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

Heavy shelling at midday. To see A.D.M.S in  
evening. Had tummy ache. White & Co here in aftⁿ. 
14.6.15 .Wrote letters in a.m. Swim in aft. 
at C.H. Fowler turned up for lunch & 
about c̄ him in afternoon. Shelling at 
dawn. Bed early 
15.6.15. Started making position for D.S. 
in our valley. Lunch up at 8^th & to see 
Brig. after. 
16.6.15 .Rained a little. Censored letters 
& dug. Shelling bad. Swim c̄ Beamish 
at C.H. in afternoon. 
17.6.15. Up Monash Gully in a.m. c̄
Antill to see Col. Hughes who was sick.
Digging continued. E Anderson to tea 
Cliff Anderson, Mackay & Falkiner 
round in evening. Bed late.  
18.6.15. Shells into our valley in a.m. 
To see Brig. again in a.m. Went by Walkers 
ridge & down Monash's gully To 2^nd F.A.

& C.H. after: late for lunch. Col White, 
Crowl, Campbell, Long, Maygar in aftⁿ 
& swim & to see Gibbs who was sick 
& from whom got eggs whisky. 
19.6.15 To C.H. & Gibbs & then c̄ Corbin up 
shrapnel to see Col. Hughes thence  
on by Walkers ridge & 8^th L.H. back. 
Loafed in afternoon. Round to C.H. c̄ 
Cave in evening near where some sappers 
killed by shell when we were there. Saw 
Gibbs & brought Makeham & Mjr. Scott 
back to drink - heard Greece called 
up 7 lines of reserves 
20.6.15 (Sunday). Went out c̄ Jock into hospital 
ship Gascon & saw Shaw & had lunch; 
hospitality not strongly developed & a  
great contrast to Sicilia - no bath: 
glad to get away early in afternoon. 
Had aft tea at C.H. & then a swim c̄   
Follit. Anderson (Train) & Gartrell round in 
evening 
Lot firing in night.

21.6.15 Follit to breakfast. Mail arrived 
in a.m. of date 13.5.15 but none from Doris  
or Father at which I am much aggrieved. 
Tent put up in aftⁿ. 
22.6.15. Brought equipment over into tent 
in a.m.. Went through panniers in aft. 
Letter from Father. Bridge in even &  
Crispin & Riggall came round Swim 
23.6.15 Wednesday. McKenzie round to announce 
the sack for him. Swim c̄ Cave in a.m. Censoring 
Tummy ache so recei stayed in in aft. 
24.6.15 To see A.D.M.S. after breakfast & again 
at midday: received verbal orders to 
clear out to Mudros today or next & for 
Beamish who returned from "Gascon" 
yesterday to go as M.O. to 13^th Battⁿ. 
Up to see Col. Hughes, White & Follit. Swim 
c̄ Cave & Jock &got well shelled. Packed 
in evening. Went to bed early a bit

seedy & then had to go up Walkers  
Ridge to see Col. Hughes c̄ Jock. 
25.6.15. Seedy all day. Received orders  
at 8 p.m. to embark for Mudros  
at 3 a.m. tomorrow. Sent equipment  
off at 10 p.m. c̄ Cave 
26.6.15. Left bivouac at 2.30 a.m. 
Embarked onto lighter at 5 & reached & left for  
transport Prince Abbas at 5.30. 
Arrived 6.30. Some shells not far 
off later in morning at store    
ship; shelling had well finished 
by time our anchor was got up 
in about half an hour by a  
crazy winch with a frightened Greek  
Dago crew. Went alongside Gascon 
at 2.30 to take off wounded after 
a wonderful piece of navigation 
which for a long time brought

us no nearer the Gascon; went on 
board & saw Genl Godley, Cols. Hughes  
& Chauvel, Shaw, Rankin, Mitchell,  
Williams (4^th F.A.) Rope got tangled  
round our propellor so did not 
get away till 5.30 p.m. Had really good  
look at Gaba Tepe & Helles position on way 
down & trip was in beautiful milpond  
sea with most wonderful sunset. 
Arrived outside Mudros harbor & later 
went inside outer boom at about 10.15 p.m. 
27.6.15. Inside harbor before breakfast. 
Went alongside S.S. Rewa & carried away 
our bulwarks & other upper structures 
in so doing, transferring patients. 
Rowed off to Aragon after we had  
anchored to see D.D.M.S. Col. Maher. 
Came ashore c̄ boat load in morning 
followed by rest c̄ equipment in

