Gallipoli letters of Rupert Major Downes - Part 8

Men wounded at Anzac are taken to the Casualty 
Clearing Station or NZFA on the beach, perhaps passing 
through the 1, 2, or 3. FAs on the way & then the slight cases  
are put on barges & taken out to the fleet sweepers 
which bring them over here to the S.Hs. If not fot 
for likely to be fit in 2 weeks they then go to Malta 
or Alex. by hospital ship & get back again with 
difficulty & much delay. Serious cases are put 
onto the hospital ships of which there are 11 & go via 
Lemnos to either of the bases or England. In times 
of rush they turn to transports into temporary 
hospital ships & put anyone they can get in charge. 
There are 2 English stationary hospitals here - one for 
Typhoid only -, 4 Casualty Clearing stations - one as 
a convalescent home, 1½ Indian field Ambuls & a French 
hospital. The No3 G.H. is expected here to tomorrow  
or next day & are to form a tent hospital on the opposite 
of the harbor, perhaps wood later & a British one later. 
We are much looking forward to their arrival - but 
what of their wives so many brought - its rather 
funny after what they expected for this is rather 
a good forsaken place c̄ not much to interest 
after week or so, very windy, stony, hilly & c̄ 
a lot of diarrhoea. They are said to be bringing 80  
nurses which is amusing for its hardly the place 

Men like Barber, Powell, Corbin feel it a lot & at present 
talk of going back when the year is up as the only 
way of getting promotion, for there is none to be 
got here -- partly because there is no supreme A.A.M.C. 
head to recommend it; if new units come from 
Australia then they would hope to get promotion 
in them. For instance Fowler the senior Capt. is the 
the 28th A.M.C. is junior to Major Upjohn the junior  
Capt. of the 28th A.M.C. when the former volunteered 
a month before the latter - & to a mobile unit. 
All arms feel that reinforcements & new formation 
officers should get temporary rank only till 
they get with  those who left before them & have 
been in the show during the interviewing time. 
They are going in for the temporary ranks a great 
deal in the Imperial Army. Where the hardship comes 
in a lot is in the case of public school boys for instance 
who have been right through the fighting & perhaps 
are Sergeants & are far more fitted for commissions 
than some reinforcement officer who has had 
6 weeks in the School of Instruction & been in a  
training camp; of course they must send officers 
c̄ reinforcements but the pinch comes when 
Majors & Captains come with them & block promotions 
for those who have earned it by good work on service.  

for women & they'll see a lot of natural men unless 
things much change. I am rather sorry for them  
for they'll have to rough it a lot.  
The teeth of the men give a lot of trouble & are fearful 
& hard biscuits play the devil with them; many  
of them lose their plates or brake them (some of 
course purposely) & then they are unable to eat the  
food & must be sent back. There is no dentistry 
here yet though some is always expected so they 
have to go back to Alex. & there if so inclined they 
can have a good time & keep well away from 
returning. I see very much for force now of 
insisting on men having sufficient good teeth 
of their own before passing them for enlistment - 
without that there is a great wastage of strength 
at the front. 
Middle ear disease is another trouble as there are no ear 
instruments here - same c̄ eye & nose especially the 
former for there is no oculist here, which would  
certainly be an advantage & cause the saving of  
some eyes. 
There is much dissatisfaction among some of the 
men at their juniors coming out after them 
promoted over their heads through no fault of 
their own. It is the same in the combatant ranks. 

unit which is a pity as there is better material there 
among the N.C.O.s than anywhere, &  has been supported  
against the officers, so things have been a bit unhappy 
but I dont think they are so now though I fancy 
Helsham wants to get command if he can work it anyhow. 
Sutherland sent Fowler c̄ some men over from here to 
Anzac in hopes of being allowed to stay there but they 
were bundled back c̄ fleas in their ears by A.D.M.S. of No Z & 
A Divsn (Co.l Manders R.A.M.C.) who was not pleased at the  
attempt. They have put in most of their time in running 
2nd LH7A hospital ships to Alex. & Malta & back & are sick  
of it. 
2^nd L.H.F.A. left Egypt without Bean who was left behind 
by to run a convalescent home & was told by his Brigadier 
that he was no use. His crowd under Croll were at Anzac  
for the same 5 weeks odd as we were & then came over 
here  c̄ us. They took some patients & then went off 3 
weeks ago on a temporary hospital ship - & they too are 
lost to sight. Bean came over 2 weeks ago to find 
them & is still waiting for them; he is messing c̄ us & 
such a nice old chap. All the rest of his officers are 
together. 
3^rd L.H.F.A. that's me - have been here 5 weeks now & are 
told to be ready to go back to Anzac at any time. We  
have 200 patients here & have offered to take the 450 if wanted. 

White - still a Capt - has just arrived after much difficulty  
& letter writing to get him here, partly through Barrett. 
Aberdeen has gone back to Alex. pretty sick - I dont 
know what with quite. Stuart who got a bad heart  
after acute rheumatism on the voyage from Australia 
is c̄ our horses & transport at Heliopolis & much improved; 
I applied for a medical board on him but got no reply. 
Beamish has gone to the 8th L.H. in place of poor Campbell 
who was killed & was one of the finest & best men in the 
A.A.M.C. & worshipped by the regiment & his C.O. He was 
sitting on the pier after a bathe & had both legs taken 
off by a shell which then exploded & died a few hours 
later on the Sicilia (Fred Bird's boat) 
1^st F.A. Col Newmarch has gone back c̄ a bad heart, 
Stokes is D.A.D.M.S. to Howse & Milliard to Sutton in 
the new division. They (except transport) are still 
at Anzac 
2^nd F.A. Mostly at Anzac except for Mathison; Quick 
was operated on here at Bryant's hospital for piles &  
carted off to Alex. next day by mistake. Shaw is  
on hospital ship Gascon now in this harbour where  
he has been all along. Morley at Alex. c̄ the horses. 
3rd F.A. Sutton A.D.M.S. of new division has just gone  
back & Butter in temporary charge at Anzac. [[McWha?]] 
who lost an eye at Alex. & Moodie too. 

Its a difficult problem but its a pretty real grievance 
all through the officers. 
Zwar has gone to England - ostensibly to get his 
appendix out; he did not get on well c̄ the rest 
of the unit & I think all are relieved. He did much 
good work in the first landing time on hospital 
ships. 
Can't say much about what is going on or appears  
to me to be going on here as I am my own censor &  
so must be honest, but there is much of interest 
to see & to speculate on. Hope the show is well 
advanced before the winter comes on as its a stormy  
one & very cold & wont be very pleasant for us 
who have gone through 2 summers. 
I think I have told you all I can think of of interest to 
you and what the feelings of people are. Please let me know 
if you would like to hear similarly again. 
Hope you are well, that you & Sykes are able to keep 
going c̄ all your work & that I may see you over here 
before very long. 
Red Cross stuff & medical comforts can be obtained  
in any quantity - the former is all British. 
Anderson is still a tower of strength to me; he should get  
a staff job someday for I know of no one so well suited. 
With kind regards to yourself & Sykes 
Believe me 
Yours sincerely 
Rupert M Downes