John Ramage was born in Bromley, South East London, and spent his childhood in Gravesend, North Kent. He attended King's School Rochester and was encouraged by his parents to pursue a career in medicine, despite having no doctors in the family. He attended medical school at Westminster Hospital in King's College, qualifying in 1978. He joined the Navy, initially serving with the Marines from 1979 to 1982. As the only doctor in a Commando unit (and later on a fighting ship), John faced significant responsibilities, making critical decisions without external support. His deployment to Northern Ireland was particularly challenging, involving high-risk situations such as responding to bombings and shootings. John joined HMS Antelope in 1982, a relatively new ship with a well-stocked sickbay. Despite having no prior experience with warships, his previous combat and trauma experience proved invaluable. Antelope’s deployment to the Falklands was initially thought to be brief. However, the sinking of sister ships and the reality of combat made it clear they were in an increasingly dangerous situation. During the conflict, HMS Antelope was hit by several bombs, leading to severe injuries and fatalities among the crew and to her eventual dramatic sinking.  John and his team provided critical medical care under extremely challenging conditions whilst the ship was heavily on fire. They were amongst the last to leave Antelope before she exploded. After leaving the service, John reflects on his training and the challenges faced during the Falklands conflict, acknowledging the inadequacies in preparation for such intense situations. During his further career, he specialised in gastrointestinal and liver diseases, continuing in various hospitals and furthering his abilities and medical knowledge. Rising to become a Professor and senior medical expert.

Austin Byrne relates the harrowing account of his ordeal on the SS Induna, a defensively equipped merchant ship sunk by a German submarine in hostile waters. Joining the navy to see the world at nineteen, he recalls his initial exciting experiences on the ship, learning the ropes, navigating mines, and enduring storms. However, this is quickly cut short when a torpedo hits the Induna's stern and Austin’s account of the ships’s last moments are rivetingly well told. He recounts the subsequent excruciating, and very long, four days spent adrift on a small, exposed lifeboat with his remaining shipmates, as fears and emotions run high in fatal conditions. When the lifeboat is finally picked up by a Russian minesweeper Austin is taken to a Russian hospital, his memories of which are filled with both grief and humour.  Within only a couple of weeks of his return to the UK, however, Austin was back on the sea again and just over a year later, he was on a ship bound for Russia. Austin’s story is not one that is easily forgotten and is reflective of the remarkable bravery and resilience of many a navy veteran during WW2.