Letters from Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott to his cousin Emily Edwards, July 1916 - December 1918 - Part 9

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
AWM2018.19.83
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

first tension which m lent to General Blumgr & theyaln were brought back August Battle for the Since then we hare almost always beu employed attacker untally or a tuo divisinal front with two Dinnion in & one in Reserne suppor Ats the attacking tiistom lave become extausted tho tuppot Dinsions aetere then & continue the attack. Meantin the support Resei Dennon an reorganizing & getting ready t go in ig heThi to gret reaily son we care managed to key met your tantpressin i or theHin for so many d o the ard. he news continues excellent am oy no means but
that thowar will not more oer The Hin is anxious ttat we should lave thet impremn I know Mr his Bryades & Dinocon in witl fighting land & I think they may thy to try usyed The only plan io my kiind onest th can as keeping in the premised repising to grant any arms tre or pain unless the Gernar arks fr peac in conditionally I distands mng army as Bulgaria was done It was very wce that Humphreys & J.C. got home together are not verken I hope. r yourself these days. I hope too that you haved inccespn e. We are getting a give roe
lot of comforts in this days from onr Home Comfort funds & they are of great renept t the o thk I told you that I gad veer granted the Irue. brone dh Terre. I will und you a bit of the Rr. tor H is Sicer withnazrow Red tripes Iwith my brand. blan one wears a tirry the 2 gelt star in the centre of For the1 class - they wear a habor leaf on the Kifton then are noeral lower grader to tell you tha Iregres that give young offeer of mine who is distingusen himm at Bellicout homar Dulglin died of his woulds at Roner he day beou he died regot the wotes t write to his colonel
& recommend troo of tro N.C.O.S for gullant woth 2per vined afore he li ff them t payment of the whell had penetrates the tran through the 2o0/0 his month & then nt it inflannation from which he died In oe sve it was a flem as he would have be porrilly dis fegured in at protability on the ther hand rurgeons are done wich underfe reconstunction work on cun this kind that one cannot help regretting that he didn get the crarce Wifh Kinders regards to Lloyd & Patty & Berty yours very sincer 3 &llit I. Home litterfon Vates dated tong. all weer
hane My dear Mill 22/10/18 I enclon herewith two papers badd to your collection for me viz a Cop, letter from General Kawlinso to the loyps which is very flattering to us all The other is a copy of the Frines order of the day Conferm upon me the wrn di uerre which I value Very highly indeed as it is the omy direct recognition I have received of thefact that to myself armor- rotely beioys the credit. the successful counter attack on Villers Brettonneur. felt very deeply that thes reogndion was not entended to me General Birdwoon who had made up his mind
to mpercede me is favor. a friead his own Bry Shre Sellebrand & consequenty could not give me th recognition and at the rave time rupercede me. This recognition by the French Authority who was in close leason enith us a t the time tudoubly satisfactory to me. My own Dinscoral General had ceand to hope & had planned for iccess hs retirement wher numitted my plan to him & to the 8th Britist Dirss in was by then laid before sine Butter of the 3 Bilist Coyn this Staff. hs Hent Henvards attempted to claim the of the plan for cridit but came abroth themselve
in the watter. I enclose a copy also of a letter snt by in Dirs inal general to me or completion of the dislaidnend the 30 B. The originals it all the documents are sent to one war Records I entend rinding the oreginal of the letter whilh you hold to the way Records later on should have done this in even care keeping only a copy out did not fully understance that ever in the cas of personer letters therelare an anstorica value for the pture hutorion There is nothing of great interest here. The h awist the people with thuss farn work &relation an friendly between them In Suurday Irad a delightful
motor drive through the yours of Precy or Snday ear Wfth lunct in the Vellage while there in a old nornar ahng chure of the 12th bentury we vented the snot where Idward she renained durive the Battle There was a windmill herether but now mly an earther mound marks the Spot. About a miledirtain or the opponte Hlope we rair thancient breather beater Cross which still marks the ppot where the blind Rin of Bohenia was san inthe wattle tome dirtance further from the field we mas an ancient stovel erecit You the Buitle in Memory 300 Knight.
the French Srnng who were killed is tho Hattle & baned at that S pst The weather rill continue Very unnittled & though I am rarry t have missed our trumptant advance throng Belgmr it must &e very mescall in thi weather along the pont line The news from the pont continues good bs the Borch is carryinout, in returnent with welliant Kill yours very maily H.S. Plik
Fronce 11/11/10 Dear Milly many thanks for you letter of the 3rd nr. There is greateouing all through the country here today on account of the amistie being proclaimed I laent the leat idea what they coin to do with in pending thePeace and afterwards whilst we are waiting for Bonts to take us home again. The somme & two mall trintaries that jou it as Atfheville are caralazed & there iu through the Streets & is a yers places this might niggest venace to you as you ray but the resentlance. point & there is not much 4 hanty in the streets themselves in the country around however that are many delghtful homes mortty of old yamelies many of them tilled ones. There mutt the a dozer Countys Counterses & one Margins & one Baron within a few mills of my headQuarters there Thore of thit that I have met ar exceedingly kind & nice Mors of they oer are in the Ainny &f my particular Brygade is known for a wide here as the

First Division which was

lent to General Plumer &

they also were brought back

for the 8th August Battle.

Since then we hare almost

always been employed attacking

usually on a two Divisional

front - with two Divisions in

Support & one in Reserve.