early afternoon c̄ 2nd L.H.F.A. Had all 
hospital tents up by tea time & operatg 
tents up after. Beer & tea at N^o 2 Staty  
hospital. Over to see Col. Bryant at 
N^o 1 Sty Hospl in night. 
28.6.15 Monday. Went out to Ordnance 
ship Umsinga in morng c̄ Jock & got  
some stores but no lunch. Later onto 
Aragon. Aberdeen returned in evening 
from Malta via Anzac. 6 men (L Cpl Cocke)  
to Queen Victoria (fleet sweeper) to go to 
Anzac (Trent, Craig or Phipps). 20 men lent to 
N^o 1 Staty H. & 10 to N^o 2 SH. Heard Col White wounded & Crowl & Gregory killed. 
29.6.15. Hospital started & 83 patients from  
Helles admitted & 3 of our own. All dressings 
feeding & washing over by 11.30 from 6.30a.m. 
Went to N^o 1 & 2 S.H. c̄ Jock late in  
afternoon. Sent letter & cable to  
Doris. Thunderstorm & gale in evening

30.6.15 Went out to Aragon c̄ Col. 
Bryant in a.m. & lunched c̄ Col.  
Maher (D.D.M.S). Did 4 small operatns 
in aft. Mail in evening to 19.5.15 
4 from Doris. Wrote later. Another 
strong blow at 10 p.m. 
1.7.15. Arranged things in a.m. & 
then went to 16^th S.H. & Mudros village 
c̄ Jock. Gave Chlo' for Cave in aft. &  
then walked to a village E. of here c̄  
Sawers. Had coffee (price 2^d) & sweet wine, 
saw skeletons of massacred Greeks, 
&windmills about 6 miles walk. Cholera vaccine ½cc. 
13 new patients. Sawers to dinner 
2.7.15. Rather seedy. About on shore looking 
after things generally. Went for walk  
up hill at back of French camp in 
evening & saw all sorts of different 
French troops.

3.7.15 Saturday. Off color c̄ tummy. Wandered 
round genly in a.m. Off c̄ Major Dorgan 
in afternoon to Royal George, Orsonia, & 
Arag Sicilia & Aragon. Picked up Alec 
White & had dinner c̄ him c̄ Mjr. Dorgan  
on Aragon & then he left for Anzac. 
Took over 85 patients from 2nd L.H.F.A.   
4.7.15 .Getting tents from 2nd L.H.F.A. & 
patients into our lines. Lt Col. Ross at 
breakfast. Censored & wrote in p.m. 
5.7.15. Monday. Censored all a.m. 
To N^o 2 S.H. in aft. Walk c̄ Jock in evening. 
then returned from N^o 1 S.H. in evening (20) 
6.7.15 .Went out to Clan McGillivray to 
see Tate - had lunch & dinner there & 
could not get back till after 10.30. Saw 
Borthwick & Henty thereon. 
To N^o 1 S.H. earlier in a.m. Came off on 
Clacton c̄ Abbot on board it to Aragon where 
found riding crop & back c̄ Mjr Barber.

7.7.15. Censored all morning practy 
& read & censored all p.m. Operated 
on Roberts in evening & read Times &c 
after. Did not leave lines practically 
all day. Paid out to men. 
8.7.15 Thursday Censored in a.m. & went to 
see Col. Bryant. Out to Umsinga c̄ Jock 
in afternoon c̄ our own crew. Fry, 
Pender & 53 other patients arrived 
9.7.15. Wrote & censored in a.m. Loafed  
all afternoon. Stroll in evening & some 
operations. 
10.7.15. Out to Arragon to ask about  
going to Heliopolis - no. Good walk  
in p.m. c̄ Jock & Cave behind French 
lines & close to Aquitania. To N^o 1 S.H. in 
evening for yarn c̄ Col. Bryant 
11.7.15 Sunday. Loafed most of afternoon 
& then walk c̄ Quick, Jock & Fry.

To N^o 2 S.H. c̄ Jock in evening 
12.7.15 .About lines in morning. 
Very dusty. Loafed in afternoon 
Walk to new pier c̄ Fry &Pender & 
then to N^o 1 & 2 S.H. 
Had 2^nd cholera vaccine 1 c.c.m. 
13.7.15. Dusty: tummy ache all  
day. Mail arrived c̄ full letters 
of (25.5.15) 20, 21, 22, 2 & 9^th June. Rested all aftⁿ & 
walk c̄ Fry, Pender & Jock in evening 
& wrote letters after. 
14.7.15. Wednesday. Wrote to D.(35) & Father in 
a.m. & censored: very little, but loafing  
in afternoon. Stroll c̄ Pender in  
evening & read till late after Got soft drinks from 
Minnetonka: 2 parsons to aft. tea 
15.7.15. Went for walk c̄ Fry to point 
at inner harbor mouth to take  
photo. of Aqutania - tired. Read &