Part 01: Alan Fraser Fry letters, 8th August 1914- 28 January 1917 - Page 76
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[Page 76]
we were informed that we could not go through the Canal, as it was too dangerous, the Turks being pretty close and intermittently making rushes to try & cross, though they seemed only half-hearted about it. The result was that we entrained at Suez & came on to Cairo that way. The Railway runs right along the canal almost all the way to Ismaila, where we branch off to Cairo, & though it was night when we went through, we could see plainly (it was moonlight) the Indians & New Zealanders entrenched on both sides of the Canal. It seemed to me a funny thing that some 2300 soldiers should make that journey as we did, through hostile country, without even one round of ammunition. Why, had half a dozen Turks managed to reach the line, they could have held up our train & given us a torrid time, & we could have done nothing in return. However they didn't, & I suppose we can consider ourselves lucky. It may seem funny me commenting on the arrangements made by the Authorities, but it is just as things strike me & most likely would strike hundreds of others. Well we travelled all that night, and it was bitterly cold, besides, us we being so cramped up that sleep was out of the question, and arrived at Cairo early next morning (5 am). We then marched out to Abbasseih Camp, some 2 miles