As the attacking Divisions

have become exhausted the

Support Divisions relieve them

& continue the attack. Meantime

the Support Reserve Division

are reorganizing & getting

ready to go in again. This is
the Secret really of how
we have managed to keep
up such constant pressure
on the Hun for so many
months past.

The news continues excellent
but I am by no means

 

sure that the war will soon
be over. The Hun is anxious
that we should have that
impression I know but
his Brigades & Divisions are
still fighting hard & I think
they may try to try us yet -
The only plan in my mind
to meet the case is keeping
up the pressure & refusing
to grant any armistice
or paun unless the
German asks for peace
unconditionally & disbands
his army as Bulgaria
has done.
It was very nice that Humphreys
& J.C. got home together
I hope you are not overworking
yourself these days. I hope
too that you have a successful
sale. We are getting a fine 

 

lot of comforts in these days from
our Home Comfort Funds &
they are of great benefit to the
boys.
I think I told you that
I had been granted the French
Croix de Guerre. I will
send you a bit of the Ribbon.
It is Green with narrow Red
Stripes & with my brand. i.e.
the 2nd Class one wears a tiny
gilt star in the centre of it.
For the 1st Class - they wear a
palm leaf on the Ribbon. These
are several lower grades.
I regret to tell you that
that fine young officer of mine
who so distinguished himself
at Bellecourt - Norman Dalglish
died of his wounds at Rouen.
The day before he died he got
the [[notes?]] to write to his Colonel 

 

& recommend two of his N.C.O's
for gallant work performed
before he left them.
A fragment of the shell
had penetrated the brain through
the roof of his mouth & this
set up inflammation from
which he died.
In one sense it was a blessing
as he would have been
horribly disfigured in all
probability.
On the other hand surgeons
have done such wonderful
reconstruction work in cases
of this kind that one cannot
help regretting that he didn't
get the chance.
With kindest regards
to Lloyd & Patty & Gertie
Yours very sincerely
H.E Elliott.
P.S. Home letter from Katie dated 1st Aug. all well
[*Violet wrote from Brisbane which she had
reached en route for Roma with her husband*]

 

France
22/10/18
My dear Milly,
I enclose herewith
two papers to add to your
collection for me. Viz a Copy
letter from General Rawlinson
to the Corps which is very
flattering to us all. The other
is a copy of the French
Order of the day conferring
upon me the Croix de
Guerre which I value
very highly indeed as it
is the only direct recognition
I have received of the fact
that to myself almost
solely belongs the credit of
the successful counter attack
on Villers Brettonneux. I
felt very deeply that this
recognition was not extended
to me by General Birdwood
who had made up his mind   

 

2
to supercede me in favor of
a friend of his own Brig
Genl Gellibrand & consequently
could not give me this
recognition and at the same
time supercede me. This
recognition by the French
Authority who was in close
liason with us at the
time to is doubly satisfactory
to me. My own Divisional
General had ceased to hope
for success & had planned
his retirement when I
submitted my plan to him
& to the 8th British Division
& ^it was by then laid before Genl
Butler of the 3rd British Corps
& his Staff.
This Staff afterwards
attempted to claim the
credit of the plan for
themselves but came [[about?]]

 

4
in the matter. I enclose a copy
also of a letter sent by my
Divisional General to me on
Completion of the disbandment
of the 60th Bn. The originals
of all the documents are sent
to our War Records.
I intend sending the originals
of the letters which you hold
to the War Records later on also. I
should have done this in every
case keeping only a Copy
but did not fully understand
that even in the case of personal
letters these have an historical
value for the future historian.
There is nothing of great
interest here. The men assist
the people with this farm
work & relations are very
friendly between them.
On Sunday I had a delightful 

 

motor drive through the
forest of Precy on Sunday
last. After lunch in the
Village where there is an
old Norman xxxxxx church
of the 12th Century we visited
the Spot where Edward III

remained during the Battle.
There was a windmill
here then but now only an
earthen mound marks the
Spot. About a mile distant
on the opposite Slope we
saw the ancient weather
beaten Cross which still
marks the spot where the
blind King of Bohemia was
slain in the Battle.
Some distance further from
the field we saw an ancient
Chapel erected after this Battle
in Memory of 300 Knights

 

of the French Army who were
killed in the Battle & buried
at that Spot.
The weather still continues
Very unsettled & though I am
sorry to have missed our
triumphant advance through
Belgium it must be very
miserable in this weather
along the front line.
The news from the front
continues good but the Bosche
is carrying out his retirement
with brilliant skill
Yours very sincerely.
H.E. Elliott 

 

France
11/11/18
Dear Milly,
many thanks for your letter
of the 3rd Nov. There is great rejoicing
all through the country here today
on account of the armistice
being proclaimed. I haven't the
least idea what they were going
to do with us pending the Peace
and afterwards whilst we are
waiting for Boats to take us
home again. The Somme & two
small tributaries that join it at
Atheville are canalazed & these
run through the Streets & in a
few places this might suggest Venice
to you as you say, but the resemblance
is faint & there is not much
beauty in the Streets themselves.
In the country around however
that are many delightful homes
mostly of old families many of
them tilled ones. There must be
a dozen Counts & Countesses & one
Marquis & one Baron within a few
miles of my headQuarters here
Those of them that I have met are
exceedingly kind & nice. Most
of their men are in the Army
& my particular Brigade is
known far & wide here as the 

 
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