Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his cousin Emily Edwards, July 1916 - December 1918 - Part 6

the situation. I have just had a letter from
my wife. She says she is terribly disappointed
because I did not take the six months leave
-more she says because of the children even
than for herself. If I came home even for a
very little time she would feel that they had
at last really known me - for when I left
they were so small - People say of Violet
"She is so like her father". The laddie usually
remarks "I am like my Daddy too" He is
very keen to be thought like me too so I'm
going to exploit that by telling him I was
always top of my class as Violet is & try
to get the young rogue to pay better attention
to his lessons - - That wretched hun has just
put a shell right into our lawn - I wasn't
expecting it & it gave me a start- - then
another but its gone right over by the Bridge
Yes I saw that the women in Australia are
reporting - I fear like the Virgins their
mistake is beyond rectification - Theres another
shell now - a dud. Capt Wrigley's brother a
fine boy came over about Xmas. He was
a Corporal & the making of a fine
officer. He was killed of the 26^th shot
dead in our charge - Another shell
pretty close up - confound it. -I dont enjoy
being shelled the least bit when I am two
 

flights of stairs up & the bottom may go under
me at any moment. Hence if you find this letter
somewhat incoherent you will please allow
for it as I must finish it - We didnt have
the Cavalry M. Gunners this time. The went
off I think to the north. We had our
own however who were quite good. I
am glad J.C. is well & I hope Lloyd
gets back home safely. Oh I'm in all
sorts of trouble with people for speaking
my mind too freely- A certain Engineer
officer noted a line of defence I didnt
know who the Blighter was but when I
looked at the line certainly it was
quite indefinable & I made no bones
about telling my chief in a report
I sent him & constructed other works
duly percolated through
official channels & it appears, he is
"Some Brave Hat" His feelings have been
quite hurt by my remarks & I am
to be put in my proper place. I am
used to that by now & these reproofs
roll of my feathers like water off
a duck. Besides I've got my new
trenches dug which to the main
thing - I'll tell you a jest too some
 

way about the way they do things in the
Army - I submitted the plan for recapture
of a town. I was told not to bother as
the British Corps concerned were
doing it themselves & it was out of
my area - only if the Bosche came into
my area was I to move. Well eventually
he slipped over into my area & I started to
deal with him but as I pointed out
would have to go over into the neighbouring
Corps area to deal effectually with
the situation I was told again not to
attack & for 14 hours we delayed
whilst the Boche strengthened his
position - finally to make all snug
I was solemnly handed over & the
British Corps Concerned with another
Australian Brigade - no means of
communication with each other was
provided - by this time it was pitch
dark & raining & we were launched
& our meeting place fixed within the
enemy's lines - & we were left to
find each other - everyone expected
the whole thing to fail but something
desperate had to be done to restore
the situation - In point of fact it
 

was not nearly as desperate is it looked
for I had taken advantage of those 14
hours delay to have all my officers &
some of the men thoroughly reconnotre
the ground ^actually during the light for the moment
attack started I assumed that the
British Corps would be defeated & took
steps to restore the position if necessary.
I was able by fine luck to convey
necessary information to the Australian
General & believe me we won the day
next day there people sent up Bns who
took over the prisoners for us. Then
the "umpteenth" Corps published an order
the idea so brilliantly conceived
by the "umpteenth" Corps was ably &
gallantly carried out by the x, y 12 men
assisted by the xxx & 15^th Aust Inf.
Brigades. This was the limit & I am
making cautious remarks on the subject
which will probably lead me into more
trouble. This {ga?]] temper is responsible
for all my troubles. My Div Commander
came to see me yesterday & very decently
begged me when I had a grievance never
to put it or paper but to send for him
and tell him verbally & he'd fix it up
himself - but this he said referring to

