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The railway line was single with sidings at intervals. The stations were generally just huts, - in every case protected by sandbags, - & the station platform only 10 to 20 yds long.
Altogether the journey was most interesting & I was quite sorry when darkness came, altho' similar scenes in the soft moonlight were lovely. The chief steward had put up some tea for us, ham & chicken, bread & butter etc & we had quite a merry time over it with only pocket-knives to aid us. When it was finished we stretched out on the seats – there were any amount, abt 12 os us having the carriage to ourselves, - & as best we could in the cold, tried to get some sleep.
Monday 14 February 1916
About half past one in the morning the train pulled up with a jerk at a fairly large station that was our destination, Helmeah by name, where we were met by 2 detraining officers. With some difficulty the men were rooted out & fallen in, & then came a march of a couple of miles past Feitoun to Aerodrome Camp, situated on the outskirts of Heliopolis Camp. Very little could be seen in the pale moonlight, but we were told that we were 5 or 6 miles east of Cairo, Aerodrome being practically the oldest of the Australian camps.
All of us were very cold & tired by the time we arrived, finding the Adjutant & Quartermaster awaiting us