When Peter Waddington turned 18, his National Service call-up papers arrived and soon after he found himself training with the 1st King’s Liverpool Regiment. Like many young men sent to Korea, he admits he knew almost nothing about the country or the conflict before he landed there. His memories capture both the strangeness and the stark reality of service: from being greeted on arrival by a band playing the Saint Louis Blues March to the harsh daily grind of trench warfare along the 38th Parallel.

In his interview, Peter recalls moments of humour, the ever-present rats and lice, and the rare relief of rest and recuperation in Japan. But he also speaks candidly about loss — the friends killed in action, the fear of attack, and the brutal fighting at the Battle of the Hook. Out of all his close comrades, Peter was the only one to return home unscathed.

Back in post-war Britain, he reflects on the challenges of returning to austerity and his determination that Korea should never be the “Forgotten War.”

Lamin Maneh, originally from Gambia, served as a proud Guardsman in the Irish Guard. He chose to join the British Army with a clear purpose: “to make people’s lives better.” In 2006, Lamin moved to England and began the process of enlisting, officially joining the army in 2009. Reflecting on his journey, he shares memories of his childhood and life in Gambia and the significant transition he experienced as he adapted to life in the British military. Lamin was attracted to the public-facing role of the guards, with ‘thousands or millions of people coming to this country, the first place to see is where the guards are.’ Initially becoming a beefeater, he underwent intense drills and difficult training that forces you to push yourself to your limits to complete. His first deployment was in Afghanistan, and though, naturally, he was a little nervous, this was outweighed by his excitement to get to do the job he’d been training for. His first two weeks in Bastion were spent doing familiarisations and getting prepped ready to be deployed to the Forward Operating Base (FOB). These familiarisations consisted of doing patrols talking to local people and trying to help give them the security they need to go about their daily life. His previous training in Kenya helped him acclimatise to the extreme heat, and his shared religion with many local Afghans allowed him to build meaningful connections and earn their trust. On New Year's Eve 2010, after three months of deployment, Lamin suffered a serious injury due to an IED explosion. Waking up 14 days later in a hospital in Birmingham, Lamin reflects on his time spent recovering and regaining his strength at Hedley Court, as well as how his faith guided him through his time serving and in recovery. Although Lamin’s army career has come to a close, he remains passionate about helping people, searching for a job that continues to allow him to make a positive impact. We wish Lamin the very best of luck in his next adventure.

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.