Gallipoli letters of Rupert Major Downes - Part 2

burnt as we had been writing
where we were firing - I dont
believe it, but will try to get this
thro' by hand.
Glad to hear the You have no
idea how funny it sounds when
you write about sitting in front of a fire
& rain. Went for a ride in the
desert c̄ Alec White a few weeks
ago to see a tomb; we climbed up
a steep hill & arrived all hot to
find there was no tomb, but
what struck me was the absolute
silence there. I have never heard
anything like it - It was so
uncanny & the sort of thing
that would send me mad in time
Am carrying bag  of sulphurs to keep

lice away - it is supposed to act
well, have not had them yet
though they were in camps, but
have been well bitten by every
other kind of infect & fly.
Am not sending a cable to tell
you we are leaving as it would 
only worry you.
Written in Gallipoli Monday May 24^th
censored. Letter (15)
— I find I shall have a chance of
sending you a letter to day by hand
to Alexandria so shall do so. Also
you may expect letters from me as I
find they are allowed under
censorship but it may be hard
to write. I last wrote to you 21.5.15
from Mudros in Lemnos island

just before we got on a T.B. destroyer
"Wolverine" to come over here. I gave it 
to a steward who used to be in
College c̄ Jock & I, & went to the
dogs later - it is a toss up if he
will ever post it but I hope so. We
had been to Cape Helles where all
the British troops are, but were
quickly sent away as there
was a scare of submarines & we
were then all brought over in
destroyers. There were only my lot
on our boat & the officers & men
treated us awfully well, feeding
giving smokes & food away & lots
of the tars & my lads even like
old friends parting after some 4
hours together giving each other

keepsakes & many fond wishes.
We are all seeing all sorts of things
& sights which sound wonderful
& just the things to see but
they came in us as quite a
matter of course. We are quite in
active service now & have all
been under fire - chiefly shrapnel
c̄ a little rifle fire, live in little
holes dug in the ground where
we get in when we hear the
shrapnel coming.  Our brigade has 
not had much to do yet, but
the 9th have lost a couple of
men. Alec White & I were sitting
talking one morning & just after
I left him a shell landed about
3 feet behind him & hit him in

the back with a stone; the same
evening a bullet went between us
sitting in the same place & into the
ground behind his batman a few
yards away. I cant say that
any of us are too fond of shrapnel
though they say sane people get to
ignore it after a bit. Things have
been pretty quiet since we came
here the day after the Turks were
badly repulsed in a big attack, &
to-day there is an armistice to bury
dead in which time the Turks
will probably play some dirty trick
All my lot are well but we are very
dirty & getting like animals. You
would be amused if you could saw
me sitting here in my "dug out"

a hole in the side of a hill about
18 inches wide with a bit of a cave
for my head & bit & a number of
inches in the sides of the hill clay
walls for matches, revolver etc. a
few boughs over the top for protection
from rain, covered in mud from
head to foot with a fine beard wh.
I am thinking of keeping for
some time, watching from my
burrow White (Col. White) & his
fellows smoking & digging in the
other side of a little gully. That is
how we all live & have rations
of bully beef, hard biscuits, jam
 & tea wh. are plentiful & good.
Tobacco cigarettes & matches are issued
sparingly.  Have smashed my 3^rd

watch to-day & am up a gum tree 
for another. Money is absolutely
useless here as there is nothing
to buy. Saw Ted Wilson on the boat
in grand health, also Major Anderson
for a second but know nothing of
the 5^th Battalion Later
Have got a little more information
since this a.m. This has been quite
a gala day, owing to the armistice &
fellows thick all over the place. I went
round the trenches with Jock (Anderson)
& some other chaps this p.m. & c̄
very light clothing we were puffing
hard when we got to the top of
a ridge wh. 4 weeks ago the 
New Zealanders doubled up c̄ all
kit on & then did a bayonet

charge at the top. It is simply incomprehensible
to me how the
N.Z.'s ever took this place - its
bad enough to walk up c̄ no
one to stop you & the place the
Austns took is similar I believe.
The Navy say that when. the history
of this war is written the taking
of these heights from the beach
will be found to be one of the
very finest things done. They
also say that the exploit of 
the Austn submarine A.E. 2 is one 
of the finest things in naval
history. I saw young Minty Douglas
of Geelong to-day (Pub. S divl Cpy)
& was greatly rejoiced to hear
that Norman Marshall & Alf Jackson

are each unwounded & have got
commissions - the latter in the
6^th Battⁿ did not hear of Alice's
Jim. The 2^nd Infantry Brigade (4^th 5^th 6^th 7^th batt)
under are to go 
back to Egypt for a rest: they
have had heavy casualties. They
went down to Cape Helles & when
ordered to advance they were the
only ones to do so, the British &
French finding it too hot. They took
the position but as soon as they
left it & came back it was
again lost. Tell Father who I cant
write to yet that his estimate
of Australians as infantry made
some 30 years ago was rather
under than over the truth, they

dont seem to know what fear
means & rather suffer from over
impetuousness. You should hear
them all laugh when a shell bursts.
here, & it is hard to get them
under cover; we officers jolly soon
learn to become rabbits. There have
been few casualties among the
A.A.M.E. but was grieved very
greatly to hear of Mathisons death
& such a wonderful ability wasted
but very gallantly. Saw old
Charlie Ryan & he sent you his love
he is off to Alexandria to-day
& was in a wild state of excitement
Saw Tommy Atkins to-day, very
fit & not so fat. O'Brien is on a
hospital ship & so is all Tate's crowd
(Dr Sutherland)