Diary relating to the First World War Service of Brigadier General, Harold Edward 'Pompey' Elliott, 15th Brigade - Part 5

recalled. This looks like an early move.

14^th June. Wednesday.  Our combined sports meeting. 
Our Boys turned out to be champions.  I 
was sorry however that our entry in Best
Turned out Limber & Best Turned out 
Packhorse did not do better.  The latter 
got 3^rd only & the Limber did not get -
a place.  The only consolation was that we 
topped the Infantry who put in just beating the 
the 8^th not putting in an entry, but we were 
beaten by the 8th Field Ambulance who got first 
by an Artillery unit & by Signal Section. 
However it has had a very god affect in
stirring up a Spirit of Competition.  The Tug 
of War did excellently even after a strenuous 
contest with the 8th Brigade.  Another exciting 
win was in the Officers Relay Race. 

15^th June Thursday..  Court Martial on young Wrigley 
of 14th Brigade M. G. Coy. on so of which I 
was President.  Received Move Orders. 

16^th June - Friday.  Brigade H.Q. & 2 Bn engaged 
in moving to Alexandria arrived at 1:30 am 
on 17^th June.

17^th June Embarked on H.M.T. Minatou under 
Brig. Genl. Christian of Artillery.  Lt Col 
Carey O. C. Troops.  expect to sail 
between 5 & 6 pm this evening & for 7 days

on trip to Marseilles.  Appears slow of old 
hooker in cattle & Horse trade with 
America.  Very muggy weather:  Pulled 
out into Harbor at 5:45pm but did 
not leave port. 

18^th June.  Sailed from Alexandria at 
6pm.  Delay caused by waiting for 
Destroyer escort.  Had several games of chess

19^th June My Birthday.  Practiced assembling 
on Alarm post for fear of Submarine 
nice weather.  Trifle warm indoors but 
beautiful breeze outside.  A trifle seasick 
Lt Col Carey C.D.S. much too good for 
me at Chess.  The Skipper expects to 
get to Marseilles on Sunday night 
the 25^th Inst.  Slow old Tub this boat. 
She can only just manage to do 10 
Knots.  Our escort is just in front 
bobbing about like a duck in the waves. 

20^th June Tuesday.  Morning.  Overcast 
Pleasant Breeze.  Large Steamer on S.W. 
Horizon.  Still close indoors.  Passed 
along northern coast of Crete.
Evidently an attack by Submarine 
feared here as a number of Destroyers
Passed & repassed us & near the 

island of Oro not far from Greece we 
were joined by 3 mine sweepers.
The Knight Templar who has on board 
I believe the 59^th & 60^th Bn caught up to 
us at sunset. 

21^st June.  Shortest day (Wednesday). Bright &  
Clear. No escort in sight. The 
Knight Templar still with us  
by gaining steadily upon us. 

22^nd June Thursday.  We are due to pass Malta 
this evening.  Weather much the same  
sea smoothe.  Skipper well pleased  
with behaviour of the men who have
settled down to orderly routine very  
well indeed. 

23^rd June .  Friday.  We turned northwards  
about 11 am yesterday & already  
6 am (Friday) there is a distinct 
change in the weather.  the sky being  
overcast & temperature much lower  
Skipper expects to be in Marseilles  
about noon on Sunday.  Passed Malta  
at about 3pm.  All going well 

24^th June Saturday 11.30 am.  Fine Cool day 
Sardinia in sight on the left  
almost 10 or 15 miles away.  Our 

escort boat very busy this morning  
dodging all round us from time 
to time. T he boys are having all sorts of  
jokes about the speed of the old Boat.
She makes a bare 9 knots.  So They  
put up a notice - "Speed reduced  
to nineteen knots by order of the  
Admiralty" - The reason for this. 
was stated to be so that if she 
strikes a mine she will not  
explode it but push it gently 
aside 

