One of the consequences of the present war in the air was the rapid expansion of our own anti-aircraft defences. A conversation I had yesterday with a friend of mine in an A.A. battalion brought home to me very keenly just what this expansion meant for a lot of those gallant young men who gave up comfortable positions and homes to serve their country during the emergency.
Outposts had to be established quickly, and there was no time to delay over the provision of amenities - the main thing was to put the men and guns where they were most likely to be needed. Here the men lead a hard life under active service conditions, and the big problem is the provision of something to fill in the long weary periods of waiting and watching.
To help in some way to solve this problem a library was established for supplying the outposts with books and magazines, and this has proved a real boon to the men. The library, of course, depends upon voluntary contributions, and my friend informed me that it urgently requires replenishment of its stock.
It seems to me that this is a most deserving cause, and if any of my readers have books or magazines they do not want, I suggest that they either send them direct to the library or else communicate with the librarian, when arrangements can be made for their collection.
The Irish Times, March 1st, 1941