Diary No.12 of Rupert Major Downes, 17 November 1918 - 26 March 1919 - Part 3

officers who want to go home early.
31.1.19. Worked hard the whole day in my office
c̄ one trip c̄ Hunter to look at some flats
price £17 or £22 per month & in evening to a bad
pension; not taking any of these. Letter from
F. of Dec. 16^th - first for ages from home
1.2.19 Worked hard all a.m. & in aft. as could
not get anyone for tennis walked down to
Gezireh c̄ Hunter, meeting Hercus on way &
paid a subscription at Sporting Club & watched
tennis. Back by tram & Hercus came c̄ us
while we looked at more pensions & we had
a yarn. Went to Opera House which is a very
pretty little theatre like the Palace theatre Sydney,
piece was Grumpy & very good: Graham,
Dawson & Leahy also. Dawson is off colour
these days. Started 57 to D.
2.2.19. Went into office & struck D's 77, 78 &
one between, long one from Jock & Allen & one
from Howse suggesting I was on the Wyreema
tomorrow c̄ my mind made up what I wanted
to do ere as Chauvel would be there. Had a
busy time & decided to go England letting Dawson
go home. Played tennis in aft. at Heliopolis 
c̄ Summons, Fairley & Ward & had 4 good sets
- 2 each, we 2 up on games. Then went & called
on Lady Chauvel at the Oakes; old Lady O.
made less faces than usual - I dont think
she knew me at first. Then drove Genl
& Mrs Hodgson into Cairo & caught 1815

train to Port Said & walked to Eastern Exchange
Hotel where stayed night.
3.2.19. Went out to Wyreema just after breakfast
& talked much c̄ Howse, Griffiths &
Rutter till Chauvel arrived later c̄ flying
Williams & Robertson. Howse said he put the
boot in about the things I wanted  - to Chauvel.
Drove back to town to get my kit & then
to catch train. Ct (1230). Chauvel said nice
things about medical show at Damascus
but couldnt get him onto question of
Dawson & I getting out properly. Went
to office when got to Cairo & found Dawson
was more seedy. Bed early. Cabled Doris asking if coming 
to England c̄ me.
4.2.19 Work hard all day from 0830 till
1930 which are my office hours about
at present. Ceramic arrived c̄ epidemic
of influenza which is cause of much trouble;
Hack Jolley as M.O. but have only phoned him.
Finished 57 to D. & came back to office
after dinner to write to Father.
5.2.19. In early to try & get Ceramic emptied
of troops & later had confab c̄ Chauvel, D.A.T.O.
& Mainwaring on subject & decided to disembark
at Suez. Worked all day c̄ a continual
flow of visitors; inoculated Mrs Hodgson.
Dinner at 14 A.G.H - fair but they are all
grinding their own axes & unamusing.
Khamseen beginning.
6.2.19 Worked in office all a.m. & moved into Dawson's

office Williams (A.F.C.), Foster, Bob Strong, Yuille
Arnold &c in to see me. last 2 off to England
tomorrow. Played tennis at Ghezireh in aft.
c̄ Hunter, Fairley & Ward- 3 sets but v. windy.
Wrote to Jock after & met Blackburn at Continental
for shop talk re Ceramic. Dawson in; he seemed
pretty seedy. Yarned at night c̄ Wade, Marshall
(the P.M.O. of Hedjary army & just back from England
where he'd taken Feisal) Argyll & Cox.
7.2.19. Worked all a.m. in office. Ward, March &
Stafford wanted to go home. Dawson in & seems
better. Blowing very hard & reached climax
in aft. c̄ rain in evening. Went out to the
Med. Officers school at Turkish P.of W. hospital
& listened to lectures by Wade, Carmal & Jones &
Blackburn. Back to office & found my big
lost mail awaiting me c̄ D's. 73-76, Father (2),
Mrs Robb, Bertie & other local ones. Had to come
back after dinner to telephone to Suez.
8.2.19. In office all a.m. Hack Jolley arrived from
Suez in aft & had lunch c̄ me & we had a
pow wow c̄ Q & Mainwaring & decided to let
Ceramic proceed. Played tennis c̄ Jarman,
Ward & Hunter at Ghezireh & had a fair game
though played badly. Read at club after
& yarned in evening.
9.2.19 To office & then out to Kasrel Eini
hospital to arrange for new school & see
how it is getting on. Had a talk c̄ Dr Keatinge
who is leaving here shortly & had a look

