John Boyd grew up in Essex, the son of a cowman, and was called up for National Service in the early 1950s. After a string of rejections from other corps, he found himself posted to the Royal Signals via the REME — a twist of fate that would send him far from home.

On his way to Germany, John seized the chance to volunteer for Korea. He recalls the long sea crossing, a sobering stop in Hiroshima, and his first days on the frontline. There he was issued with a 19 set radio — built originally for the Russian Army and still marked with Cyrillic script — which became his responsibility.

In his interview, John shares detailed memories of signal work, from wiring and exchanges to his time attached to an American unit where discipline was rather different. His stories are punctuated with humour — a lorry fire, the quirks of kit — but also moments of sadness, particularly the loss of a comrade to haemorrhagic fever. John’s reflections offer a vivid glimpse into the vital, and often overlooked, role of communications in Korea.

Bill begins the interview by reminiscing his early life in the East End of London in 1920s and the shaping this had on him as a young man, who had interest in joining the army. Bill learned many lessons from First World War Heroes and heard harrowing stories from other veterans as he recalls the journey of his career starting in Cheshire Regiment at Dale Barracks in Chester, to Gordon Highlanders as his Regiment, and his first command is protecting Portsmouth harbour. This is until he is deployed to India, in which he tells tales of horror, humour and honour that happened during the Battle of Kohima; all whilst his career progressed from Captain to the Brigade Intelligence Officer. He finally returned home in April 1946.

Eric Peters joined the army on New Year’s Day, 1945, at age 17. Initially sent to Markeaton Park, Derby, to the General Service Corps, he was persuaded by a friend to join the Black Watch and later, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He was posted to Germany to manage records of soldiers. After a brief period, Eric was posted to India during the war of independence. He arrived in Bombay and took a six-day train journey to the North West Frontier. One night, while sleeping in the back of the barracks, Eric and his battalion heard shouting, fighting, and gunshots. The next morning, they found that everyone in the streets had been slain. Soldiers on horseback quickly escorted them out of the town. This traumatic experience has stayed with Eric ever since. After leaving Karachi, Eric's regiment was split, and he was assigned to the Argylls. He was then posted to Palestine, Egypt, England, and spent 18 months in Hong Kong before heading to Korea. Upon arrival, they found only a 30-mile perimeter of South Korea left. Eric fought throughout Korea, from Nakdong and Tagu to the North Korean capital. The soldiers, ill-equipped for the bitter winter, ate American rations of beef burgers, frankfurters, coffee, and cocoa—Eric loved the food. During a night mission, Eric was tasked with scouting a nearby village. His commanding officer assured him that his group would be the only one operating that night. After completing the scouting and crossing back over the frozen river, they encountered a group of soldiers. Remaining alert, they approached and asked for the password, which the soldiers correctly provided. It became clear that his group was not the only one operating that night, Eric was very angry. As the Chinese joined the war, Eric was preparing to leave Korea. After his departure, he was stationed in Hong Kong for 12 months before returning home. Upon arrival, the streets of Edinburgh were filled with people applauding their return. Eric describes the Korean War as an experience—not a pleasant one, but a part of life.