Item 01: Cameron Robertson war diary, 18October-20 December 1914 - Page 41

[Page 41]

12th
Arrived at Cairo 2.30 am, shunted to a siding two miles on where we detrained and had some cocoa & bread & cheese at a stall There was only one thing wrong with it There was not enough.
There we unloaded horses, and proceeded to Kasse-el-Nil barracks which is about a mile from the station where we watered them.
Started for Mena at 8.45. It was the worse march I have been on but the scenery round about was gorgeous Everyone including officers were tired and exausted from want of food and sleep when we arrived at Mena a distance of 11 miles from Cairo, at 9.30 am.
More fooling about till 11.30 am. At 12.30 we had some dry bread and cheese. Plenty of work till 6 pm then bless me if I was not put on picquet. The horses were pretty bad and were continuously breaking loose.
13th
64 hours without sleep and only bread and cheese. I am dead beat Have till 12 noon to have some sleep, then get to work again.
We are now camped practically in the shadow of the pyramids. It is all sand but it is clean. There are 70-000. troops here now including the English [Tommies?]
We are now on quarter rations