Diary of Trooper Ion Llewellyn Idriess- 8 June-16 August -1917 - Part 2

11
"Sir" before his name, and after
being having the idea explained
to him he has referred me for
an interview to the rifle
expert. So if the idea passes him
there might be something in it.
I'm a bit doubtful though.
11th June. This rifle idea of mine is
going real well. Plans are
going to be drawn, and the
idea is to be sent to the invention
board in London. The English
officers whom I had to lay the
idea before were real decent, and
took no end of trouble worrying
out the pros and cons of the idea.
So something may come of it
after all. ' ' ' ' We hear today that
the Turks have taken Samsons
Ridge. A great many lives have
 

12
been lost over that place. ' ' We
have to go back again tomorrow.
 

Y.M.C.A.

ANZAC HOSTEL
CAIRO  16^th Aug 1917
Have been in Cairo now for
sixteen days, over this invention
racket. We took the rifle straight
to the inventions Board in company
with the N.Z Commandant. The rifle
was well received, & we were
asked to leave it there, pending a
meeting of the Board. Meanwhile
all communications to me were to
be made through the NZ Commander
Nine days having gone by, and
nothing definite happened, I
asked the commandant to see
into matters, as I was short of
money and couldn't well pay
my own xpenses on Cairo for
long. Meanwhile Sergt King
had gone to stay at the N.Z.
Kit stores. In the afternoon,
King got a message from the
 

2

commandant, saying that G.H.Q
had sent round to say that
"the services of these two men
were no longer required, as
we could do all that was
wanted here." King came to
the Hostel in a great state.
Anyway It was too late to
catch the train, and anyway
we were not going to be
pushed off so easily as that.
In the morning we saw the
Commandant and he  xplained
that the Inventions Board
had sent the rifle to the
Zeitoun school of instruction
where it was being tested. I
asked the Commandant to see the
 

3

board of inventions, and
xplain that I wanted to be
present at the tests, as King
and I were the only men
who understood the mechanism
of the rifle. The Commandant

heartily agreed and
next day told us that the
Secretary for inventions was
quite agreeable for us to go
out to Zeitoun and come
to any arrangements
agreeable to us and to the
O.C school of instruction.
So King and I went out
and interviewed the O.C
and another officer. The
rifle had not been touched
 

at all. We explained the
idea and mechanism, which
was well received. Finally
it was arranged that King
and I were to fix the
rifle up at the school, and
when all was ready, a
trial would take place.
So we have been working
there the last three days
tinkering up the wretched
old thing as best we can.
Its pretty miserable in
Cairo without any money. I
am staying at the Kit
Stores now because I
have to. Teish Feluce
 

1 DRL 373