Baden Singleton shares his life as a young Seaman while serving in the Royal Naval Patrol Service. His fascination with the Navy began early as a boy when he found a Seaman's hat on the beach. He recalls the exhaustive experience of working in a smaller crew. He speaks about how the RNPS was ridiculed by others, earning nicknames such as  'Churchill's Pirates' after a visit from Winston Churchill who referred to them as pirates due to their lack of Naval clothing. After his deployment, he went on many perilous journeys through the Mediterranean and Atlantic seas, serving aboard the HMS Romeo and HMS Wolborough which were responsible for sweeping naval mines. Despite his hardships, he developed a strong sense of camaraderie and respect not just for his fellow Naval men but also for other Seamen and the ships they served. He reflects sentimentally on how the HMS Romeo was once berthed alongside the SS Ohio, the same ship which played a vital role in Operation Pedestal, the convoy which saved the people of Malta from starvation. Throughout the chaos of the war, he still managed to find moments of cordiality. On one occasion, he met a woman at a brothel in Alexandria where he was based, with whom he developed a nice friendship. Baden's interview offers insight into the honour and delightfulness but also into the adversity that comes from being a Naval man during World War II.

Phillip Govett served with the 117 Pioneer Company. He landed in Normandy on D plus 6 and moved through France, Belgium, and Holland. His main duties included supporting command supply depots (CSDs), prisoner of war camps, and providing supplies like ammunition and water. The unit experienced a rough time outside of Caen and had to dig in. They faced the dangers of mines, with one sergeant being severely injured by a booby trap. Phillip’s company waited to move up, but the advance was delayed due to the fighting at Caen. Phillip's journey took him near the German-Holland border, where they were in a forward area of a prisoner of war camp holding thousands of German prisoners.

On the 6th May 1943, George French joined the 2nd Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps and trained in York before travelling to Southampton when he set off to land on Juno beach on D+3. In this interview, he shares the stories of his first day arriving on the mine-covered, chaotic beaches and the triumph of covering nearly 80 miles on the way to Caen to close the Falaise gap. George tells how he had a "shoot and ask questions later" approach as he was a young man learning the horrors of war, even if at first it felt like an adventure. After sadly losing many friends that he had trained with, he was amongst the lucky 3 left surviving out his 30-man battalion. Until he is no longer able to, he ensures to attend ceremonies commemorating the fallen and continues to reminisce on the strong bonds that they had built together. George reflects on the tough memories of his time as a soldier seeing those you know die and feeling as if you could have saved others. Despite being an upsetting account, George's stoic manner and ease at storytelling allows for an interesting interview.

Alan King shares the reality of the D-Day landings: chaos, carnage, noise, and confusion. Alan, a radio operator in the East Riding Yeomanry, tells of the storm in June 1944 that delayed the D-Day landings, and the chaos he witnessed as a young, inexperienced soldier landing on the Normandy beach of Luc-sur-Mer. He recounts crawling up the beach under a barrage of enemy fire, the tremendous noise, the carnage all around, and the death of his commanding officer, leaving them without direction. He recalls his involvement in the Battle of Goodwood, part of the larger battle for Caen, and tells how his crew commander died in his arms. Alan’s interview captures the horror and the unknown that many young men bravely faced. He witnessed people ‘dying all around’ but keeps the memory of his lost friends alive through regular trips to Normandy to visit their graves.

Leon Gautier joined the French navy in 1940 to fight against the German invasion. He retreated to England, where he would join the Free French and serve as a gunner on both battleships and submarines (The Surcouf). In 1941 he joined the French Marines and served all over Africa and the Middle East. It was in Africa that Leon volunteered for the commandos. He was shipped to Scotland, where he undertook the brutal training regime to become a ‘Beret Vert’. When he had completed his training, Leon travelled down to Portsmouth, where, on 5^th June 1944 he was sent to Normandy for the D-Day invasion. Leon provides a vividly accurate first-hand account of 78 straight days (without relief) on the Normandy front lines. He recounts the sights and sounds of the initial landing at Ouistreham, life on the front lines in the early days of the invasion and repelling the German counterattack at Amfreville. Leon served until August 1944, when he was excited to return to the U.K. and be reunited with his wife Dorothy. It is a truly remarkable interview that reinforces the important role that the Free French Commandos played in the D-Day invasion.

