Troops in combat positions had limited time to spend on reading and more limited access to entertainment, and so the nature of the war itself helped shape experiences of education and entertainment. Changes in technology and culture that had taken place through the interwar period further shaped changes in the forms and experiences of education and entertainment. The experiences of Australian soldiers in World War II were, as in World War I, linked to those fighting forces. In North Africa, Australian soldiers fought alongside other forces of the British Empire; they found themselves far from home and education, and entertainment efforts took some time to be organized. Military hospitals should be milestones on the way to education', he concluded, and spiritual enlightenment for the patients, for soldiers who face pain and lonely hours. The Australian Army Education Service (AES) largely helped to meet this need, but Kelen's commentary suggests that not all patients had ready access to educational libraries.