The Fifth Reinforcements left Wellington on His Majesty's New Zealand Troopship (HMNZT) No. 24 Maunganui on the 13th of June 1915 destined for Egypt, with a stop over in Albany Western Australia. It was a trip that would take approx 6 weeks.
To keep the troops occupied during the passage, the newspaper "The Maunganuian" was produced to keep spirits high. All the troops of the Fifth Reinforcements were mentioned in the roll call within the newspaper, and George is listed in amongst the Corporals of A Company.
Lieutenant James Doran McComish was George’s Platoon officer and left NZ with George and “A” Company of the NZEF’s 5th Reinforcements. Following is part of his diary covering the embarkation from NZ. McComish was a Boer War veteran and well known in French Oceania, Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island as a botanist after the Great War. Lt (later Captain) McComish died in 1948.
12 June 1915 On my 35th birthday, embarked HMNZS No24. (Maunganui) at Wellington after coming by train from Trentham camp & marching through streets where we received a great reception. Transport in company with “Tahiti” (No 25) & Aparuina (No 26) left wharf at 4.30pm & anchored in stream. Raining slightly. Raised anchor & left Wellington at 7.30am on Sunday morning.
13/6/1915 Dull & wet morning & rough seas in Cook’s Strait. Men soon became to get seasick & by evening 75% were ill. Church service at 10am by Rev. Guy Thornton was very enjoyable. On Monday weather still rough & more men sick. On Tuesday weather improved but towards evening became rough again. I am feeling fine & have not been seasick. Hunter, Ashton & Jack very ill. Ellis & Ellison not so bad.
16/6/1915 Weather about the same. Ellis, Ashton & Hunter still sick. Has first parade.
17-18/6/1915 Weather fine.
19/6/1915 Sighted islands N.E. of Tasmania & later Diehl Island off the Victoria coast. During evening passed Wilson’s Promontory. Did boat drill in afternoon. Weather good. Lt. Ashton moved to hospital with measles.
20/6/1915 Weather fair. Dr Savage performed two operations for appendicitis. Driver JJ Merrick died in Transport No 26 of Meningitis. Lost sight of land.
21/6/1915 All ships stopped for 5 minutues at 10am while Driver Merrick buried.
23-25/6/1915 Weather slightly rough.
26/6/1915 Reached Albany at 7am. Went ashore for route march & afternoon had leave till midnight. Weather wet. Motored to King River with Ellis, Ellison, Hunter, Jack, Butler, Henderson. ??, Nice trip & we had a good look around Albany. Climbed to top of Mt Clarence.
28/6/1915 Monday, drew out from the wharf about 8am to finish coaling in stream.
29/6/1915 Left Albany about 9am. Developed a bad attack of influenza & was in bed for three days. The day we left Albany, we parted from “Tahiti & Aparima”, we are heading for Suez direct, while the other two transports are probably calling at Colombo. Weather still bad.
2/7/1915 Weather improving & beginning to get warm.
5/7/1915 “A” Company vaccinated.
7-8/7/1915 Sports meeting held both afternoons. Weather very warm.
12/7/1915 Crossed the equator about midnight.
13/7/1915 Onwards. Weather extremely hot.
16/7/1915 Sighted Cape Guardafui. Along coastline several native villages could be seen, with people moving about. Also, 2 fairly large towns.
17/7/1915 At night went into wireless room & listen for a long time to messages between Aden & Bere Bera & between various ships arriving then, being 3 British Cruisers & the Alnwick Castle & the Menomince & Masobra.
18/7/1915 Passed abaout 20 miles from Aden during last night & about 6am passed Mayyun Island, the building won which could be plainly seen. Shortly afterwards the town of Mocha came into sight. Many steamers passing among them, the hospital ship ‘Syria', with invalided Indian soldiers, & the Dutch steamer “Tabana” of Rotterdam, which came fairly close. Passed Abuoil Lighthouse on one of two small islands. Very pretty. My vaccination proved successful. Mr Jack has a very bad arm & was very sick. Mr Hunter was also seasick again for 2 or 3 days, about 11th to 13th.
21/7/1915 Passed “Brothers” light during the day & Shadwan lights at night.
22/7/1915 Arrived off Suez 12.45pm & anchored in stream.
23/7/1915 Landed at Port Tewfirk & entrained for Zeitoun Camp near Cairo, arrived there at 2am.
24/7/1915 - 2/8/1915 "Got orders to be ready to leave for front at anytime. Left Hunter behind to go into School of Instruction. Weather very warm, men suffering greatly from diarrhoea.
Today to 3rd of August in camp at Zeitoun & training in the desert. Visited Cairo several times. Very dirty & immoral city, but some of the suburbs (Ghezureh for instance) where Government officials live are very nice. Very interesting place, all nationalities represented. The lower class of people (great beggars) & always ask for “backsleesh” over & above amount agreed for anything. Visited pyramids & Sphinx at Giza, & found them very interesting. Also saw in distance Pyramids of Sakara & others the names of which I have forgotten. Visited the principal scenes of interest in & around Cairo.
While at Zeitoun Camp, met Sgt. Bollinger (friend of Jack’s), Barney McGeehan, Jack Young (Arthur Aldridge's Brother in Law) & Reggy Pike formally of Hamilton, who came out with Main Body & is employed in ordnance stores. "
3/8/1915 9.30 left Zeitoun for Alexandria were we arrived about 3pm & embarked on Transport B21 “Sahurmia” of the Donaldson Line of Glasgow formally an emigrant ship on the Canadian run. She is a very unsatisfactory transport. About 2300 men of various units on board, weather fine. In evening had a look round Alexandria & found it to be much cleaner & nicer than Cairo.