Item 01: R. T. Vowles diary, 22 August 1915-23 February 1916 - Page 55
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[Page 55]
miles' journey. The rest of the sigs were marched away – where to we do not know but we never even had time to say good bye. We then drew a blanket each. [I took two] & marched back to the station & at 11.45 the train] took us on to Cairo.[2nd class for soldiers only) Here we turned out & could not get a tram & had to carry our full equipment & overcoats with both packs that nearly strangled us, for two miles through the city.
On arrival at Bab-el-Louke railway station we had missed the 12.45 am train, so we had to doss on the station. I pulled down two boxes & turned in & slept till about 3 am when it became bitterly cold & I could only shiver. At last the "Hopeless dawn broke" & I found that a native had been piling blocks of ice alongside that certainly did not warm things . At 5.30 am the train drew out & we arrived a few minutes later at Ma'adi where we again turned out & had to walk another mile with the packs & gear arriving at the Ma'di Light Horse Camp at 6.00 am