Diary No.3 of Rupert Major Downes, 26 September - 3 December 1915 - Part 7

60 
coast travelling in S.E. direction: 
saw cargo boat going in same 
direction. Also an Italian small 
scout in opposite direction & 
later 2 others going in same direction 
one the B.I. boat Agra rather like 
the Chilka. Bit of a W. wind & 
small swell. Read most of day 
& walked about a bit. 
27.11.15. Rather more wind & weather 
distinctly warmer since Thursday. 
Agra still in sight. Sighted land 
at about 12.15 p.m. & tied up in 
Alex. harbour at about 3. Went 
off in garry c̄ Davies straight to 
Cair Alen. station, wired to Stuart 
to send car & left by train at 
4 p.m. for Cairo. Met & talked all

way c̄ Collins our former brigade 
paymaster & got lots of news from 
him. Fiaschi in hospital train too. 
Arrived Cairo at 8 7.20 & found 
no car there & as heard Stuart had 
perhaps left c̄ a L.H. regt. & the 
cam brigade left the racecourse 
camp felt a bit lost as as had 
dirty service clothes & a batmen 
did not want to go into Shepheards 
so we drove out to H'plis House 
hotel in a gharry last night  
drive I had had along there being 
c̄ Alec, Jock & Crowl the night before 
we left for the front. Met 
Robinson of brigade train on way 
& talked c̄ him & only found that 
Stuart had left. Had dinner at

pub, little walk, a read &then 
bed; Davies came in later to say 
our men still there but no news of 
Jock - slept badly. 
28.11.15. Sunday. Ran into Kathleen 
Knox after breakfast who ran into me 
excitedly & threatened to kiss me but 
unfortunately changed her mind: 
she made me sit down & tell her & 
Mrs Kennedy things of Jack & Anzac 
& yarned till I saw Wake who had 
come c̄ the brigade car at Fry's order 
to take me over so I came away c̄ 
Davies then to camp & had talk c̄ 
Gibson an officer in place of 
Stuart who seemed most satisfactory 
& had a look round our horses 
& camp & enquired about all

things connected c̄ unit. Found 
my tent & belongings all in the same 
place & glad to get at my tin box & 
handle all my old clothes & treasures. 
Down to brigade H.Q. for lunch & 
spent rest of day yarning to Fry 
c̄ whom I drove to the station to get 
my valise & to send a cable to Doris 
which could not do at station yesterday. 
Yarned c̄ him all evening to & then 
to bed to get bitten by bugs 2 of 
which I killed & then chucked out 
the bed to sleep on floor. 
29.11.15 Monday. Yarning to Fry a lot 
in morning & then in lines looking 
round & finding out things. Had 
a ride on Paddy who was fresh & has 
a hard mouth now. Drove over to

1 A.G.H. in afternoon & saw Tait & 
Ramsden. Found R.T.S. was there 
& yarned to him for some time; saw 
Col. Martin. Went on to Cooks to see 
about luggage to Shepheards where 
saw Charlie Ryan & talked to him as 
he went to bed: saw Cols. Chaytor & Rhodes 
& also Kettle. To Kodak c̄ Teds films 
& then back. Yarned c̄ Fry most 
of evening about old times & about 
the L.H. coming back from Gallipoli 
to their horses of which their is 
something in the air - too good to 
be true. Saw Parson Moore of 8^th L.H. 
up from Alex. where the regt. still is 
30.11.15. Tuesday. Some work in a.m. & 
then into Cairo c̄ Fry McLaurin 
to look for my boxes then to Shepheards where wrote to Jack 

at Cooke London & Pus from whom 
I'd got 2 letters on Sunday addressed 
here somehow. Had lunch at Continental 
c̄ Col. Fethereton & McLaurin & saw 
Howse & Hurley & Bahr. Later drove 
to Reserve L.H. regt. & saw Thorn & 
Dangar c̄ whom I travelled to Colombo 
on the Moldavia in 1906 - a bounder. 
Read some Arguses of Doris in 
evening. 
31 1.12.15 Wednesday. Mother's birthday. About 
in lines all morning & then to see 
Fenwick at N.Z.&A. headquarters. 
Fry went into hospital. Wrote to 
Doris in afternoon (62) after going 
out for a ride c̄ bearer horses 
& watching men get paid. Went 
to Shepheard's & had Cl yarn c̄ old