at the fine things he is going to sell off. Went
out to lunch c̄ Dawson & Graham who have
a very nice little flat at Heliopolis. Played
a hard 4 sets of tennis c̄ Simmons, Ahern
& Ward. Back to Dawson's flat to read &
then to dinner c̄ the Davis at Heliopolis house,
Mrs Yuille there. Got cable from Doris of
10.2.19 Not c happy returns & come home evidently
sent before mine arrived which must have
been very slow.
10.2.19. Not a very exciting birthday. Had
too many time wasting people including
Miss Finlay in to see me in morning. Lunch
at Sporting club c̄ Gilbert Brown & watched
good polo after in which in the first match
of a tournament, the Anzac team ran all
over a 10th Divn team (11 to nil). Watched a
second match & then home back to office
c̄ Fulton. Lelean, Hercus & Cave came for
a confab later & then to club c̄ Foster.
Yarned c̄ Molesworth, flying youths &
Miss Dangar after dinner.
11.2.19. Good morning's work & plenty in aft.
too. Left Continental & went to live on our
dahabeyah on the Little Nile at the back of the
sporting club. It is a fine boat - the Cheops
& I have a brass bedstead & quite a good cabin.
The light is bad as present. Smith & his wife, 
Curly Williams, Jarman, Hunter, & I make up
the party & there's still an empty berth.

12.2.19. Went to kit stores on way in to office in
car; we all woke up late there wasnt much
breakfast. Not many people in a.m. but
so I did some work but Case, O'Halloran, Tregear
&c in; had a confab c̄ Commdt. re demobilisation
arrangements. G Went to Sporting club
at lunch time in car & saw an extra chukka
of polo between Anzacs & Egyptian army
which just allowed former to win. Picked
up Brown & took him to lunch on Cheops
(& chops); strong wind so lunch v. late.
Heard my subsistence allowance put up
to £1 a day wh. is good news, so while in Cairo
my total drawings are £1370 a year - hope
the war goes on a longtime at this rate.
Played tennis at club c̄ Hunter & Brown -
couldnt get a four - 5 sets & was in pretty
good form. 2^nd polo match & 10^th Div'ⁿ
races also on at same time. Walked
back to town c̄ Brown & did a bit of work
Dinner c̄ Strong (Bob) at Shepherds & had
a very amusing time c̄ the two Scotch lassie
doctors from his hospital - Alexander & Stuart.
Had our car home.
13.2.19. In office all day working quietly c̄ a
small flow of visitors. Knocked off at 1800
& round to club to read. Had dinner at Shepherds
c̄ Percy Webster & a nice little chap he is.
14.2.19. Usual morning. Went Had lunch
at club c̄ Bill Forster & then drove down

to Ghezireh to see final of polo tournament
which was won rather easily by the Anzac
team against a Savoy team. Back to office
after; work slackening a bit now. Spent
the evening on the dahabiyeh & started
reading surgery. They are rather a noisy
crowd on board & owing to the wooden
wall its not much use going to bed before
the others.
15.2.19. Had 4 hard sets of tennis at Gezireh
c̄ Arthur Giblin, Jarman & Ward - which
J. & I won. It was rather hot & left me
pretty tired. Worked on boat at night.
16.2.19. Sunday. Had busy day in the office
mostly arranging for the post-grad. school
& went down to Gasiriyeh. To office for
few minutes in aft. & to see Vickerman
at P. of War. Hosp. on way to tennis at
Heliopolis c̄ Summons, Jarman & Ward;
had 5 sets fair, won 4. Fultons to dinner
& did a little more work.
17.2.19. Got Doris' cable that she cant come to
England & was very disappointed. Had crowds
of visitors in the morning about the medical
officer's school. Went to the test match polo
in the aft. & the Anzac team got well beaten.
Walked back to office & got blisters on my heels
from new top boots so that I had to go out to the
boat to get some shoes. Dined c̄ the Austins at
Shepherds who are going home tomorrow & talked
an awful lot.

