Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his cousin Emily Edwards, July 1916 - December 1918 - Part 3

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shells falling short into our own
men. The half dozen wounded were
very slight - some did not even go to
hospital. We are having fine weather
again but the Bosche has got a long
range gun which he uses to annoy
us. He has fired some hundreds of rounds
& doneid no harm actually but he gets
near enough to make one uncomfortable
at times. We were having a Church Parade
on Sunday & about a dozen came screeching
over just above us but some fell short.
This morning he hit a hut & blew an
officer who was asleep in bed out into
the Road feet & all but beyond a few
bruises he was unhurt but his Kit
was in a sad state.
I wrote to "Cousin" Martha recently.
telling her about the raids.
I had quite an interesting letter from
my little girl. She had been for a motor
ride into the hills & stopped for lunch
at "a most glorious place" where the trout
in a little creek were so tame that they
took meat ^out of the little boy's hand.
I know this place. It was formerly owned 

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by a queer old hermit who made pets
of the wild birds fishes etc. It has now
passed into other hands who however keep
the tame birds etc about still & make it
a sort of show place. It has some
delightful fern scenery round it. A
good time back - I had a joke about
with my wife about Violet. One letter
she had sent me, said that Violet had a
mouth just like mine -. Then later
she told me that Violet would be very
pretty but for her mouth - or something
of to that effect. - So I wrote & reminded her
she had said it was exactly like mine
& pretended to be offended. But my
sister Violet says that little Violet is very
pretty. Both ^Kiddies have rosy clear skins & look
very healthy. The laddie still includes
"Uncle Geordie" & "Jacky Boy" his two dead
uncles in his prayers. He said he couldn't
says his prayers "properly" unless he prayed
for them as well.
He was very fond of both but particularly "Jacky
Boy" - as he called Jack Campbell - & young
as he is is very sad about him still.
For Xmas the two had a Special Pudding 

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made for themselves. His mother asked
him if she could have some of it - He said
Yes - You & "Dear" (as he calls his Aunt Belle") &
"Nana" (his grandmother) can have some but
"Dada" can't have any because he is at the
war & "Jacky Boy" can't have any because
— — and the poor little chap stopped —
he could not say any more —
He is a queer little chap. He is fond of
gardening & always helps "Dear" when she
is in the Garden. His mother went into town
one day & said if he was "very good" she'd
bring him something nice.
She decided on a little watering can & brought
it home. He was asleep when she got home &
she put it in his bed thinking he would wake
presently. The next time she went in to have
a look at him he was awake all right
but instead of being delighted as she expected
he looked quite sad.
She could not make this out & was a little disappointed
that her gift had not pleased him
However when she went to bed he hopped out
& went to her room & put his face against hers &
made his ^whispered confession - "Mum - I wasn't Very good"
So he got his absolution & became himself
again & has great fun with his watering can now 

His mother & he have been away for 3 weeks
in the Country. Both were delighted when
Violet & "Dear" paid them a surprise
visit in a motor car. When Katie was writing
the visit was just coming to an end & the Laddie
was not at all anxious to go home. He wants
to be a farmer when he grows up & to own
his own cows & horses - but - what he was
particularly sad about was that he had
been 3 weeks in the country & had never
seen even one snake.
I am sorry if I bore you talking of
my babies but they seem the only
thing worth living for.
19/3/18
It is very wet today. The Bosche is
shelling us with a his long range high
Velocity gun very steadily One a
"dud" landed right in the camp amongst
the huts, another on the roadway
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx tipped an
officer who was in bed out in the road bed &
all but beyond the fight there wasn't much.
Though no damage has been done it is
distinctly unpleasant to have them flying
about as we have no dug outs but only
iron huts - no protection against shells
[*I am sorry not to be able to write you a better
letter today but it is not easy in rest camp.
Yours sincerely H.E. Elliott*] 

France
12/4/18
Dear Milly,
Many thanks for your letter
of the 2^nd April. You would be delighted
to have J.C. home with you. I fear
there will be some desperate fighting
on the Italian Front in the near
future. Everywhere the Australians
have met the enemy his advance
has come to a sudden Standstill
We have accomplished nothing
like it before. And the marvellous
part of it is is the lowness smallness of our
Casualties. Indeed the Bosche has
only in the rarest instances given
us a real good fight & never
except when he outnumbered us
enormously. On the 4^th one of
my Bn likely 800 Strong &
holding over a mile & ½ of ground
withstood the onset of three German
divisions in masses on narrow
fronts & actually made them recoil
so we had at the close of the day
gained ground & yet the Bosche
had shattered into ruin all
who has previously tried to stop them 

