Harold Edward Elliott
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| Harold Edward Elliott | |
|---|---|
| 19 June 1878 – 23 March 1931 (aged 52) | |
 Portrait of Brigadier General Harold Elliott Elliott & Fry Photographers London United Kingdom c1917 (AWM Ref H15596) |
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| Nickname | Pompey |
| Place of birth | West Charlton, Victoria |
| Place of death | Malvern, Victoria |
| Allegiance |  Commonwealth of Australia |
| Service/branch |  Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1899 - 1931 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands held | 7th Battalion 15th Brigade 3rd Division |
| Battles/wars | Boer War World War I |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order Distinguished Conduct Medal Volunteer Decoration Mention in Despatches (8) |
| Other work | Solicitor at Law Senator for Victoria Board Member Royal Melbourne Hospital |
Major General Harold Edward "Pompey" Elliott CB CMG DSO DCM VD BA LLM (19 June 1878 – 23 March 1931) was an Australian Army Brigadier General in World War I. He was promoted Major General in 1927. Elliot also served as a Senator in the Australian parliament.
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[edit] Early life
Elliott, son of Thomas Elliott, was born at West Charlton, Victoria. He was educated at Ballarat College then Ormond College, at the University of Melbourne, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) sharing the final honours scholarship in law in 1906. Before this he had been at the war in South Africa from 1899 to 1902, in which he obtained a commission and the Distinguished Conduct Medal. He was called to the Victorian bar in 1906 and established the firm of solicitors, H. E. Elliott and Company.
[edit] World War I
He had joined the militia after the Boer War, held the rank of lieutenant-colonel when World War I began, and was immediately given the same rank in the 7th Battalion, Australian Imperial Forces. He left Australia in October 1914, was wounded at the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, and rejoining his battalion in June was in the midst of the fighting at Lone Pine in August. He was promoted brigadier-general early in 1916 and before the disaster at Fromelles pointed out to Major Howard of the British staff that the width of No-man's Land was too great for the assault to succeed. But when the commander-in-chief decided that the operation must go on, Elliott did all that was possible to make it a success by himself going tip to the front line to encourage his men. At 11.30 of the night of the attack when asked if he could make a fresh attack he replied "cannot guarantee success of attack . . . but willing to try". An hour later he realized that the previous attacks had been a complete failure, reported to that effect, and that he was now organizing the defence of the original trenches. It has been stated that Elliott became intoxicated by danger, but he would not throw away his men uselessly. His brigade did magnificent work at the Battle of Polygon Wood at the end of September 1917, Elliott proving to be an inspiring leader, and again at second Villers-Bretonneux in April 1918, at Peronne at the end of August, and at the Hindenburg Line a month later. Early in October the Australians were withdrawn for a rest and did not take part in any further fighting.
Elliott was mentioned eight times in dispatches, was created Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1917, Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1918, and his other decorations included a Distinguished Conduct Medal and a Distinguished Service Order. Besides his Commonwealth decorations, he was awarded the Order of St Anne, 3rd Class and the Croix de Guerre.
[edit] Political service
Elliott returned to Australia in June 1919 and at the general election held in that year was top of the poll at the election for the Victorian senators, and had the same position at the 1925 election. He sat on various committees but did not make any special mark as a politician. He was promoted to the rank of Major General in 1927. He married in 1909 Catherine Fraser, daughter of Alexander Campbell, who survived him with a son and a daughter.
Although not significant in the body politic in the Commonwealth Parliament Elliott made significant contributions and was strident in his efforts to assist returned servicemen particularly those with whom he had served. This would take the form of arguing in the Senate in relation to the new legislation being brought before it for the post war defence forces or personally assisting any member of his Battalion.
Elliott felt that he was sidelined by the new leadership of the Australian Army this was most probably due to his outspokenness particularly in relation to these changes and indeed the war time records of some of those now being selected for the prime appointments.
[edit] Death
Elliott was significantly affected by what would now be referred to as post traumatic stress and depression then diagnosed by Dr J F Williams as “definite form of nervous disorder”. So significant was his illness that in the early hours of the morning of 23 March 1931 at 52 years of age Elliott took his own life while receiving treatment as an inpatient in a private hospital in Malvern. He had been admitted to the hospital late the previous afternoon after making an attempt to gas himself at his home in Camberwell.
Elliot was buried on 25 March 1931. After a short service at his home located at 56 Prospect Hill Road Camberwell in the State of Victoria his casket was drawn on a gun carriage pulled by horses resplendent with black plumes and full military honours including bands and an escort party to the Burwood General Cemetery a march of some four miles. Reports in the journals of record of the time detail the thousands who either followed the cortège or lined the parade route. At the graveside there was a moving and significant service.
The former Australian Prime Minister Stanley Melbourne Bruce, 1st Viscount Bruce of Melbourne, CH, MC, FRS, PC attended the funeral and later wrote to Elliott’s wife Kate. He wrote:
I have just returned for his funeral and I have never seen a greater tribute paid to a man...it must be some comfort to you to see the universal regard, esteem and even affection in which he was held.
The Australian Government’s official war historian Charles Edwin Woodrow Bean, usually known during his career as C.E.W. Bean, provides a character sketch of Elliott in his renowned work the 12-volume Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918. He summarises Elliott as "Outspoken, impulsive, excitable, straight as a ruled line.”
[edit] See also
[edit] References and External Links
- Serle, Percival (1949). "Elliot, Harold Edward". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.
- C.E.W. Bean (1920 to 1942). Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918, Sydney, Australia: Angus and Robertson.
- Ross McMullin (2002). "Pompey Elliott", Carlton North, Australia: Scribe Publications. ISBN 0 908011 70 9
- General Officers of the First AIF - Harold Edward Elliott Biography
- Australian War Memorial: PDF versions of C.E.W. Bean's Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918
