Diary No.7 of Rupert Major Downes, 25 August - 12 November 1917 - Part 4

way. Arrived about 1,600 & had
some tea then dug a bit of a hole for
bivouac & got thoroughly tired in doing
so & blistered. Camels did not arrive
till 2400 so as had no covering could
only sleep a little for cold. When they
did come grafted at unloading
& carrying things & then slept in
B.G.G.S. tent c̄  Arglyle
28.10.17. Put up tent & got place
square. Rode over to Anzac Receiving
Station at Rashid Bek & found things
square c̄ Beith - then to see how
Khalassa road was & found it very
bad. Saw Cave on way home.
In camp in aft. working c̄ Max
Yuille who I'd got up as an offsider
to help me for the stunt. Had a big
sleep as went to bed early
29.10.17. Had a day full of minor

aggravations & incidents. Started
off to go to Ashy c̄ a rum convoy
as 1230 & after going to wrong dump
passed through Anzac Rcvg.
Stⁿ & finally left supply dump
after some tucker lunch there at
1420 & finally got to Ashy about
1620; road cut to pieces by horses
& wagons now. German plane
overhead while I was at wells at
Ashy but did not drop anything.
Went up to D.H.Q. (Anzacs) but
Croll & Hercus out. Saw Powles
& Dangar & then drove back to
Khalassa where saw Dixon. Left
at 1650 & had a rotten drive as
went through 2 Bdes. right on
the road & the dust was indescribable.
After Khalassa met 3^rd Bde. & a
divisional train & road beastly.

Got a bit bushed on the island
between Wadis Ber Saba & Malaaga
& did some pushing as car pulling
badly - very glad to get back finally
about 2000. Got letter from D.6
yesterday & one from Fetherstow this
evening. Ate enormous dinner
& to bed late
30. 10. 17 Z -1 day. Rode over to
see O.S. motor ambs. & Rcvg Stn
in a.m. In aft. drove Yuille
down to Khalassa whence he
went on in motor amb. to Ashy
Talked c̄ Dixon, Evans & Billy
Hughes there & drove home. Rather
worried as it was reported cars
at Ashy were short of petrol.
Letter from F. of Sept. 5^th.
31.10.7. "Z" day at last. It was
very quiet for me at Esani 

where I waited for things to go
wrong but they didn't & all
my medical arrangements
went like clockwork after some
early anxiety of the as to whether
cars had got through the roads
which were cut to pieces. 7^th M.F.A.
were a little indefinite as to their
position & whether they were in
the right place.
Were a bit depressed by a wire
at 1600 that our corps hadn't
taken their 2^nd objective but
we soon heard that all was
well & were very elated.
Watched the shells bursting
ocassionally in day, & drove
over c̄ padre in evening.
To Anzac Rcvg. Stn to see if
some sick had gone through. 

Had a pretty busy night as last
night c̄ telephoning & wires.
Beersheba was taken c̄ about
2000 prisoners & 11 guns; our
2 division casualties about 200,
XX Corps about 1200; many of ours air bombs.
Nov 1^st/17. Breakfast.  Stayed
in camp till late aft. When
drove over to 7^th Immobile
section at Rashid Bek c̄ padre
& got stuck on way back.
A quiet day but a good lot of
arranging to do. Sent Leggatt to Beersheba.
2/11/17. Breakfast at 0530 & left
at 0600 for Beersheba c̄ Argyle
& padre. A cold east wind &
dust on Beersheba road & in
town all day was appalling.
went to our Austⁿ Rcvg.
Stn. in old Turk hospital & 

Bombing off & on all night.

arranged its taking over another
building. Dodged about all
day between our Hqrs. & hospital
& had dinner & slept at latter (or
tried to) c̄ Argyle, Leggatt & Yuille
in officers ward. V. tired & dirty
3.11.17. Moved over in aft morn.
to our quarters in a railway
goods shed; filthy day again.
Bombed morning & afternoon
as last night just after dark.
Buzzing about generally all
day. In aft. went out for a ride
c̄ Max Yuille to E. onto Hebron
R^d & to Anzac Hqrs. at Tel el Saba
where saw Hercus. Beersheba
bombed while we were out by a
plane which came down to a
few hundred feet; another brought
down but fell in enemy lines. 

To see G. staff in even & then to
Austⁿ Rcvg. Stⁿ. Had good sleep but
dust still going.
4.11.17. Sunday Wind dropped &
day better but hot. Not bombed
today though 5^th Bde. were.
Jigging about between Hqrs. &
hospital but did not go out as
Croll in to see me & fairly busy.
D's N^o 12 & from Helen, Allen came
yesterday. Nothing further
much in operations.
5.11.17. Moving about between
Hqrs. & Receiving stations generally
but did not leave town.
6.11.17. Went to G.Staff, Rcvg. stn.
& then drove up Hebron R^d
which is a fine hard road to
see Anzac Rcvg. Stⁿ. about 6
miles up. Much shelling to be 

seen of 53^rd Dvⁿ & Camel & N.Z.
Bdes. who were in Khuweilfeh
area. Battle of Sheria. In afternoon
road out towards Sheria on
horse to look for motor roads
& had a good long ride seeing
bit of the battle & shelling of
our people up the Khuweilfeh
hills from the opposite side of
the hill range to that from which I'd seen
it in the morning. Our advance
to Kauwukah & Sheria lines had been
so rapid that I could hardly
get in touch c̄ our line, though
riding fast & not home till well
after dark. Found roads not very
useful for cars.
Had very busy night c̄ plenty to do
& think over especially collection &
movements of Yeomanry & Australian cars. 

* A new formation "Barrow's detachment"
came into being consisting of 53^rd
& Yeomanry divisions, N.Z.M.R. Bde,
I.C Corps of which I had to be D.D.M.S
to as well as to Descorps of Anzac,
Austⁿ & 60^th Division c̄ no extra
transport.
 

7.11.17. Gaza taken. Over to headquarters
and hospital in a.m. Leggatt moved
out in early morning c̄ advanced
headquarters which went towards
Sheria. Much difficulty to decide
about Anzac cars which were left
ŝ any orders up Hebron Rd. While
division had gone away to the left
of the mountain range.
Drove in aft. c̄ Stafford, to see about
a direct motor route from Irgeig
via Bir Ifteis to Karm & found
one. Beersheba bombed morning
& evening. *
8.1.17. Spent most of the day in
Beersheba trying to get a car that
would go to catch up to the
divisions & my various units to
give them orders to as to their
moves & to find out their state
of affairs, as situ now no 

signal communication can be got
with any body in front whether
owing to had work or unavoidable
circumstances I dont know but
the result is impossible for arranging
things. Leggatt with advanced headquarters
is not of much value as
he cant communicate c̄ me nor
get much better word to & from
divisions except by car & they
are broken down all over the
place largely owing to the continual
fine dust which exists in dense
clouds spoiling the coils; besides
this the soft sand very bad in
patches, rough country & steep
wadis all make it very bad
for any car's health
9.12.17. After usual morning trip
to hospital & hdqrs. offices wired to