Dennis Bowen retells how as a naive teenager he joined his heroes in the army motivated by the harm World War 2 was having on the UK, the realities of war shattering all of his childish expectations. Initially being too young to fight he served as a demonstrator but due to the lack of action and the overestimation of his own abilities the job felt like a complete waste to him.   Upon reaching 18 he was sent to France as part of the D Day invasion force and was finally among the British soldiers he had always idolised. Whilst Dennis found himself trembling with excitement the older soldiers remained blasé, the realisation of how much experience he truly lacked immediately hitting him. He was shocked to witness them reflexively kill German soldiers before they could even try to surrender but overtime he also found himself treating them more like moving targets than people.   Dennis felt no longer human and like the battle would never end as everything except fighting was leaving his mind; there was no time for hunger, fatigue or pain, only fear, anxiety and excitement. Occasionally the thought of giving up did slip through but the fact none of his fellow soldiers had done so forced him to keep going as to not let them and especially those who had died down. When serious injuries temporarily left him unable to fight Dennis was so angry to be out of the battle he felt none of the physical pain as potentially letting everybody down was so much more distressing to him.  

Wally Beall had always wanted to join the navy, but when WW2 started he worked in a reserved occupation making lenses for binoculars and naval instruments. He struggled to leave the work until finally, in 1943, he joined the navy as an electrician. Wally was soon assigned to the landing craft that would make the first trip across the channel for D-Day. He shares his memories of the initial crossing, the first landing on Utah Beach amidst shelling and the subsequent trips to and from France as his craft delivered tanks, supplies and personnel to multiple beaches over the following days. As part of his story, he recalls a particularly close shave on a return trip to France, when his craft came side by side with a floating water mine. He describes the desperate efforts of his crew mates to push the mine further away using brooms and whatever else they could find onboard. Wally's interview especially highlights the camaraderie aboard ships in the Royal Navy, as well as the international effort of D-Day as he worked alongside Americans and Australians.

Bert Haddrall recounts how he was 19 when he arrived on the Normandy beaches in war, which was far away from his so far sheltered life. Memories of dead cattle in fields and men screaming in terror were some of the horrific sights which met the 4th Battalion, Dorset Regiment, A Company Runner. Bert remembers being frightened, 'anyone who says they weren't afraid, I'm afraid I don't believe them.' Following a Nebelwefer attack at Hill 112, Bert was badly wounded. He recalls his memories of the kindness he received from others. Recounting how a corporal shielded Bert from further injury by covering him with his own body. Bert describes the treatment he received and people he met in hospital as wonderful. Bert's interview captures his honest emotions of both fear and pride when serving at 19. He talks about the sights he witnessed and wounds he endured, but also the kindness and care he was given.

Arthur Cant provides a compelling tale about his contributions during the D-Day landings while serving with the Royal Military Police. He recalls being responsible for the capture of enemy prisoners in Normandy to help clear a path for the allied troops towards Belgium. He recounts his first departure for Normandy, how the police corps managed to capture three hundred prisoners and took them aboard their ship. Following their capture, the corps then supplied the ship with five hundred bottles of soap so the prisoners could clean themselves, showing the generosity of the English. After clearing all the prisoners from Normandy, Cant was reassigned to a Landing Ship Tank (LST) from Southampton to capture prisoners near Belgium as the allies made their course. He remembers the interception of a German warship and how one out of three LSTs sank in a successful mission, exporting another three hundred prisoners. Until his eventual posting to Egypt, Cant estimates exporting more than nine hundred prisoners. Cant's story gives insight into the military tactics used by the Royal Military Police and is an example of how success against the enemy does not always mean violence or mistreatment.

Lewis Trinder joined the Royal Navy on his 18th birthday in 1942, as his father had done before him. After training he went to sea on HMS Fleetwood, an escort ship based at Gibraltar. The ship was used in convoys to West Africa. On his second convoy a stricken U-Boat U528 was spotted by an aircraft and Fleetwood located it and released depth charges forcing it to the surface where it was shelled. Fleetwood took on board the surviving 45 crew. After Fleetwood was sent for a refit, Trinder joined HMS Magpie as a plotter. Magpie was a convoy escort ship in both the Atlantic and Arctic, before being used on assault convoys in the English Channel for D Day. In August 1944 the ship was used to clearing a path across the Channel for laying a fuel line from the Isle of Wight to Cherbourg as part of Operation PLUTO. After this Magpie was stood down for a refit in November 1944 and Trinder joined HMS Opossum which was sent to the Far East, joining the British Pacific Fleet and was deployed on patrol duties based out of Hong Kong. Trinder opted to be demobbed in 1946 and retuned to the UK.