Item 02: Leslie William Sutherland diary, 1 January-13 December 1916 - Page 70

[Page 70]

Left Sohag

14 May, 1916 Sunday

Reveille at 5

The different units started to move out at day-break & trains were leaving every hour we got all our stuff down about 2 pm & when I returned to the camp it was to find the Canteen in flames, some of the boys had set it on fire as return for the high prices the proprietor had charged them, our boys were there of course & didn't they get in amongst his stuff not half they only got 6 doz of his beer without other articles.

We started to load at 7 & by nine the train was ready to move out, she passed the clock at 9.2 for our trip of 600 miles, the trip went OK till midnight for we had heaps to eat & plenty of melons. We hadn't gone far when one of H Qrs horses got his leg over the rope of another & cut his leg pretty severely. Turned in with Norm at 11 oclock on the train platform.

Arrived Kantara

15 May, 1916 Monday

83 wks from home.

Travelling without a stop all night & arrived at Beni Suef at 6 on time, we fed & watered our horses here & also had breakfast ourselves, the mokes are feeling the journey already, Burrells especially left again at 7.20 & passed through Cairo at 10.30 we went straight on to Zagazig where we arrived at 1 oclock, fed & watered again & had dinner, not a bad place but rather nigger-fied. Left again a little after 2 passed through Salhia at 4 & little later on of the H Qrs drivers fell off the train & broke both his legs, at 5.10 we came in sight of the Canal with troops everywhere, we ran along it for a couple of miles & preparations were everywhere for a go with the enemy, got unloaded at Kantara at 6.15 & then had tea, after this we turned in.