Many young men were in the Reserves, including one Patrick Campbell, a (very) junior journalist on the Irish Independent newspaper. Many years later, after covering major news stories in Post-Colonial Africa etc. where he made his legendary reputation, he was for over twenty years along with the veteran broadcaster Frank Muir one of the regular team leaders on BBC2's classic "Call My Bluff" quiz show on BBC television in the UK....and famous for his very bad stutter...
(Campbell on the right, above...)
Every lunchtime during The Emergency he drilled with a Naval Reserve Ack-Ack-crew in Phoenix Park in Dublin - except they had no gun! It was all make-believe drill - and he was the gunner, supposed to shout "bang" when his "Bofors gun" came to bear on any enemy aircraft overhead...
One day, as they drilled, he just couldn't get the word out -
"B....B....B....B...."
"CAMPBELL! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING???"
"It's all right, Sergeant...I'll get the b...b...b...bbloody b...b...b...bbastard on the way b...b...b...bback!"