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Alan-Carcary

A veteran interview with

Alan Carcary

Alan Carcary has an ‘amazing’ story: a boy immersed in music who became a member of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards

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About Alan Carcary

Alan reflects on his extensive career as a euphonium player in the military band, which began at age 16 when he auditioned for the army band, driven by his lifelong love of music. He fondly recalls his time at Kneller Hall, which he describes as the historic home of military music and his experiences performing for the community on numerous occasions. In 1972, his band’s single of Amazing Grace became number one in the charts, and they were invited to tour Australia. Alan also toured extensively across America and Europe, including a visit to St. Petersburg in Rome, where his band was invited to breakfast with Pope John Paul II and performed for President Reagan at the White House. In 1977, a particularly busy year, the band played at numerous royal engagements, including at Buckingham Palace, where Alan met the Queen. He recounts his deployment to the Gulf in 1990, where he served as a medic, treating many casualties and the band kept the soldiers’ spirits high by organising a Christmas concert. Alan highlights the emotional challenges band members faced during and after the Gulf War, particularly with limited support.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Kitty Wright

Transcripts:
Please note that transcripts and closed captions in the video player are automatically generated by Vimeo.

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Home | Veterans | Alan Carcary

A veteran interview with

Alan Carcary

Alan-Carcary

Alan Carcary has an ‘amazing’ story: a boy immersed in music who became a member of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Carcary, Alan. A Veteran Interview with Alan Carcary. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, n.d. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/alan-carcary/. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.
APA Style:
Carcary, A. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Alan Carcary [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved September 12, 2026, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/alan-carcary/
Chicago Style:
Carcary, Alan. n.d.. A Veteran Interview with Alan Carcary. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee. Accessed September 12, 2026. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/alan-carcary/
Harvard Style:
Carcary, A. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Alan Carcary. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/alan-carcary/ (Accessed: 12 September 2026)
Vancouver Style:
Carcary, A. A Veteran Interview with Alan Carcary [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; n.d. [cited 2026 Sep 12]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/alan-carcary/
An interview with

Peter Ford

Serving in the Royal Army Service Corps, Peter tells of his time in Korea as a driver and the difficult conditions they encountered.

Following completion of an apprenticeship, Peter signed on as a regular in the Army for three years in 1951, because it meant he could choose where he wanted to serve. After training, he served in the Royal Army Service Corps as a driver. He tells of a posting to HQ Southern Command and from there being sent to Korea. Like many others, he explains that he hadn’t heard of Korea before this. Embarking at Southampton on the Empire Fowey, he and his compatriots travelled first to Japan. He recounts the journey from Japan to Korea, travelling through Hiroshima and seeing the crater, following which he was parachuted into Seoul. He was posted to the 26th Field Ambulance Division and drove both ambulances and transport. He tells of the poor conditions of the roads and the impact of the weather on their work, including that their trucks would freeze during the winter if not looked after properly. At the end of the Korean War, Peter tells of his brief foray into athletics, running for the battalion. He was then posted to Hong Kong. He expresses frustration at the lack of attention given to the Korean war in comparison to other wars.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker