Bryant’s diary:  Friday 21^st November 1941

The train left Cairo in the morning for Kantara.  We arrived at mid-day but the train doesn’t leave until 9 o’clock tonight, so I paid a visit to the hospital and looked up some of our friends.  Our officer in charge of the leave party worked his head and convinced the R.T.O. that there was not enough room and we have to stay at the staging camp for a few days.  This means a visit to Port Said.

Bryant’s diary:  Saturday 22^nd November 1941

The O.C. Staging Camp granted us all leave to Port Said for three days.  It was easy to get a life from Kantara.  I spent the day very quietly.  Port Said puts Haifa in second place for the best city in the Middle East.  The prices are cheaper that (sic) any other place, it is cleaner and at last there is a place where Australians are popular with the locals.

Bryant’s diary:  Sunday 23^rd November 1941

Visited Port Fouad and had a very lazy day.

Bryant’s diary:  Monday 24^th November 1941

We returned to Kantara but we are still being held up on account of a large number of troops passing through from Aussie. 

Bryant’s diary:  Tuesday 25^th November 1941

Troops still kept passing through but we got away in the night all right.  We travelled first-class.

Bryant’s diary:  Wednesday 26^th November 1941

We reached camp at about 5:30 this morning and I had the honour of being orderly corporal for the day.  The Sjt-Major (“Gertie” Cortis) is an old woman and a...nuisance.

Bryant’s diary:  Thursday 27^th November 1941

A route march in the morning and sports in the afternoon.