Diary No.1 of Rupert Major Downes, 2 February - 10 March 1915 - Part 8

on a bit of a sun headache & 
bleary eyes. Very.  Had seven 
1^st class compartments  
among 5 of  us - for White  
& his 12 men had rejoined us,  
so plenty of room. Was very 
interesting watching all  
the scenery from the train;  
we ran all the way to Cairo  
over dead flat land - the  
Nile delta - highly cultivated 
everywhere c̄ green stuff  
growing all around,  numerous   
canals & waterways, innumerable  
Arabs as thick as fleas the  
women looking most interesting  
as they strode along c̄ their  
baggy trousers c̄ body thrown

back & baskets on their heads,  
Arab villages like huge ant  
heaps the houses c̄ mud  
walls apparently s̄ any  
arrangement jumbled up  
on top of each other & dirty  
in the extreme; donkeys  
everywhere sleepily wandering  
along c̄ niggers of all kinds  
sexes &ages on their backs, 
unloaded or c̄ haystacks  
instead to carry; bullocks  
blindfolded walking round  
& round in a circle driving  
a water wheel as it has been  
done for centuries & Archimedian  
pumps to bring  
the water up from the

canals into their water channels;   
Muslemen praying - though  
they generally stopped to  
look at the troop train -   
Egyptian soldiers police  
& students-the 2 former  
a fine lot of men.    
Crossed the 2 branches of  
the Nile & then the huge  
main stream & arrived  
at Cairo station at 7 pm. tired &  
hungry looking forward  
to the hot meal promised us  
there - but alas!  Went  
on a little further & disembarked  
at a sand heap called  Abu el Ela  
where the transport officers  
did not know where  we were 

coming at all & arrangements  
were all upside down for us.  
After much trouble, contradictory  
orders, uncertainty  
& cursing got the baggage  
onto some A.S.C. wagons which  
took it to the trams a few  
yards away onto which it was  
loaded & sent off to Mena  
camp; my table fell off  
& had 2 legs broken off;   
White went c̄ baggage,  
Aberdeen c̄ horses to water  
at Kasr el Nil barracks &  
then returned, Anderson c̄ 
ambulance wagons to wait  
at same barracks for  
horses to take them out.

Gartrell, Aberdeen & I c̄ 
horses started for Mena  
marching &leading horses, 
all hungry & tired for a start.  
About halfway G. & I stopped  
to catch the train to go on  
ahead & find out where  
we were to go as we knew  
there were no tents or horse  
lines for us. We stopped at  
some dago café & I found  
I had to talk French or  
we'd go hungry; I managed  
to get some bacon &eggs  
which though nasty was  
grand & a glass of coffee;  
they give you coffee here  
made in Egyptian manner

whatever that is -in cups  
the size of a liquer glass, so  
that it took a lot of them  
to make a glassful; the  
proprietor spoke Arabic,  
Turkish, Greek & French  
but not English so it was  
funny.  Got on a train &  
c̄ the cold getting down to  
the bones passed our poor  
devils very tired. Walked  
some 1½ miles after getting  
off the train & at last after  
much questioning of sentries  
found where we were to  
go & White & the baggage party  
in bed - or rather in the  
sand. Passed round the 

pyramids at this Mena  
camp - quite clear in the  
bright starlight nights 
we have here & all we did was  
to curse them. Found that  
the 4^th L.H. taking pity on  
our derelict arrival had  
laid down some horse  
lines for us & got hot  
tea going. Met Lloyd in  
the dark & recognised him.  
Later the horses & men arrived  
dead to the world & I sent  
Aberdeen off to bed & took  
the horses to water over 
a lot more desert sand.  
Then tied them up as well  
as possible to the horse lines

c̄ what little halters they had  
not chewed up on board;  
they were very wild &hungry  
as had had no food since  
morning &the picket had  
a bad time all the rest of the  
night as they were continually  
breaking away &were all  
mixed up c̄ the signal corps  
horses.  Turned in in the  
mess huts on the sand at  
about 3am. to the accompaniment 
of Edlin's terrific snores;  
Aberdeen in too much of a  
trance to think of borrowing  
a cup from someone standing  
by to get some hot tea &  
I had to curse the men pretty

hard to wake them up  
enough to know what 
they were doing.  
Altogether a dog of a day  
c̄ short food &a 10 mile 
horse lead the day of landing  
after 5 weeks at sea.  
Jock turned up at about  
5 a.m. c̄ wagons  
Wednesday 10.3.15 
After waking up -proceeded  
to collect equipment &mess 
round generally, getting  
our right horses back &  
looking for lost ones.  Our 
Numerous staff officers  
came round to help us.  
Went into Cairo in afternoon

c̄ White by train &saw Col.  
Ryan who was very cordial.   
Reported to Genl. Williams  
who raked me fore &aft  
at Shepheards hotel as to all  
about the corps & equipment. 
Had dinner c̄ Turnbull &White  
at Shepheards &then came  
back in a taxi c̄ Gartrell too  
&found letters waiting  
from home which we  
read by poor candle light  
&it was most bucking to  
hear from all the news & 
that all were well.   
Had breakfast at 2^nd Field  
Artillery brigade mess at  
Lloyds invitation.

Lunch at 2^nd Field Amb, c̄ Col  
Sturdee & Co.


3DRL518
Australian
War Memorial