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Story: First World War

Zeitoun camp, Egypt, 1914–15

Contrary to expectations, the main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force did not go straight to Europe, but disembarked from their ships at Alexandria in Egypt and went by train to Zeitoun, near Cairo. This short excerpt from the National Film Unit 1973 series, 'The years back,' shows the troops arriving in Alexandria and then training with their horses in the desert sands around the camp.

Using this item

Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: The years back: the twentieth century. National Film Unit, 1973.

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

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How to cite this page

Ian McGibbon, First World War – Gallipoli and the war against Turkey, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/34110/zeitoun-camp-egypt-1914-15 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ian McGibbon, published 16 April 2012.

Comments

Lorraine Watchorn
01 September 2015
My uncle, Fred Kelly, could well have been amongst the troops filmed. I am grateful for this footage. This footage, and their like, needs to be freely accessed and shared.
L
25 April 2014
please post these archived videos and photographs to public forums where they can be shared and others taught - lest we forget.
Jeanie CLark
21 April 2014
17th Signallers course at Imperial School of Instruction was held here in Dec 1917