Diary No.5 of Rupert Major Downes, 25 July - 26 October 1916 - Part 3

& Genl Chayter a hit on the helmet.
This Bde. & the Yeomanry now attached
to us had to go out to what might
be a big scrap & both their ambs.
were lost, but the casualties
were few & the N.Z. amb. turned
up late in the afternoon. Turned 
in on sand c̄ no kit early.
7.8.16. In morning rode over to see
Howarth - A.D.M.S of 42^nd  Divn - after
Forrest of South Midland Mounted
F. Amb. had come over &; the latter
had come in the previous night.
Arranged c̄ Howarth that Midland
Amb. belonged to me as were c̄ 5th
Yeomanry who were part of our
divn & that, after going over to
Conference of Genls Lawrence, Chauvel,
Douglas, Smith, Hamilton Moore, Parker
under Big Tree in morning 

Er Rabah where 52^nd Div. H.Q.
were & seeing McGregor, D.A.D.M.S, that
each division should have a Casualty
Clearing station at railhead at
Kilo 47 & sent for the part of N.Z.
amb. at Kil Hill 70. Had previously
told Browne that as the D.D.M.S.
did not seem to exist that I
would make the arrangements for
the 3 divisions - we being the only
divn that had anything like all
its ambulance up.
Very little going on in afternoon
but some bombs dropped round
about.
8.9.16. Turks having evacuated
Oghratina we left at 1130 & went 

there c̄ Yeomanry brigade & saw
all the Turks trenches which were
good but the barbwire very poor;
the place was fairly clean but smelt
badly. Had lunch & then rode on
to see the hospital equipment which
had been captured at El Atshan
but had to go on to Dababis
where the N.Z. Bde had taken it.
Our patrols then in touch c̄
Turks in front of El Abd. Saw
a number of bricks the Turks
had been making from clay
evidently expecting a longer
stay. Rode home quickly & got
to Oghratina just after dark in
the hour Arranged movements 

of ambulances for the attack
on El Abd on the morrow & called
Hercus up. Woken 2^cl in night
for telephone
9.8.16. Wednesday Battle of Bir el Abd.
The plan for this battle attack
was that at daylight the N.Z. Bde
c̄ Yeomanry in reserve should
attack in the centre, Royston's
column which was made up of
the remains of the 1^st & 2^nd Bdes.
& had left Romani the previous
afternoon, bivouacking at Katia
for a few hours were to deal c̄ the
enemies Rt. flank from about
Hod el Hisha _ they did not get as
far as this by daylight. The 3^rd 

Bde further S. were to be at
Salmana 10 5 miles in the enemy's
rear at daylight but they did not
get their orders till an hour before
daylight - or so they (ie Antill) said - & so they
simply had to try & outflank
the Turks left, events shewed that
in any case they could not have
got in his rear & if they had would
probably have been cut up.
The ambulances were arranged
thus:- N.Z. Amb. which had been
at Dababis for the night c̄ tent
division open sent its bearer &
transport division forward c̄
the N.Z. Bde, Yeomanry Amb.
on arrival at Dababis sent on 

its bearer & transport to reinforce
the N.Z.M.F.A. while the tent division
remained at Dababis packed on
camels ready to move on as
required. 2^nd L.H.F.A. (all mobile section)
accompanied Royston's column
c̄ orders to evacuate to Dababis,
1^st L.H.F.A. came on at 0300 from
Qatia c̄ Ammunition column,
got its tent division ready for
receiving casualties & its bearer
& transport remained in reserve
till required c̄ 3 sandcarts & a lot
of spare horses of 3^rd L.H.F.A. (during
morning one section was sent out
when casualties became heavy &
after N.Z.M.F.A. became full its 

tent division began work) 3^rd L.H.F.A..
attended to 3^rd Bde.
Wok Up at 0300 & left Oghratina
at 0400 c̄ Yeomanry Bde. & made
D.H.Q. at Dababis. At first the
attack seemed to be going very
well & reports came in that
were nearly in Abd & then that
there was a big fire there which
sounded as if the Turks would
clear out but the G.O.C. said he
would not report the place taken
until we had the big hill just
behind the Bir & it was as well
for we never got any nearer but
as the day went on were driven
back by counter attacks; at one 

time things sounded quite bad
at the end of the telephone wire
for all except one troop of
Yeomanry were in the firing
line, the left reported they
could not hold on much longer,
N.Z. in centre had to retire &
that large numbers of Turks
were massing for an attack,
3^rd Bde. on Rd. had retired a
mile, lot of horses of Ayrshire
battery shot so that doubtful
it could get it away, all batteries
short of ammunition & none
had come up as far as Dababis
though one the way; things were
not really as bad as they sounded 

- the attack being repulsed largely
by our shrapnel which our
batteries had been raining
in hard all the day though
the Ayrshire battery got away
with not much to spare & another
battery stopped firing with only
25 rounds left. The day was
hot & fierce fighting went
on all the time. but late in
the afternoon as it appeared
useless for our 4000 (1000 horse -
holders in this) to expect to lick
the 9000 Turks c̄ far more guns
& big ones too & all retired to
Dababis or thereabouts. During
the day I put in my time watching 

the arrival & disposal of wounded,
their evacuation & changes in
ambulances as previously stated.
In the evening all was prepared
to stay at & around Dababis & the
ambulances were getting comfortably
fixed up for the night when at
2030 it was decided safer for all
to get back to Oghratina & the
ambs. were ordered to be packed
& out of the place by 2200; they
were out by 2145 which was very
good work as they were treating
wounded c̄ c̄their tents pitched
at the time. I waited behind D.H.Q.
till ambs. were out & then rode
in c̄ McLaren to Oghratina; the