Clarence Obi details the racism he experienced serving with the Royal Pioneer Corps in the 1970s after being spurred to join the Army by his curiosity and inspiration from his father. Training was by far his favourite part of his army career; it was tough but varied and always left him feeling physically and mentally fit, something he couldn’t say about the rest of his service.   His first experience with the army's prejudice came when his staff sergeant beat him until he bled in front of 30 to 40 people and suffered no consequences for his crime. The next time he was beaten was during a sports day, when a lieutenant officer used a pacer stick to nearly blind him while the other officers turned a blind eye. When kicked by his corporal for tying his laces, he made the mistake of reporting it to his colonel, staff sergeant, and sergeant major, who then proceeded to kick Clarence themselves.  Clarence had wanted to make a career out of the army but left after finding all the rules and regulations overly restrictive for him and easily abused by others. No matter how many exams he passed, he was stuck doing repetitive physical labour with no chance of promotion, being sent abroad or advancing himself in any way. Even though he possessed an exemplary record and was wearing the same uniform as everyone else, he was treated like an animal rather than an equal and he had had enough.

In 1942, Fred undertook 16 weeks of infantry training in Reading, joining the fifth battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment. He was first sent to Marlborough in Suffolk to undertake beach defence, but after the Germans did not land there, he was reassigned to Scotland to train in a beach group for the Normandy landings alongside a Canadian division. He trained in small assault craft out to sea and undertook extensive training in handling different cargo and rope tying, becoming an experienced stevedore, a loader and unloader of ships. Fred was next stationed near Waterlooville for further training, before going to Southampton Number 1 dock to sail for Normandy with many other ships. He describes being caught in a storm and sheltering in Calshot before being allowed to leave the harbour. Fred describes the chaos and noise of the gun battles and shell fire of the Normandy landings. Whilst there he manned a Bren gun that he was proud to have never left during Operation Overlord. Fred unloaded thousands upon thousands of cargo, including barbed wire, rations and other essential supplies, sometimes standing in four foot of water. At the same time, he was also helped to move prisoners, casualties and many bodies from the beach after joining the Forth Wiltshire Regiments platoon. Fred describes being wounded and the nightmares he suffered with but also reflects on the importance of his regiment mates for team moral during and after the war.  

John Ingle grew up in rural Cambridgeshire during the Second World War, he witnessed aerial combat above his home, saw the effects of bombing at close hand and developed a lifelong love of farming and the countryside. Like many young men of his generation, he expected his future to lie elsewhere. National Service changed everything. Originally hoping for a career in agriculture, John instead found himself in uniform, first training in England before travelling across the world to Hong Kong and eventually Korea. Serving with the Royal Fusiliers, he became a transport driver – a role that demanded skill, courage and nerves of steel. Driving alone at night on narrow mountain roads without lights, often under enemy fire, John experienced a very different side of the Korean War. His story reveals the hidden dangers faced by the men who kept the front line supplied: carrying ammunition, transporting troops, recovering casualties and navigating some of the most difficult terrain imaginable. Along the way, John encountered extraordinary characters. He recalls Cockney Fusiliers who became lifelong comrades, soldiers struggling with the psychological strain of war, acts of remarkable bravery and moments of humanity that have remained with him for more than seventy years. His memories also extend beyond the battlefield. He describes the poverty he witnessed among Korean civilians, the kindness of local people, the friendships formed within the regiment and the experiences that shaped him long after National Service ended. Thoughtful, candid and often humorous, John’s interview provides a vivid account of a war that many people know little about, told by a man who remains deeply proud of his service and of the Royal Fusiliers.