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Clifford Oakes had not been seasick on the voyage and found watching the sea a most pleasant experience. His contingent was moved to a permanent camp at Maadi, seven miles from Cairo and a small bundle of letters to his wife and children fives some idea of his experiences. He bought presents for his family , gave his wife and son advice on maintaining the fences and looking after the horses on the farm. There were meetings with people he knew from Australia and on his days of leave went in to Cairo or visited the Pyramids. He described the food they ate in detail and complained that he was getting so fat that his uniform did not fit and he might have to get another one made at his own expense.

While he was away he worred about the payment of his salary to his family. He noted that they would get 6/2 a day less than when he was in camp and he advised Jane to check that she was being paid correctly. She maintained the farm and had the water connected to the house which he thought would be "very handy in the winter time".

In 1916 the Remount Unit was disbanded because new war techniques had made horses obsolete. Clifford's services were no longer required so he was returned to Australia on the Seang Bee in April 1916 and discharged from the army in June 1916. After his return from the war he found it difficult to get a job. At first he worked for the Council on the roads. Then Jane saw an advertisement for a warder for the Mental Hospital in Parramatta and was concerned about telling him of it because she felt he may be sensitive about it as his father had died in a mental hospital. Nevertheless she did show it to him and Clifford applied for and got the job where he stayed until his retirement. Jane applied to run the Post Office which was conducted in the family sitting room until, when Wyn was about 16, one of her boyfriend's fathers put on the verandah at the side and the Post Office became part of it. Jane used to drive the sulky into Fairfield twice a day to get the mail. After his retirement, Clifford spent his superannuation in setting up a little shop in the house in opposition to Godfrey's, but it petered out and he was able to get the pension and began to deliver the mail in the district by horse and sulky.

When Clifford and Jane Oakes first came to Fairfield West the roads were unmade. Rawson Road where they lived was just being constructed and the road to Fairfield was all red dust and very badly potholed. There was no school close so the children walked all the way to Smithfielf. The track was through the bush and they would run to a refuge house in the bush when they encountered strange men on their way. Mr Fuller was the headmaster there and there was a kindergarten teacher who had been there for generations.

When Wyn was in the third class they were taken from Smithfield School and sent to Fairfield School. They were taken in to Fairfield by sulky in the morning but had to walk home in the afternoon. Teachers found Wyn difficult because she was very busy, active and talkative, whereas Nancy was more studious and attentice. Wyn was good at sport and was always first to be chosen for the Rounders team.