Charlie & sent cable to Jock & then 
to dinner at 2 A.G.H at Gergireh c̄ 
Zwar & enjoyed it & was told by 
Col. Martin that he'd seen a cable 
for me today & they didn't know 
where to find me. Had a good talk 
there & found a bit about Howse's 
intentions when D.M.S. 
2.12.15. Thursday. Over to 1 A.G.H. &  
saw Fry, Tate, M^cLean, Bailey & 
Macdonald. Back to write this up. 
No trace to be found of my cable 
& got letter from Teddie saying 
all well but the mail I just missed 
on leaving Anzac was sunk on 
return in a lighter by the sea - 
am very sad thereat as would have 
had them this a.m.; they must

be Doris' n^o 40 Sept 28th. Would have told me 
of Rosemary's birthday & if my cable 
had arrived & probably Father's would 
have had news of Bertie. However look 
cheerful & dont cry over spilt milk. 
It would be a good thing if D. kept 
a record of any important news & 
enclosures in each letter in case 
of such happenings so as to repeat 
them later. Part of Nov. 2^nd mail 
in but none yet from Victoria 
so lot of dissappointments today. 
Went into town in afternoon to 
buy some lace & things for Doris 
to send by Tate; hope she'll like 
them & can imagine her opening 
the parcel if it is not stolen. 
Heard of little Jones death - such

a fine little chap - another of the 
very best gone. I remember I told him 
so when he was going off & I did not 
expect his death. 
Saw Tate in evening & he's not going to 
Melbourne in this boat but hopes to 
get away in the next; gave D's parcel 
to Capt. Baker of 8^th L.H. to take instead. 
Went on to dinner at Reserve L.H. Brigade 
at as Thorn's guest c̄ McLaurin. 
3.12.15. In morning did some going over 
men we've got here & then wrote letters 
to Father, Jones & Roberts parents. Got 
the lost cable from Shepheards & it 
was from Doris to my delight 
reporting everything well; she thinks 
I'll be here for Xmas but no such luck. 
How a week end cable got back so soon

I don't know; it was grand to be in 
touch again. Went on writing to F. in 
afternoon & then went through all boxes 
to find what clothes I had & wanted to 
take back. Went to dinner c̄ the 
Simmons' at Montrose & talked till 
late. Met Mrs Morlet, Mrs Vanderkelen 
who had seen Father quite recently & 
the George Stewart family. Heard 
Furphy that all officers wives & 
children were to be kicked out of 
here on account of fears of Arab 
rising. 
This finishes this little diary so 
goodnight.

  
  
Allen                    Pipe                    Gallipoli       In Round shot
H.Campbell       Socks                 [[?Sleep 4]]           Rowell
Father                 Camphor       Burdett
M^rs Anderson    Jackson
Phil                      Quinney
Eileen                  Tate [[morality?]]
Helen                   [[Anzacs bucks up?]]
M^cMullen            [[Darrowman?]]
Hewlett
Roberts Arnold
Thompson
Mackenna
Hammond
Nicholson 
  

24.   2300   100°    6.1600    99.5
25    0800    89.8      1800    99.2
         1600    101.4    7.1800    99.           
         1800     98.4    8.1800   99             
         2100      99.2    11.1900   99.2         
26     0800   100.6
          1200     98.2
          1600    100.2
          1700    101
          1800    100.8
          2100     100.2
27      0800     98.4
           0900     97.2
           1200      98.6
           1800      98.2
           2100       98.2
28      0800      98.4
________________
1/11.       1200    100.2
             1900      99.6
2           0800     99.2
              1200      98.4
              1600      99.8
              1800      99.6
               2200      98.4
3.            0700     99.8
                1200     99.2
                1600     99.4
                1800     90 
                2200     97.2
4.            0800     98.6                   3DRL 518
                1400      99                      Australian
                1800      99.6                   War Memorial