Frank Bewley, born in London in 1931, joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer in 1948 and was initially posted to RNAS Culdrose, where he recalls early trials of jets landing without undercarriage. He volunteered for Korea and joined 821 Squadron, which trained at RAF Makrihanish before heading to Korea in 1952. He served on HMS Glory, which flew old World War II Firefly 5s for ground support. He was responsible for maintaining his assigned aircraft and had a close relationship with his pilot, Lieutenant Barrett. Initially unfamiliar with Korea, he learned about its history through old World War II books. He found HMS Glory more friendly than other ships, but prone to rolling. He describes the challenges of working on the flight deck, where a lot of maintenance and arming work was completed, in inclement weather and the camaraderie among the crew. They still operated on messdecks containing up to 14 men, sleeping in hammocks and collecting food form the galley, rather than having a central canteen.

Antoinette “Tony” Porter joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service as a teenager and quickly found herself in one of the war’s more unusual roles. Selected to take part in Operation Outward, she and her fellow Wrens launched hydrogen balloons fitted with incendiary devices, designed to drift into Germany and cause disruption. The work was heavy, physical, and dangerous. Antoinette recalls the sheer effort of handling the balloons, the types of explosives used, and the burns and injuries some Wrens suffered.

Her interview goes beyond secrecy and danger. Antoinette paints a vivid picture of wartime Britain: the terrifying sight of V1 flying bombs overhead, the exhilaration of watching waves of Allied aircraft depart on D-Day, and the euphoric celebrations of VE Day.

Her memories also reflect on life after the war, as she considers the costs of more recent conflicts. Antoinette’s story brings humour, candour, and humanity to a hidden corner of the Wrens’ wartime service.

After joining the Royal Marines and completing his training, Fred travelled to Korea and conducted coastal raids to protect explosives experts from harm. While accompanying a convoy along the Chosin Reservoir, Fred was shot through the foot by North Korean fire. After recovering, he rejoined his unit during an ice-cold winter, which left him unaffected by the cold for decades since nothing compared to the Korean winter. Fred describes his camaraderie with American marines, who he advised against their trigger-happy tendencies because enemy fighters could advance unhindered upon hearing the empty magazine's distinctive “click”. Fred never discovered why he was mentioned in dispatches but wonders if it was for performing his duties while injured. He gave blood from his arm to an injured comrade before their evacuation to a military hospital. He later cared for hospitalised patients, cracking jokes and brewing tea. He becomes emotional remembering those who died in his arms. After returning to Britain, Fred was deemed unfit for service – a decision that still irks him today. He explains that the Korean War, its veterans and the fallen are widely overlooked. Fred’s moving story highlights the need to commemorate those who fought in history’s “Forgotten War”.