25^th June.  5am.  France in sight.  The 
Coast appears fringed with inlets with 
a rugged range of hills in the Background 
& with curious round towers on the 
shore of a small Bay.  The lower hills 
by the shore are wooded.  From a talk 
I had with the Skipper yesterday 
this is the neighbourhood of Toulon 
26th Jun Later.  we left the ship at about 2pm 
& went to the Rly Station (Gare St 
Charles) & arranged our tickets 
Then hired a cab & went to see  
the noted Cathedral de notre Dame 
on our return one got the driver

to take us round the town 
We visited amongst other places the 
Zoo.  Seeing a small boy who smiled 
up at me I gave him a franc &  
he came along holding my little 
finger in his hand.  He appeared to have 
a lot of pals & produced me & the franc 
for their inspection whenever we met them 
to the great amusement of the grown
folks.  Later we got into the Express for 
Paris having a very luxurious 
car what they call a "waggon lit" 
passed through beautiful country 
crops olive groves vines etc..  Left at 

26th June  7.5pm arrived at Paris at about 8am 
next day caught a train for Calais 
after crossing over to another Station.  "Gare  
du Nord" (which we did in a Taxi  
cost 5 francs) at 9.35am got to Calais 
about 4.30.  at 7 caught a train for Hazebrouck
arrived about 9.40.  Stayed at Hotel 
overnight.  Rang up Division at 
& had a motor sent there.  Then went  

27th June  out by car next morning & reported, found 
Brigade Head Quarters fixed at Steinbecque
a nice little Village where myself & 
the Brigade Major were billetted in the

house of a local doctor himself away 
at the war.  His wife a very pleasant 
lady,  - delightful country - nice  
people but very lost.  Tried make 
headway with French.  I am 
gradually recalling it.  Called upon the 
local mayor & his wife. 

28th June.  A quiet pleasant day.  Rained heavily 
in the morning but was beautifully 
fine in the afternoon.  I cannot say 
quite how I regard the people of the 
house.  Sometimes they appear all right 
at others restrained.  Possibly it is only 
because they are strange. 

29^th June Friday  Attended per motor car on 
divisional H.  is is where there was a  
lecture on "Gas".  Delightful weather.

30^th June Saturday  Last evening the good lady of the  
house Madame Brunet invited me to have diner with her 
at .  There were present her two daughters 
one 20 one about 12 or 13 the local brewer 
& his daughter & a friend of theirs from 
Paris really a refugee from Lille where her 
father still is as she believes for she 
had not heard from him since she left 
After dinner there was music 

4th July.  Tuesday.  Went out to front Trenches

5th July.  Wednesday.  General Birdwood called with
Prince Arthur of Connaught & inspected the Brigade
He professed himself as being well satisfied

6th July Thursday.
Half holiday for the men today.  Inoculated against Cholera
General Plumer called with General McCay in afternoon

7th July.  Friday.  Marched to Morfecque & were "gassed"
by drosomal  Expert to give the men confidence
in event of gas Attack.  A number of cylinders of
gas were discharged & the men marched through it. Very wet day Genl McCay
called during afternoon.  At 11pm.  orders received
to march to Estaires.  while we were having a musical party

8th July.  Marched from Steinberque at 11am via
Morbecque thence via Merveille to Estaris.  Was
billeted for the night in an old fashioned house
in the Square.  March discipline not good owing
largely to the fact that the men were not sufficiently
practiced in marching on the hard roads, to the fact
that a number of new boots were issued the day before
we marched & to this demoralizing influence of
the large number of men of the 8th Brigade which had
followed the same route & left a large number of
stragglers.  March about 15 miles by the 60th Bn had nearly another 

9th July Sunday  Marched from Estairs to Sailly sur Lys
Only a for  about 3 miles but  we were blocked
until nearly 2 o'clock by the 8th Brigade.  March
discipline all right but the 29th H.S.C train in
my column went astray at first & had to be brought
back.  After my arrival at Sailly, I went
to the Head Quarters of Genl Con the 4th Div at, Bac 
St. Maur & then to H.Q of the 13th Brigade wh  at Fleurbaix
& now General Glaseon & arranged with him
details of taking over the Trenches
Slept  Billetted in an old Farmhouse
date 1775 enormously thick walls my Bedroom
a huge place brick floored.  Famous old 
fashioned Handsome Furniture.  Chairs
covered with repousere leather work very fine

10^th July.  Moved two Battalions to Front 
line moved personally to Glasgows 
H.Q. 

