Dennis loved planes as a child, having lived near the American airbase in Northern Ireland. He joined up as an RAF Halton apprentice at aged 16 and describes an extensive and wide-ranging education, working on Spitfires, Hurricanes and even a Mosquito. On completion of his apprenticeship, Dennis was posted to South Wales for 1 year of improver training, during which he worked on Mark 3A and 4 Meteors and then transferred to Pembroke Dock, where he worked on the Sunderland Flying boats. It was from here, that in 1952 he was posted to Korea at short notice. He was based near the Imjin River with the British Army and tasked with working on the Auster aircraft. He describes in detail the work he had to do to keep them flying and the many experiences he had during his time there. The winters were very difficult and he tells of the ingenuity of the British troops in overcoming some of the hardships. He was also posted to the aircraft carrier HMS Glory for one tour, he was clearly fascinated by the operations on board ship. He returned home to his wife and a 23-month-old daughter whom he had never met.

Harry Hawksworth joined 1^st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment, spending his first 18 months after basic training in Bermuda. After returning to the UK, the battalion was warned off for Korea, so completed training at Thetford and then deployed by troop ship, a journey taking over six weeks to travel via places like Gibraltar, Sri Lanka and Singapore. The battalion initially marched to the Yalu River without encountering any enemy forces, but then withdrew to defensive positions on the Imjin river, where they were attacked by the Chinese from 22-25 April 1950 until they ran out of ammunition and surrendered. As the NCO in command of the company’s 2 inch mortar, Harry provides insights into the harrowing battle and its aftermath: his company was driven off a small hill, withdrawing to Hill 235 (now Gloster Hill); the Gloucesters’ bugler playing every bugle order he could remember to confuse the Chinese, who relied on bugles to pass orders; dismantling their weapons prior to surrendering; the 6-week march into captivity; escape, recapture and punishment; losing two of his best friends during two years in captivity.

Born into a military family, John begins by talking about his life as a boy during the Second World War. John left school at fourteen, moving from one job to the other until he joined the Army Apprentice School. Here, he continued his education while training as a mechanic. Afterwards, he underwent his basic training as a mechanic in Arborfield, Berkshire, before joining the Royal Electrical and Medical Engineers (REME) as a craftsman. After a series of injections, John, now nineteen, was kitted out, ready to be sent to Korea, a place he had never heard of before. First, the 121 REME’s were sent to the Reinforcement Base Depot in Japan to train for the Korean terrain. However, John sustained a knee injury playing football with his comrades, causing him to spend three more weeks in Japan recovering. When reunited with his mates in Pusan, South Korea, John recalls his shock at seeing the ‘horrendous’ conditions that people lived in. John’s first assignment was at an American airbase on Koji Island, repairing vehicles, later travelling to Seoul and the Yong Dong Po. During this time, his boss was Dutchie Holland, a man John speaks very fondly about, describing him as a father to the men. John talks about the charge sheets he used to receive, most often for carrying too many vehicles in at the same time, as well as recalling the harsh extremes of conditions in the workshop, both bitterly cold and boiling hot. In his time in Korea, John serviced lots of vehicles, including mobile bakeries, laundry vehicles, and k2 ambulances, as well as a Centurion tank that had been blown up, which was not a pleasant experience to work on. John talks of what Christmas day was like as a soldier, the time off, the gift of rum, and the food eaten. After returning to England on HMT Dunera, John was told that he had earned himself some stripes, a moment he was incredibly proud of. Thank you for such a fascinating interview John.

Charles Bull joined the Navy at 17 out of disillusionment with his initial career as a clerk, serving for 27 years and reaching Warrant Officer. His first ship assignment was HMS Kenya, where he worked in the pay office. The Kenya was never really in reserve, and most the ship's company were National Servicemen. During his time in Korea, he worked long hours, even more than during his defence stations. Bull and his team had to manage the pay documents for these servicemen, which was a major challenge. His Navy training was a stark contrast to his previous life, involving rigorous discipline and new responsibilities like preparing meals and seamanship training. He found the transition to ship life was challenging, with long hours and the need to catch up on paperwork. Despite the hardships, he found the experience valuable. He also talks about his first overseas experience in Malta, where he encountered cultural differences, including the taste of imported eggs and the presence of licensed prostitutes.

Having been born and brought up in Chester, Neville enlisted in 1951, at aged 21, in the Welch Fusiliers following completion of a civil engineering apprenticeship. Early on in his training, Neville was promoted to Lance Corporal and eventually became a signaller. He describes how early on, he sensed they were being prepared for battle although when he was told that they were going to Korea, like many others, he didn’t know anything about the country. Following arrival in Korea, he and his compatriots underwent a 48-hour train journey, during which Neville describes learning about the Korean People. He tells of a great admiration for them, their skills and their hard work. Initially stationed in Pioneer Hill on the 38th Parallel, his account describes in detail the hugely challenging conditions under which they lived and fought, much of it like WWI. His narrative offers powerful insights into the trials associated with fighting, the personal impact and the ways in which soldiers were supported. He also highlights the factors that enable survival in these conditions, including the value of the close bond forged between soldiers. Finally, he offers his reflections on the necessity of war.