18.2.19. Worked all day c̄ usual interruptions.
Home for dinner & did some work after at
surgery. Wrote to D. 53.
19.2.19. Went to a lecture at Nasiriyeh hospital
by Major Bellingham Smith on infant feeding.
Went out to have dinner c̄ Grolin at 48^th 
Staty  hospital at Abbassia which I found
c̄ a lot of difficulty after a long walk.
20.2.19. Work in am. Had lunch at Shepherds
c̄ Russ Wallis who is just on his way to England,
& Percy Smith of Egyptian army whom I'd
met in Jerusalem. Had dinner at same
place c̄ Coates, just back from England,
 Col Fraser of R.A.F. & his wife who is like
a human gramophone but v. amusing,
Went to the pictures & saw Charlie Chaplin
for first time. Wrote to Father.
21.2.19. Just plain work & home at night
22.2.19. Played tennis at Gerzireh c̄ Ward, Giblin &
Robertson & got my heels skinned. At home
at night
23.2.19. Had a good game of tennis in aft. c̄ Cave,
Single & Jarman - 6 sets. Had 2 V.A.Q.s at dinner
& quite a merry party.
24.2.19.  Did some reading in evening - anatomy
25.2.19. Started to write D. 54 on deck & to bed early
as for change the others weren't making a row
26.2.19. Went out before breakfast & played polo
for the first time & Fulton informed me I should
play a good game. Found it harder to hit the

ball than at golf at start. Tried 2 ponies. Bit
stiff & tired in evening after a walk to kit stores.
27.2.19. Polo again & had a solid 3/4 hour on 3
ponies & in consequence was very stiff & tired
all day. Drove out to Kelouan c̄ Knaggs (A.D.M.S
Force in Egypt) & Ricketts to see an aeroplane fitted
to carry patients. In aft. out to Wade's lecture
at P. of W. hospital. Had dinner at Continental
& home early but too much noise to sleep.
28.2.19. Went to finals of E.E.F. sports at Ghezireh
& thoroughly enjoyed them. It was the best organised
show of its kind I've ever seen & always something
going on. C. in C. & the Sultan there & the latter
made a very impressive arrival c̄ a squadron
& excellently drilled & mounted Egyptian cavalry,
he in a landau. He's a stoutish rather German
looking man. Back to office after & Farr out
to dinner.
1.3.19. Tennis at Ghezireh c̄ Cave, Ward & Giblin
- 6 sets but not good. Into office after dinner
& did a good 1½ hrs. work.
2.3.19. Sunday. Train out to Mena c̄ Hunter &
picked up our horses & out to Sakhara where
we had a look at tomb of Tc & of the sacred
bulls; lunched there & ho back for aft. tea
at Mena house wh. was very full. A very
good day, not too hot & going was good
3.3.19. Opening of Medical Museum in aft.
to which I went & stayed till the end, going thro'
a bit of it; a very good show. Went to see

Luce at Savoy (D.M.S.) & as we mightnt meet there
again he thanked me very nicely "for all you
have done" & said how he had enjoyed working
c̄ me, which was deuced  civil of him.
Two girls to dinner & danced.
4.3.19. Most of our party to Port Said by early
train. Rained a little & blew hard all day.
Went to 2 lectures by Bellingham Smith & Wade
at P. of W. hospital & tea c̄ latter at club after.
Walked home as no car & wrote in evening. -
letter to Father.
5.3.19. Very cold & still wet at times; very unusual
for Cairo in March. Did a good solid day's
work & wrote narrative of 2^nd Es Salt stunt
at night. Port Said party returned.
6.3.19. Cold but fining. God D's 81. Went to see
Keatinges house furniture in aft. & then to
medical museum. In to office in car after
dinner for an hrs. work & then went to club
to read the papers.
7.3.19. Went for a walk in town in aft. & to club
Home late & wrote to Jock & worked after dinner.
8.3.19. Went down to Moascar by 1100 train c̄
Pascoe & went into administration now that
Ausdiv. is coming into the camp. Talked
c̄ Arnott & Seccombe, visited A.A.M.C Training Unit
& handed it over to Stuart, went over 2 A.S.H.
dined c̄ Arnott & back by evening train.
Car met me & soon home
9.3.19. Played polo before breakfast & had a