the report he had with him would cause
civil war - from its caustic criticism or
supervisors - so he is sitting on the report
The worst of it is the things are perfectly
correct & there is as a my Polygon Wood
report lies the chief sting, I think
Avery should go home for discharge
not on leave. - When Capt Avery got killed
his mother nearly went out of her mind
& he  fears this latest cors will settle
the matter - naturally he is nearly worried
to death. Unfortunately he is doing very
valuable work as a specialist & remarkably
successful at it may not be possible to
replace him at any rate for the moment.
Thanks for your offer of of the Daffodils. I
will be very grateful for them. Oh did
you know you Jim found favour in Adelaide
completely cleared himself of that
charge of trading with the enemy. Her
son came to the war & is now Capt Snow
& has won the M.C. I saw a reference
to him in an Australian paper & it
mentioned the charge against his father.
The Spectators have not reached me just
yet but they will come all right I think
I got them all eventually thank you so much.
for them. - Postage is more demanded - I will
[*send you the cable money next pay day - but it will be in french
notes - you won't mind I hope - yours very sincerely H E Elliott 

P.P.S. I agree with Lloyd
that tackled properly
the Boche are no Lions
but veritable lambs the
trouble is that they are
wearing lions clothes &
quite a lot of the ctrny
have been deceived by
their appearance
 

France
1/5/18
Dear Milly,
Under another cover I am
sending you a newspaper cutting. It has
quite the best account I have seen of our
night attack. The Australian General
suffered to by the way was not myself &
he had dashed little to do with the show.
The thing was by no means mad & far
simpler & easier than it looks on the face
of it when you remember that from
4 am until 10 p.m. I had been
waiting for the word go & most of my officers
& nearly all my noncoms had been up
over the ground in daylight even when the
Bosche was slowly driving the British back
in accordance with my orders as it
was sticking out as plain as a pikestaff
that we should have to counter attack
sooner or later -
But of course it begins to look a sort
of miracle if you carefully hide up
all that in order to make out
that at a physiological moment
your staff got  a Brilliant idea
which by some magic you called upon
a race of genii to carry out. & that is
really what is sought to be done. In
reality as I have told you there was no
 

magic at all no brilliant conception
but only some plain commonsense
precautions at the root of it & piled
right on top of it a mountainous
camoflage of lying - to hide gross
incompetency of not worse fmo the light of
day.
I will say no more on this subject, it makes
me tired.
I enclose ₤60 to hand with my
grateful thanks to Lloyd for the Cable
We have had a very quiet time today
& my funk hole is growing apace. I
will soon be able to retire in it if the
shelling starts. I don't like this quietness
altogether - It is too quiet- I guess the
Boche is hatching out something for us.
However as long as he attacks I won't
complain. It the best way I know to end
the war to get the Boche to attack us in
the position we now hold - When we see
him appear or the ridge we can truly say
with Cromwell - "The Lord hath delivered
him into my hand this day" & smite
him with the edge of the sword is good
old Ironside fashion.
One of the best compliments we have
 

had yet was from a Bosche prisoner
He said - you Australians have hidden
it well but we know now you have
20 divisions in the field - Why there
are 5- " 15 Brigades alone".  You will
judge from this that the Bosche has found
us rather ubiquitous & a pretty hard
nut to crack being our Divisions
stretch from just south of Kemmel
in the north to the French Army in the
south with whom we [[junction]] without
any intervening British Divisions &
as he practically never gets any
prisoners from us to verify his guesses
as to our strength & limits one
con sympathise a little with his
staff trying to make out just how
many their are of us.
No further news except I hope to get
the Butterfly collection away shortly. I
had a letter from the President of the Pan
Paris Museum on a section of it thanking me
for the trouble I had taken & saying that it
will be splendid if I can get to away safely
as it is absolutely priceless & asking us
to please be careful as the insects are extremely
fragile. We hope to get them away tomorrow
 

or next day. Also the wonderful news
of Palestine the East which I mentioned
before.
I think this is all the news. Rain
is threatening & may come on at any
time now.
Kindest regards to Patty & your
husband yours very truly
H.E. Elliott.