The AIF began 1915 camped in Egypt. In Europe a fierce winter was beginning to set in laying England in a blanket of snow. The military authorities had originally planned to base the Australians in camps on the Salisbury Plain in the south of England however the cold climate had quickly turned that area into a series of quagmires that was seriously effecting the morale of the Canadian troops already there. As no proper accommodation could be assured in England and France for such a large body of men, it was decided to send them to Egypt where they could complete their training in a healthier climate.

At the same the Ottoman’s in Turkey had decided to enter the war on Germany’s side, which caused some concern to the British troops garrisoned to the west of the Suez Canal. So by sending the Australians to Egypt, this would also mean they could help strengthen British defences there and contribute to the security of the country.

So while they were here the Australians undertook further training, interspersed with leave to see the ancient sights of Cairo and the Pyramids. They found the Middle East an exotic environment whose people had peculiar customs and habits and who they looked down upon as being dirty, distasteful and dishonest. They sent home postcards and letters telling stories of what they saw and experienced and fairly soon people at home came to know more about Egypt than they knew about the Northern Territory.