& stings like fire [[ ^anything ]] in the wind. If you
are going to buy a Motor Car to take
Gagy [[ ^Dhurach ]] & Mum & the lad out its you that
will have to be looking out for the
millionaire I think. I told Jessie
Campbell that you hadn't received any
letter from her yet. I was hopeful of
getting up to see her this time &
got a free ticket out to the nearest
Station to Ullapool a little place
called Garve near another place
called Dingwall right away up
North but, when I got over here they
popped me into bed & I only got out
on Friday (today is Sunday) to go down
to Salisbury to see my Training Bn
down there & now I wish I hadn't
My face had nearly healed up but
the Bitter Cold wind on the plains
down there cut the tender skin like a
Knife, & made horrid sore cracks in it &
it just stungs me scandalous [[ ^dreadfully ]]
 

Last night I could scarcely
get to sleep for it at all.
Mrs Colonel Mason came to see me
today. She is getting scandalous [[^{very stout} ]]
fat but looks very nice. She is
Very proud of her man & he is doing
Very excellently indeed. Bert
Layh looks the picture of health but
is still a little short of breath. He
is doing a power of good at the
Training Battn. Jackson let them
go will – there was far too much drink
& other things going on too. I feel quite
easy in my mind now that Layh
is there. Charles Denehy is on
leave over here at present. He got
some of this silly old gas in his eyes &
was quite blind for some days but is
getting better again. He was in hospital
& was given 3 weeks leave. I saw him
down at Bert Layh's Camp. Dnehy
had gone down there to spend some
days with him. I have not heard
from Jack Proctor of late. I am sorry
[[ Ine ?]] is so delicate. With the [[?]] of them
weakly it does not look promising for them

[* Not much news in this letter Baaby dear
The mud in Belgium is Scandalous [[ ^awful ]] quite as bad or
worse than the Somme but it is not yet so cold there as
last year. It will be lovely when the cold really starts.
Love & pogues from Dida *] 
 

Digswell
Place
Welwyn
14/11/17
My dear Baaby,
Heaps [[ ^Very ]] pleased
to get your letter of the 16^th Sept which
got to me this morning. I got
one from Katie of the same date a few
days ago. I am sorry I cannot
send out the laddie's rifle or the
Shell cases. I've left them with
Uncle James A Scott at 25 Moor
Lane London. The big Shell cases
will be very nice ornaments I think
but at present no brass or rifles may
be exported. It [[ ^They ]] may all all be
required for the war it is thought
I hope they are not confiscated though.
That would be sad after all the trouble I
took to get them across. Tell wee 
Dhurah Gagy she'll have to speak to Mummy about
getting a sister for herself. A wee Belgian
one couldn't talk English & wouldn't be very
nice. Poor little wretches I fear there is
a terrible time in store for them. They are
starving & the Germans have just
Captured one of the big relief ships we
sent in with food for them so if they
are going to do that we cannot send
anything more in for them. 
 

2
I say I wish you meant it about the war
being over by Xmas. Seems like it will be
Xmas 5 years now unless we give up.
You poor things out there must be all
broke up [[ ^{very sad} ]] about Jack [[ ^Geordie ]] & Jacky boy. It has
been bad enough for me & I had hardly
time to dwell upon it. It had the
effect of course of pulling me down & when
the old Gas blisters got on me I couldn't
throw them off as I should & as I did not
go in to Hospital but tried to Carry on
the silly old things [[ ^blisters ]] got Septic & in the
end instead of going back to France
yesterday I had to Come back here. They
have imprved very much under treatment
even in a few days although the D^r said
it would be 3 weeks at least before I
Could be better but I've ’stonished [[ ^astonished ]] them
before in getting better quickly. I am pleased
that the Boys are out at rest & although
I have great Confidence in Col Stewart
& if I hear they are back in the line
I will hurry up & go to them. I hear
Cyril Tonkin & Eva have both gone
back to Australia. Charlie Elliott
has been discharged over here at his
 

3
own request & is trying for a Home
Service job in the British Army Paymaster
Branch. I am glad Duigan has got
a decent job. I suppose after the War
though there'll be none of these jobs
available. I'm of’fended with that Robert's
man but am hopeful that it will not
be so bad as it looks. Dear little
Dhurach – She is a good little thing isn't
she Baaby. [[^People ]] We wouldn't change her for
anybody. They are awfully short of
Tea & Sugar over here just now &
Mrs Buckley was delighted when
I gave her the two packages that
came for me. The Euthymol [[ ^{tooth paste} ]] was
Scandalously [[ ^very ]] [[ ^all ]] squashed this time. But
that is the only time any damage has
been done. It was through the Plum Pudding
bumping on it hard. It had evidently
been pretty roughly used. You give a
very nice account of the little house. I
hope Katie will be pleased with it & happy
there. Do you like it as well as the little
house at Northcote
I've missed a number of letters I think
somewhere. telling me about the Teacher
I wonder where they have got to. Perhaps drowned
([[ for Ba ? ]])
 

4
The paper & envelopes particularly the latter
are lovely. Those you [[ ^can ]] buy over here [[ ^{in France} ]] wont
stick a bit. I need not have been in such
a hurry for the Diary. That lovely big one you
sent seems to have a million [[ ^{great many} ]] leaves in it. I
am a long way from finishing it even
yet & it has lasted 12 months all
already. Of course there was 4 months
that we were out of the line that I had
not much news to put in it. The
place where Jack [[ ^Geordie ]] is buried is well
behind our lines at a place called
Dickebosch. I did not Know about
Jacky [[ ^boy ]] for over a fortnight. He was
buried where he fell like so many
others on the front slope of the
Broedsende Ridge about a mile to the
right of Paschendale where all the
fighting has taken place quite close to
a little wood called by us Daisy Wood.
Only a few stumps are left. Some day
I will try I hope to find his grave &
have it fixed up a bit but at present
it is not possible to do anything. It is
right in our front line & you cannot go
about in daylight without great danger.
 

The places where he & Jack [[ ^Geordie ]] were hit are
only a couple of miles apart. It was
whilst going through Glencorse Wood
that Jack [[ ^Geordie ]] was hit & he died at the
dressing station at a place [[ ^{on the Menin Road} ]] that we
called Clapham Junction. It was
thus a pretty easy matter for me to have
his body carried back a mile or so to
the next dressing station & we there put
it in a field Ambulance & had it brought
back out of the Shell torn country
to where there was a little cemetery in a
Green field. Afterwards we buried Capt Dickinson
& Major Bullen & Col Hearn & others in the
same place – just a few we could get
out of the hundreds who fell. Mrs
Edwards was very anxious when I last heard
from her about her boy but since then I had a
little note from her daughter that he is safe.
He is a nice boy - their only son - so I am very
glad he is still going but I fear he is
almost certain to be Killed or wounded
before long though it is wonderful
how some fellows come through it all
Well Baaby dear just try to Keep
Cheered up. Little Gagy [[ ^Dhurach ]] & the Laddie
will love you for always & ever & Dida
[* will always think you & Mum are just the best in the
world & will look after you always. You & the Bairnies & Mum
& all of them are just my own darlings & nothing is too good
for any of you. Heaps of pogues & loves from Dida xx D *]