Having served in the Irish Army in 1943 to 44, ‘Paddy’ was discharged along with many of his compatriots, so he enlisted in the British Army. Even though he was Irish, on the advice of his father, he joined the Manchester regiment in Liverpool. From there, Paddy volunteered to join the Commandos and transferred to Achnacarry in Scotland in 1944. Although the training was gruelling, he succeeded and was proud to achieve his beret. Transferring to Wrexham in 1945, he was selected for special training and then posted to the Far East, training for Operation Nipper. Surrender following the second atom bomb resulted in redirection to the Malacca Straits and from there to the Middle East. Paddy describes serving in Egypt and then Israel and then in 1948, being posted to London, where he was on guard during the night of King Charles’s birth. Subsequently posted again to the Far East, it was in 1949 that he was sent to Korea. He tells of many battles and experiences including Operation Rowley, the taking and loss of Pyongyang and Kunu-ri. Paddy is critical of the behaviour of the American Military in Korea. Ultimately, Paddy expresses the view that war is futile.

Born in 1931, Ronald George Yardley faced the hardships of wartime as a child. At 18, he joined the Navy, trained for six weeks at HMS Royal Arthur, and became a Wireless Telegraphist. He later served on HMS Belfast and was deployed to Korea. Ron remembers the immense cold as they journeyed closer to Korea, travelling through frozen seas. When the Belfast arrived in Korea the bombardment and involvement in the war started immediately. He remembers a sad moment when the ship’s water pipes burst after being hit by enemy fire, scalding a soldier to death. Ron also recalls two marines who died on a mission, their bodies never recovered. Ron recounts a heartfelt moment when a young orphan from his mess deck, who never received letters, asked if Ron could read some of his own to help him feel connected to life back home. After leaving HMS Belfast, Ron was posted to HMS Royal Prince in Germany, where he carried out exercises on Hermann Goering’s luxury yacht. He remains deeply thankful to the South Koreans for funding the National Korean War Memorial, a place he proudly takes his grandchildren to.

In his interview he talks about his early life in Liverpool including recollections of the blitz and his first job as a rat-catcher. On the way to Korea, Alan and a friend set-up a make-shift photographic studio taking pics of some of the families that were also en-route to the Far East. He arrives in Pusan and then travels towards the front line where the desolation and cold are striking memories. Alan’s unit, a tight-knit group of 30 specialists, was tasked with teaching soldiers on disease prevention and health and hygiene. He talks in detail about his work including the various medications and processes for keeping the troops fighting fit. He reflects that despite the brutality of the war, there were surprisingly few cases of mental trauma. Alan was in Korea during the ceasefire. When he returned to England he married and became an army reservist. One morning he receives a telegram and by the afternoon he was back in barracks.  Then he's posted to the Suez and the start of a difficult posting. In later life, Alan became President of the British Korean Veterans Association and was instrumental in the building of the Korean War memorial on London's SouthBank.

Growing up in Cosford during the Second World War, Geoffrey Grimley became familiar with military surroundings from a young age. School geography lessons instilled in him an interest in Japan, and when conscription came at 19 years old, he registered with a preference to be stationed in the far-East. Geoffrey's childhood near an RAF base discouraged him from the airforce, so he instead became listed as a Signalman. The 6-month training period Geoffrey completed in Catterick taught him to decipher up to 14 words of Morse Code per minute. After a single excursion to a firing range, Geoffrey boarded a Devonshire 'Bibby Line' to Singapore. The journey took six weeks, and just a few weeks after his arrival, he journeyed on to Hong Kong. One bad winter later, Geoffrey left Kowloon Harbour to the sound of the Royal Ulster Rifles Pipe Band for the final leg of his journey to Korea. He arrived with the Kings Own Scottish Borderers on St. George's Day, 1951. Geoffrey recalls unsettled weather, mischievous tank drivers, and entertainment within his Brigade, including a boxing match between the KOSBs and a professional Filipino sportsman. Geoffrey was soon stationed at the Battle of Kapyong. Geoffrey's interview was cut short before sharing further details of his service due to his feeling unwell, but the beginning of his story creates a vivid, and at times, humorous, picture of his journey to becoming a Signalman.

John Boyd grew up in Essex, the son of a cowman, and was called up for National Service in the early 1950s. After a string of rejections from other corps, he found himself posted to the Royal Signals via the REME — a twist of fate that would send him far from home.

On his way to Germany, John seized the chance to volunteer for Korea. He recalls the long sea crossing, a sobering stop in Hiroshima, and his first days on the frontline. There he was issued with a 19 set radio — built originally for the Russian Army and still marked with Cyrillic script — which became his responsibility.

In his interview, John shares detailed memories of signal work, from wiring and exchanges to his time attached to an American unit where discipline was rather different. His stories are punctuated with humour — a lorry fire, the quirks of kit — but also moments of sadness, particularly the loss of a comrade to haemorrhagic fever. John’s reflections offer a vivid glimpse into the vital, and often overlooked, role of communications in Korea.

John Pound served with the Royal Navy in the Korean War from 1952 to 1954. Aged 19, he travelled to Korea on the Empire Pride before boarding HMS Charity, the small C-Class destroyer upon which John was based for the duration of the war. Prior to this overseas engagement, he had spent his first two years in the Navy training at Victoria Barracks and aboard HMS Bulwark and HMS Vanguard. Trained as a radar plotter, 3rd class, John shares his experience of work aboard HMS Charity in the operations room and details what his role entailed. He also talks about life out at sea, including the freezing conditions, the system of currency around rum rations, swimming in the Yellow Sea, and visiting the American base in Sasebo and the Australian base at Kure. Recalling having to be on action stations at all times, John delves into the dangers involved in his naval duties, including one particular Easter Sunday when Korean batteries hidden in caves ambushed their ship! Upon leaving HMS Charity, John returned home and completed his radar plotter course, 2nd class, before being assigned to the HMS Albion. Now a proud member of the Suffolk Korean Veteran’s Association, John’s story permits a wonderful insight into what life was like aboard a Royal Navy ship during the Korean War.