Diary No.6 of Rupert Major Downes, 13 June - 24 August 1917 - Part 2

of doing much work & rarely
feel pleased about anything &
really there's nothing to depress
one at all except perhaps absence
of decorations. Better luck soon.
19.6.17. Worked quietly in a.m. in
office while Blackburn went out
to see trenches & though rotten
when woke up began to get quite
an interest in things by lunch
time & hope it is the turn of the
tide &that I'll soon be a human
being again & not exhausted bullfrog.
Went over to Desert Column after
lunch &had a very satisfactory 1½
hours talk c̄ Chauvel; he does not realise
or want to do so I think that our
men are getting played out but
think its only the dust that
is wondering worrying them.

He agreed with most of the things
I wanted &said I could have command
of the 14^th A.G.H if I liked or the D.D.M.S.
job as I liked & to make up my
mind &decide quickly. Very good
of him but a difficult thing to do &
though I think I should probably
be wise to go to the hospital I expect
I shall chose the other way, especially
as he says it would be impossible
for me to remain in command of
the A.A.M.C. if I went to the hospital.
Wish there was someone whose advice
I could get such a Stawell. Maleesh.
Got He told me lots of present
A.I.F. expectations & agreed to see
if can't turn Camel Amb. into
5^th L.H.F.A. & perhaps get another
one later.
Got cable yesterday that extra officers

to double 14 A.G.H. will be sent; cable
today that invalid ship returning
soon so will get a chance of a letter
back.
Went for little ride after aft tea
at Desert Column &yarned to
Blackburn & some work in evening.
20.6.17. Wednesday. Rode c̄ Blackburn
&Brown over to Impl Mtd Divn at
Fara & had lunch &a long yarn
c̄ Cave & Blackburn talked Barcoo
sores to Richardson the A.D.M.S.
Went over to 8^th Regt. in aft. &
left Bl. there &rode home.
Worked in office in evening &
was not tired after the 18 12 mile
ride.
21. 6. 17. Spent most of the morning
writing to D. (2) with some work
thrown in. Went to aft. tea c̄

D.D.M.S. at Khan Yunus &had long
yarn c̄ him in which he let go
some of his grievances & sorrows
&spoke about chucking his job -
probably because he looks seedy.
He made me think my coming
job would not be all a bed of
roses but I could not tell him I
expected to succeed him. Got
home very tired. Wrote to F. in
evening.
22.6.17. Rode over & saw Newton at
N.Z.M.F.A. c̅ Blackburn &then to
2^nd L.H.F.A. where I left the latter
&then went on to Camel Amb.
Came back &had a yarn c̄ Ted
White &Single &then back to
lunch where Cave was
waiting for me; yarned c̄ him
in aft. &then rode over c̄

Blackburn to the Rest Camp &
stayed the night there c̄ Stuart
& Woods. Another air fight.
23.6.17. Inspected Rest camp &
found it a very good place &
back to camp via D.DM.S. office
& Khan Yunus. Fowler in for
lunch & yarned c̄ him for a
bit &then worked rest of aft.
& all evening.
Feeling quite fit now &enjoyed
the trip to the Rest camp much
&would like a few days there. The
men are allowed to do just as
they like there &dont even have a
roll call but loll about in pyjamas,
bathe &eat & the Red Cross society
are doing a lot to make them
comfortable - &succeeding for they
are very happy.

24.6. 17. Sunday. Doris wrecked yesterday
Worked all a.m. &then went
over c̄ Blackburn to lunch
 c̄ Genl Chauvel who had
forgotten we were coming &
had a successful talk c̄ him
after Genl Hodgson &staff had
gone. 
Worked for a bit after &caught
1835 train at Khan Yunus
c̄ Blackburn & Urquhart.
Saw Thwaites at El Arish.
25.6.17. Drove from Kantara
to Moascar & had talk c̄
Arnott about things. While so
doing Dawson spoke to me
on phone & read cable from
D. at Bombay yesterday & felt
so pleased but a bit puzzled
when a few minutes later an

identical one came from Mrs
Arnott to her husband. Had a
look over Camel ambulance
- a mild inspection & worked
there all morng &aft. caught
1926 train c̄ Blackburn &in
same carriage as Barrett &
Graham; a very dirty &
boreing trip. Went Dawson's flat
26.6.17. On getting to office met
suspicions from Genl Anderson's
wire that something had
happened to Mongolia &that
anyway they were stranded
at Bombay. Cabled Doris
asking if wanted money &
if staying long & if accident
had happened. Rather bust
up morning's work - went
down to ordnance. Worked v.

hard all aft. & round to G.H.Q.
till after 8. Dawson had a
dinner at flat which bored
me but after it went to the
Kursaal - while I wrote to D. No
3 & then to bed tired &depressed -
came back, & continued till
after 4 &the less said about it
the better; anyhow I got no
sleep till well after 4.
27.6.17 Wednesday. Rather tired. Got
cable from D. earlier than she'd sent
it reading "Father cabled money well
leaving"; so I knew her ship had
gone. Its a bit disencouraging
to go on c̄ a diary when 2 are lost
forever. Drove out to Remount
depot & to Heliopolis house to see
Mrs Davies who was out - glanced at
our room c̄ shutters closed - ugh

Had a talk c̄ Mrs Davies at 14 A.G.H.
Worked most of aft. &did some
shopping. Sent a weekend cable
to D. at Colombo "Don't worry thanful
cable everywhere buy everything wanted
love". Had a quiet dinner &evening
at the flat. To G.H.Q. but Keble out.
28.6.17. To G.H.Q. in morning &
saw Keble but worked all a.m.
Went to Muski in aft. c̄ Antebi
& Graham &bought some things
for Doris: Did hard days work
on establishment all day &then when
went in &saw Keble in evening
he sold me a pup &said he didnt
want it. Dinner c̄ Blackburn
Saw & Dawson at Continental
&saw new C.inC. Allenby. Saw bike at Cairo station
29.6.17. Worked hard in a.m. till
caught 1100 train to Cairo Moascar

Worked there in aft. &had dinner
Arnott only knew of the Mongolia
sinking today. Drove to Kantara
&saw Mrs Chisholm & Miss McPhillamy
Caught 1000 hospital train to
El Arish
30.6.17. Got to El Arish at ¼ to 5
but not up till 7. Spent morning
c̄ Thwaite who I found very deaf
c̄ bad ear.
Went on in 1400 train &got 
back to camp at Abasan el Kebir
at before 1900. Found 2 letters
from Doris - beauties - from
Aden, from Helen, Father, Eileen H.
& Robin. Worked in evening
1.7.17. Sunday Worked all a.m. Over to
Rest Camp in aft. where Genl
Chauvel inspected &expressed much
approval as against the Austn