My own opinion is that a number
of the British Officers should be cashiered
for gross neglect of duty & incompetence
A number of them have been under

me of late & their apathy apparent
indifference is astounding. I

actually over heard one say

Well if the Bosche does get Amiens
it wont matter to us its not
"our country." The looting of the
unfortunate french people's property
particularly wines was a scandal.
When I got into line I put this
down firmly. I put all liquor
under guard as far as possible

hut guards to round up stragglers
& return them to their units. I

caught one Captain with a mess

Cart full of looted Champaigne
I ordered him to be taken into Custody
by the Provost guard & published

a notice that if the offence was
repeated by any officer I would
have him summarily & publicly
hanged in the market square.

I added a postscript saying I was 

well aware that such an act
might be illegal but in order to

restore discipline I was prepared
to take all steps necessary & trust
to obtaining the Kings Pardon
I am glad to say order began
to be restored from that moment
& the advance of the Bosche was

simultaneously arrested. It
was certainly appalling. Gough
has quite rightly in my opinion
been suspended. Most of his Corps
& Divisional Commanders will I
imagine lose their jobs & it would
be God's blessing if a couple of
hundred of the junior officers who

fought their duty so ignobly were
summarily executed.
The regular Cavalry fought magnificently
& really saved the real situation
from irretrievable ruin. Their

services should never be forgotten
I enclose some letters I have

received from Generals to whom
I have ben attached. Will you
please preserve them for me 

Violets husband is a "Major" now. I
regret to say his only surviving brother
Reg who was serving in my Brigade
was Killed in action on the 4^th Inst. He
was carrying a despatch for me
on a Bicycle & was shot through

the heart - being killed instantly.
I think I told you that his other

brother Capt Wilfred Avery was
Killed at Messines last July.
This second loss will be a sad
blow to them all. Col Layh is
back with me I am glad to say &
doing yeomen Service. I have
taken him to task for not writing

to his wife. He says ^that over at the
Depot there was really nothing to

write about so he contented himself
with sending a cable.
My Brigade Major - whom I did not
want you will remember - made a
fatal mistake the other day - I had
told him to move one Battn which was

in Reserve across the River & inform the

other Bns. In some fit of mental aberration

he gave the order to every Bn to fall back

across the River which would have meant 

Fortunately every Bn Commander
sent a message questioning the order.

I at once suspended him from duty
& requested Genl Birdwood to deal
with him. What will be the outcome
I do not know as he has forceful

influence which forced him upon
me & may - though I hope not force
me to keep him despite his
incompetency. That is the curse
alike of the British Army &
ours alike. There are too few
real leaders & their efforts are
choked & hampered by the

incapable & dosses forced upon
them as a Staff by influence
of those who apparently are not
aware of to what thi fatal results such
may lead.

My Brigade is for the moment
in reserve. My H.Q. in the line
were situated in the most wonderful
house I ever saw. You would
have revelled in it. - Picture to
yourself a house a little larger
than yours - with a conservatory 

adjoining the house. In it I found
to my delight a small wattle tree

in full Bloom. I sent a little

Branch to our General Rawlinson
As an Omen of Victory - In it I
found two lovely tree ferns also

from Australia. There were five
large hothouses in the grounds with
most gorgeous orchids just coming
to Bloom. - About two acres of Rose
Garden with every plant most
carefully tended & labelled -
A large array with all sorts of
Rare Birds - Flamingos -  Ayns 

Pheasants Pekin ducks etc.
The dining room had a wonderful
Suite - Ebony - evidently of Indian
workmanship beautifully inlaid

with silver in a design of wreaths
of flowers with fruit - the leaves & branches
of silver fruit in bronze and gold.
The chairs upholstered in scarlet

Morrocco with large square headed
silver nails - Ceiling a design in Black & Red.
The drawing room I liked less but

it too was gorgeous - the furniture being

upholstered in tapestry so designed that