![](https://cdfhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Cairns-War-Cemetery-2-768x236.png)
Major-General (Retired) Rupert Major DOWNES, C.M.G., V.D.
C.M.G. Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George
V.D. Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers’ Decoration
KStJ: Order of St John, formally the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
FRACS: Fellow of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Year of Birth: 1885
Place of Birth: Adelaide, South Australia
Date of Enlistment: 8 Oct 1942, Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia
Australian Defence Force: Australian Imperial Force
Rank: Major-General
Unit(s): Australian Army Medical Corps
Service Number: VX57673
Died: 5 March 1945
Age: 60 years
Buried: Cairns War Cemetery – Plot A – Row D – Grave 18
![](https://cdfhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Downes1-768x1024.jpg)
![](https://cdfhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Major-Rupert-Major-Downs.jpg)
Rupert Major Downes was the son of Major-General Major Francis Downes C.M.G. and Helen Maria (Chamberlin) Downes, born 10 February 1885.
He married Doris Mary Robb in 1913 and had three children, Rosemary Major Downes, Valerie Marjorie Downes and John Rupert Major Downes.
Doris travelled to Egypt to visit her husband in March 1917. By June, Rupert was becoming increasingly immersed in preparations for the Third Battle of Gaza and Doris, who had become pregnant during her visit, decided to return home. On her return journey to Australia in June 1917, her ship, the P&O liner Mongolia struck a mine and was sunk in the Indian Ocean with the loss of 23 lives. Doris spent 11 hours in a crowded lifeboat, before being rescued by a passing steamer, which took her to Bombay. From there she eventually made her way back to Australia via Singapore and Batavia. In 1918 Doris was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her volunteer work among soldiers’ families as secretary of the Friendly Union of Soldiers’ Wives and Mothers
His daughter Rosemary Major (Downes) Campbell was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.
He retired from the army a month before his 60th birthday. Previously after the First World War he was invited to write a chapter for the ‘Official history of the Australian Army Medical Services’. When it was known of his imminent retirement he was again invited to contribute to write the official medical history of Australia during World War II.
Major-General Downes was killed at Machans Beach, Queensland, Australia. He was on board a Hudson Aircraft, travelling from Archerfield, Brisbane, to Cairns and was killed when it crashed into the sea, near Cairns. Also killed were Major-General Vasey, Lieutenant-Colonel G A Bertram, Flight Lieutenant J W Newell, Flying Officer D J Bassett, Flying Officer F B Frieze, Flying officer G Thompson, Corporal R L James and LAC J D Moore.
![](https://cdfhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Major-Downes-Argus-7-March-1945-p3.jpg)
![](https://cdfhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Downes-Herald-7-March-1945-p7.jpg)
![](https://cdfhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Downes-Guinea-Gold-8-March-1945-p4.jpg)
![](https://cdfhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Downes-Argus-9-March-1945-p2.jpg)
![](https://cdfhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Downes-Argus-8-March-1945-p2.jpg)
![](https://cdfhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Downes-0-Argus-10-March-1945-p2.jpg)
![](https://cdfhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Downes-Argus-10-March-1945-page-3-page-1.jpg)
![](https://cdfhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Downes-Argus-10-March-1945-p3-page-2.jpg)
![](https://cdfhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Major-Rubert-Dowsns-funeral.jpg)
![](https://cdfhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Major-Rupert-Dows-Coampanion-Order.jpg)
![](https://cdfhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Mrs-Doris-Mary-Downs-Order-of-the-British-Empire.jpg)
Major-General Downes ‘s name is on the Melbourne Roll of Honour board. His name is not on the Commemorative Roll as he was retired at the time of his death and therefore not serving in the Australian Armed Forces.
Online Resources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
NAA: B883, (DOWNES Rupert Major) National Archives of Australia
Department Veterans’ Affairs Nominal Rolls
National Library of Australia: Trove Digitised Newspapers
Queensland Registrar of Births Deaths & Marriages
If you have a photograph or further information about this soldier you would like to share and add to his biography, please contact the Society at projects@cdfhs.org or leave a comment below. Thank you!