11^th July  Moved My Head Quarters to 
Glencorns H.Q.  & took [[?]] for him 
at 6 am on 12^th July. 

12^th July Inspected trenches at 4am 

13^th July  
14^th July 

15^th July Ordered for attack of Poitiers 

16^th July  Enemy heavily shelled our trenches 
last night about 130 casualties.  Capt Mair 58th Bn killed enemy raid
in trenches captured Lewis Gun from us 

17^th July.  Morning of Attack.  I confess 
 I have very great doubts as to whether 
the attack can be a success.  We 
 are too far from enemy's trenches for 
one thing & not sufficient advance  
made & the saps put out towards 
the enemy trenches.  Also my men 
& more particularly the 14^th & 18^th Brigades   
are pretty well worn out carrying
up trench stores & relieving at
all of this Trench Warfare needs  
very careful preparation & 
not hastily improvised as in this case 
Later.  Attack postponed for day

The guns have all been hastily 
rushed into position & are 
not familiar with the ranges.  There 
are not nearly enough communication 
trenches to prevent congestion & if they 
are blocked up there will be hopeless 
confusion.  I am afraid. 
The Germans shelled an Engineer during 
which we had accumulated our lines  
also communication Trench in which I was in 
at the time.  Some men were wounded near  
Engineer dump. 

18^th July.  Attack further postponed.  I relieved the  
58^th last night.  Much disappointed at  
the slackness of this Battalion.  Left their 
lines in a filthy state.  Recommended  
to General that Col Jackson be superseded. 

19^th July Col Jackson superseded & Major 
Denehy placed temporarily in Command 
of 58^th Bn. 11 A.M. the battle commenced 
by our artillery opening fire on 
enemys trenches . At 6pm we 
launch the assault. 

20^th July.  We made the attack as ordered 
yesterday but it was an utter failure 
except for the brilliant courage  
of the boys.  Precisely at the tick

The British 61^st Division on our right 
failed Badly in the attack attempting  
to go out by tally ports instead of  
over the top.  I warned the General 
against attacking in this fashion 
Poor Sergt McCrae was killed & many  
many more.  our casualties in this  
Brigade will be nearly 1800 or 2000 
before they are all accounted for, I am 
afraid.  The 68^th Battalion is practically  
annihilated. 

22^nd July.  Rather a quiet day.  Repairing  
our parapets burying our dead  
to. 
On the nineteenth of July before the  
fight the Parade State of the Brigade  
was as under   

On the 20th July it was reduced 

as follows

On the 21^st July we received reinforcements  
as under

On the 22^nd July we also got reinforcements. 
The casualties were as follows 

23^rd July.  Very quiet day 

24^th July  So not a single casualty 

25^th July.   Received letter from Mother Brunet with 
photos also letter from Violet.  Brigade Major 
went away to attend a school xx of Instruction 
in Aeroplane signalling.  Very quiet day 
again 

26^th - 28^th July Very quiet.  Spasmodic Bombardment  
on each side without much result.  My daily 
routine consists of getting up at 5am & 
making a tour of the Brigade front line before 
Breakfast noting progress of works which are 
being carried on, returning for Breakfast 
attending & signing various returns.  Sometimes 
ride down to Sailly for Hot Bath in 
Divisinal Baths. 

29^th July.  At my morning's inspection I found 
that Lt Boyd 58^th Battalion had neglected  
to send out patrols from his company. 
I suspended him wrote to Division to  
cancel my recent recommendation for 
his promotion & return him to Training  
Battalion Vice Capt [[?grhantirne]] who is over
there. 

30^th July.  59 & 60th  Battns took over last night from the 58^th Bn 
Things very quiet in the lines.  The Brigader Brigade division & rising 
on our right bombed the Germans front line