Burwood Cemetery is open to the Public during the following hours .
The cache is only available then.
Do not enter the cemetary outside these hours
Visiting hours
Monday to Sunday:
7.00am - 5.30pm
7.00am - 7.30pm (during daylight saving)
Vehicle access available during visiting hours.
He was Australia’s most famous fighting general, revered by his men and better known outside his own formation than any other Australian commander. Harold Elliott was born to a hard farmers life in Charlton, Victoria in 1878. Only by the discovery of gold by his father in WA, was he able to leave the poverty stricken existence and attend Ballarat College, where he excelled. He studied law at the University of Melbourne, serving in Ormond College’s officer corps. Elliott was a successful athlete, winning scholarships and sporting competitions alike. In 1900 he interrupted his studies to enlist in the 4th Victorian Imperial Contingent and fought in the Boer War, where he was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. He later completed his studies and established his own firm of solicitors in 1907, while still serving with the Militia.
Elliott married Catherine Campbell in 1909 and they had two children, Violet and Neil. . At the outbreak of the First World War Elliott was given command of the 7th Battalion in the newly raised Australian Imperial Force. Around this time the nickname “Pompey” was bestowed upon Elliott, apparently inspired by Carlton football player Fred “Pompey” Elliott, a nickname which did not please him but clung to him to the end. Hard training and stern discipline were the foundations on which he built the 7th at Broadmeadows and in Egypt.
On the day of the Gallipoli landing, 25 April 1915, Elliott was wounded and evacuated, not returning until early June. He soon won a reputation for cool courage in the fighting for German Officers' Trench. At Lone Pine on 8 August he relieved part of the 1st Brigade and in the next twenty-four hours repulsed the Turkish counter-attacks by furious close-quarter fighting and bombing. Of the seven Victoria Crosses awarded for Lone Pine, four went to Elliott's battalion. His own work was not recognized. His divisional commander, Major General (Sir) Harold Walker, had told him that his name had been at the head of his list of recommendations
After Gallipoli the AIF reorganised in Egypt. Elliott was appointed commander of the 1st Brigade before being promoted to brigadier in March 1916. In July Elliott began his service on the Western Front where he fought in most of the great battles of the A.I.F. He trained his brigade as he had trained his battalion and made it 'a magnificently effective instrument'. This he did in spite of the appalling losses in battles such as Fromelles, their first action, when his two assaulting battalions suffered 1452 casualties in less than twenty-four hours. Elliott had protested about the hopelessness of the task; he was in the front line at zero hour and visited his troops before they were withdrawn. Next morning, Arthur Bazley, Bean's assistant, saw him greeting the remnants: 'no one who was present will ever forget the picture of him, the tears streaming down his face, as he shook hands with the returning survivors'.
'Pompey' could be a difficult subordinate especially when the safety of his men was involved. At least twice after Fromelles he protested so vehemently against attacks ordered by 5th Division headquarters that the operations were cancelled. His objections were always based on knowledge of the ground obtained from personal reconnaissance and on a profound grasp of the tactical possibilities.
Elliott continued to command the 15th Brigade on the Western Front, including during the battles of Polygon Wood, Amiens, Villers-Bretonneux, and Péronne. His brother George also served on the Western Front, but was killed after being struck by a shell fragment at Chateau Wood.
Major-General Elliott, who already held the V.D., was awarded the C.B., C.M.G., and D.S.O.; he was seven times mentioned in despatches, three times gaining special mention; among his decorations were the Cross of St. Anne of Russia, second-class with swords, and the Croix de Guerre.
Elliott was known as an inspirational leader whose outspoken manner and criticisms of his colleagues and their decision-making, and of the way that some men were selected for awards over others, led at times to clashes with his superiors. Towards the end of the war Elliott expressed hopes to be given divisional command. This did not happen however, and his perception that others were promoted ahead of him became a great source of continual frustration for the rest of his life. After the war, Elliott returned to practicing law. In 1920 he was elected to the Australian Senate, and was re-elected in 1925. He spent many years addressing parliament on his wartime grievances, including the issues around promotion.
In 1926 Elliott was given command of the 3rd Division, and the following year was promoted to Major General, though his dissatisfaction with the military remained. Sadly, in 1931 Senator Major-General Harold Edward “Pompey” Elliott took his own life. A State funeral with full military honours was organised. At half past 9 o'clock he was moved from Le Pine and Son's mortuary, Burke road, Camberwell, on a gun carriage and taken to Major-General Elliott's late home, 56 Prospect Hill road, East Camberwell. The funeral procession then left for the Burwood Cemetery at 10 o'clock. All officers and other ranks of all units and arms of the 3rd Division (Vic.), of which Major-General Elliott was the commanding officer formed the escort at the funeral, assembling at 9.15 am at Camberwell Railway station. An artillery salute of 13 guns was fired at the cemetery.
Mr Turnbull of the Returned Soldiers League said "Major-General Elliott was one of the few high commands who had an intimate personal regard for every man in his charge. He always fought for his men; they were his chief consideration. He was outstandingly brave in action, and he would not expect any man to go where he would not go himself. Since the war he has continued that same interest, and every returned solder in Australia has had reason to thank him for it. He was primarily responsible for the redrafting of the Returned Soldiers' League constitution. His death is a very great loss to returned soldiers."
You can read more of this outstanding Australian in Ross McMullin's excellent biography, "Pompey Elliott"
Cache Requirements
1: Locate the grave behind Pompey Elliott's of Agnes and forward to me by App, email or messanger, her middle name. Please do not inlude this answer in your log
1: Respectfully, take a photo of Pompey's grave with yourself or something that has your geo-name on it. You do not have to appear in the photo if you choose not to. Please include this photo in your log
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.