Diary No.2 of Rupert Major Downes, 15 May - 25 September 1915 - Part 1

DIARY. NO.2. 
15/5/15 - 25/9/15

Lieut Col. A.M. Downes 
3^rd Light Horse Field 
Ambulance 
A.I.F. 
  
Please 
Return to Mrs R.M. Downes  
Catton 
Punt Rd 
South Yarra 
Melbourne 
Australia 
In event of death 
& give to O.C. 3^rd L.H.F.A. first to make 
extract in War Diary. 
  
War & Personal Diary 
15.5.15 Left Heliopolis racecourse 
camp at 7.45p.m. dismounted in 
full marching order with Capts. 
Anderson, Cave, Aberdeen, Beamish 
and 66 other ranks of bearer & tent 
divisions excluding one Sergt. Steward 
and one Sergt. clerk. and 6 wagon orderlies 
Marched to Palais de Kubbeh, loaded 
contents of 2 G. S. wagons (medical 
stores.) Left for Alexandria at 
11.20p.m. arriving 5.30 a.m. on 
16.5.15 at docks. Disentrained. 
Embarked at 2.30 pm on X2 L.S 
Menominee with Bde. H.Q. 8^th & 9^th  L.H. 
3^rd Signal Troop & Bde Train, Otago M.R. 
and a number of Imperial & Australia 
details returning - 1553 in all 
Pulled out & anchored in harbour 
about 8.15 pm.

17.5.15 Sailed at daybreak for 
Gallipoli. Weather fine sea calm. 
Carrying wounded drill, fatigues 
&  semaphores. Lecture to officers 
& N.C.Os. by C.O. in evening. 
18.5.15 Weather calm & fine. Passed 
Gascoyne in morning with General 
Bridges on her who had died at 5 a.m. 
Lights shaded at night. 
19.5.15. Arrived off Cape Helles at 1 p.m. 
and anchored in view Seddul Bahr 
ruins, base of 29^th division, numerous 
transports & war vessels. Watched 
aeroplane reconnaissances & shelling 
of them, & shelling of British left by 
Turks & of Turks by warships and 
our batteries, stationary balloon, 
ruins of Kum Kale guns & town, 
troops resting in ravine on shore

trawlers barges & landing at Anzac Cove 
Gallipoli peninsula at 4.25 p.m. 
Left most of baggage on beach & 
went to bivouac ground Light Horse Gully among 
8^th L.H.& dug in. 
22.5.15 Continued digging in a few 
shrapnel bursting in our vicinity 
Reported arrival to A.D.M.S. N.Z & A. 
division (Col. Maunders) to which we were 
attached. Fatigues & carrying for unit 
wounded. Rained steadily in morning 
23.5.15. Fatigues & carrying wounded
for unit. Shelling quiet for us.  
Reported that Italy has joined allies 
24.5.15. Slight but continuous rain 
in morning. Armistice from 9.20 to 
4.30 pm to bury dead. Heavy firing 
in early night a few shrapnel over 
our gully from E. Side in evening

25.5.15 Rained off and on for afternoon 
with flooding of dug outs. Triumph 
sunk by submarine. 
26.5 Shelled in morning. Moved stores from 
beach to 10^th L.H. dugouts. Shelled our 
valley in afternoon c̄ 1 killed & 6 wounded in 
W.M.R 
27.5 Went through trenches of 9^th L.H c̄ 
Gartrell & Beamish in morning. Swim in p.m. 
Some Greek prisoners (5) brought in 
28.5 To see A.D.M.S. & Clearing Hospital people in 
morning. Heavy sniping shelling in early morning 
Snipers wounded our interpreter & killed 1 of 
W.M.R. Lunch in 8^th L.H. trenches. Heavy 
firing at night 
29.5 Quinn's post taken lost & retaken. 
Our valley heavily shelled in afternoon 
25 - 30 shells c̄ 1 killed  2 wounded 
in W.M.R. Went up to trenches for

night but very quiet there 
30.5.15 Capt Aberdeen relieved 
Capt. McLean (W.M.R.) at old N^o 2 outpost 
in early a.m. where we were being 
attacked. Returned c̄ sprained ankle. 
Capt. Cave c̄ A section bearers & 1 N.C.O. 
went to N^o 1 outpost at 1.30 p.m. under 
orders of A.D.M.S. Capt. Anderson & 
S.Sgt. Ellingworth v. slightly wounded 
c̄ ? exploding cartridge. 
Returned to lines at 5 15 a.m. 
Capt. Cave returned s̄ details at 3.35 
to report that N^o 1 Outpost had not 
asked for him & had not received message 
from me but that N^o 2 outpost wanted 
him. Ordered him to wait till dark 
in commⁿ trench before crossing 
valleys to N^o 2 outpost on Razorback. 
Received order from A.D.M.S. at 5.40 p.m.

