The men aboard "Queen Mary" were originally destined for the Middle East but a decision was made mid-voyage to divert them to the United Kingdom, as part of a larger contingent of Australians that were sent to help bolster the defences there. After making the long passage via Fremantle, Cape Town, and Freetown, the "Queen Mary" arrived off the coast of Gourock, Scotland, on 16 June. The evacuation at Dunkirk had been achieved just two weeks earlier and France had just fallen; Britain was now preparing for a potential cross-Channel invasion. The Australian troops from the 18th Brigade and, eventually, the 25th Brigade, along with various supporting arms, had been despatched to help bolster the island's defences. From Gourock, they entrained and moved south to Tidworth Camp on Salisbury Plain. They remained in Britain for much of the rest of the year, undertaking training, mounting guard, conducting patrols and exercises. A move to Colchester took place in October to afford the Australians a more permanent barracks for the coming winter, as they were mainly under canvas at Tidworth. The following month, as the threat of invasion seemingly passed, they received orders to move to Glasgow to embark on the transport "Otranto", bound for the Middle East where they were to rejoin the rest of the 6th Division.