DRILL HALL EXTENSIONS

Evening Star, Issue 24005, 2 October 1941, Page 6

DRILL HALL EXTENSIONS

NEARING COMPLETION EXPANSION OF WORK In about a fortnight's time tho extensive alterations to the Kensington Drill Hall will bo completed. These alterations, which were begun some weeks ago, became necessary through the really enormous increase in the volume of work in the last 12 months, and considerably more office and stores space has been required, particularly the latter. The bringing up’of existing units to full war strength and the establishment of some 1U new units soon revealed tho hopeless inadequacy of the arranngements which had functioned for so many years. The additional stores have been built on the ground floor, under the balcony, some considerable space previously dead thus being utilised. The stores bavo been constructed on both the southern and northern sides of the building, and the entire northern side is now lined with various new unit stores. Each of these store rooms has meant the knocking out of sections of the outside wall, previously blank, so that steel-sashed windows could bo introduced. On the southern side four or five double entrance doors, for which no purpose has been found for years, have been bricked up with the exception of space for windows, This exterior of the building now presents a uniform appearance along its length. The construction of so many store • rooms has not detracted from the area of the parade ground, as it was rare for use to bo made of the sections under the balcony. A new loading bank has also been erected. In addition to the store rooms, several offices have been or are being prepared. At the eastern end of the building the space formerly occupied by a large canteen is being converted into the Records Office, at present found at the western end. Those will bo larger, brighter, and better laid-out quarters than those which have served since the outbreak of the war. When hostilities commenced there was a staff of only three or four in the Records Office, but this has now grown to 10 times that size, and the question of accommodating tho clerical workers satisfactorily has for some while constituted a major problem. _ Space, too, has been exceedingly limited for the huge filing system that is necessary. Each man whose records are kept has something like 37 forms filed away, and altogether there are more than 10,000 files, which cover the personal and medical history of every man who has been called on. no matter what his grading may be. Naturally, the longer the war lasts the more files there will be, with a consequent expansion of the clerical side of the work. A smaller canteen will bo built at the eastern end of the building near to the site of the one now giving way to the Records Office, and certain other office changes will also be made.