to be ready to move off at moments 
notice with stretchers & portable equipment. 
Sent message to Capt. Cave to stay at 
end of communicating trench until 
ordered to move by Brigadier or A.D.M.S. 
Also message to Brigadiers N.Z.M.R. to 
inform him that that was so. Both at 6.20 p.m. 
31.5 Capt. Cave returned 1 a.m. without 
any casualties. Attack had resulted 
in N.Z. losing N^o 3 outpost trench 
but removing all wounded except one. 
Very quiet day as regards firing. Went 
over to Clearing Hospital in morning 
& returned there for lunch & most of
afternoon. Had bathe & caught cold. 
Shelling in evening c̄ N.Z. casualties 
1.6.15. Tuesday. Stood to arms again at 
3.30.a.m. Shelling all morning intermittently 
c̄ several N.Z. casualties.

Swim in afternoon. 
2.6.15. Went up ridge at back of our 
valley c̄ Jock to have a look at country 
then down to Clearing Hospital. 
Up to Walkers ridge in afternoon c̄ 
Jock to 8^th trenches for expected 
assault which did not come off. 
Snipers very bad in evening. 
3.6.15. Got letter from Doris of 7.4.15 
Snipers bad. Clearing hospital in 
afternoon c̄ Jock & Cave for swim & to 
see Aberdeen after. 
4.6.15. Up onto ridge S. of us at mid 
day to watch heavy bombardment 
of Cape Helles. Loafed & read for rest 
of day. 
5.6.15. Saturday. Heavy rifle & shell 
fire going on all night. Numerous 
stray shrapnel & few rifle bullets 
in our valley.

To Clearing hospital for bathe in aft. 
c̄ Jock. 
6.6.15. Went out to hospital ship Sicilia 
c̄ Jock & had lunch and afternoon tea 
there c̄ Col. & Dougan Bird - a bath too. 
Thoroughly enjoyable day. Aberdeen left for Mudros. 
7.6.15. Cave & Beamish out to Sicilia. 
Stayed in, read & did Turkish all day. 
Heavy shelling in morning. Shrapnel 
& 3 eight inch shells in our valley. 
Went up in evening c̄ Jock to see 8^th 
in their rest camp. 
8.6.15. Loafed about all a.m. Alec White 
to lunch & for afternoon. Went c̄ him 
Jock & Beamish to Clearing hospital for 
swim. Gartrell round in evening. Very 
few bullets & no shelling. 
9.6.15. To Cl. Hospital to see Sgt. Beardsley 
off & then round to right flank & 12^th 
Battⁿ c̄ Corbin, Dicks, & Hay. Had some

below where shelling was taking place. 
Ships off Kape Tepe (Australian position) 
could be seen c̄ glasses some 15 miles 
away. Shelling on both sides livened 
up a lot about 6 p.m. when we 
up anchored & steamed for Lemnos 
arriving outside Mudros harbor 
where we anchored at 9.45 p.m. 
20.5.15. Came into harbor inside 
boom in early morning and later 
in morning came into main harbor 
& anchored there where stayed all 
day amid a number of French & 
British warships & transports 
21.5.15. Received orders at 7.15 to 
embark on destroyer & trawlers 
to proceed to Kapa Tepe. Left ship at 
11.30 onto T.B.D. Wolverine & arrived off 
Kapa Tepe at 3.45 transhipping into

champagne there & saw over his trenches. 
Loafed about in valley all aft. & evening 
c̄ Gartrell & crowd. 
10.6.15. Cave for trip to hospital ship Sicilia. 
Did nothing but loaf in morning. Swim 
at Cl. hosp. c̄ Jock, Gartrell & Follett in 
afternoon. Shelled while there. Col & Capt 
Sturdee & Mjr Hearne walked back c̄ us. 
11.6.15. Reading in morning in dugout. 
Took Col. White, Jock, Dieble & Campbell up 
to see 12^th Battⁿ trenches. Met Tate Sutherland 
who came back to feed c̄ with us, & Col. Ryan. 
Went back c̄ former in evening to beach. 
12.6.15. Mail of 20.4.15 arrived in a.m. & of 
4.5.15 in afternoon - a great event. 
Swim c̄ Jock  at Clearing H. Col. Sturdee & 
Hearne to dinner in evening. 
Sunday) 
13.6.15. Greek elections. To see Col. Manders in 
a.m. who was out & to C.H. Wrote & read after.