When the Royal Marine Band and military recruiters visited her school, Diane was immediately drawn to the idea of joining the armed forces. She first applied to the Royal Navy, but the prospect of being posted to her home town of Plymouth didn’t offer the adventure she was looking for. Then she learned that the Army could send her further afield — and that was all the encouragement she needed. At just seventeen, she enlisted, and her journey with the Women’s Royal Army Corps began. After her initial training at Guildford, Diane was posted to Kineton where she worked with classified documents and ammunition. She was then posted to Northern Ireland as a volunteer searcher and worked alongside the Royal Military Police. Diane describes the issues women faced in the army, and the mistreatment of female corps by male soldiers. Whilst in this posting she experienced the bombing of Newry in 1980 and soon after decided to leave Ireland. Diane was then moved to Berlin where she worked as a clerk for the Royal Transport Corps. Although Diane feels forever connected to the WRAC, she felt strongly that there were innate issues with the female corps surrounding pay discrepancy, limited opportunities for women on the front-line, and multiple attempts to stop women's careers on the conditions of marriage and pregnancy.

Born in Birmingham, Jean Eastham experienced the first hand horrors of the Birmingham Blitz. With daylight raids and frequent casualties, she was lucky to survive the devastation, but recounts occasions where survival was not guaranteed. After volunteering for her service, Jean travelled to Berlin to help on the Airlift, where she was shocked by the sheer level of destruction. Inside her new accommodation, stationed in the former Olympic Village, she was met with a wave of unseen modern luxuries, including central heating and low-flush toilets, which provided some hope for the journey ahead. As part of the ATS, it was Jean’s responsibility to care for many of the other women involved, managing much of the administrative work like accommodation, pay, and uniforms. Although her status as a woman entailed some restrictions, like the need for an escort outside of the daytime, she and her fellow volunteers worked hard to keep morale high, which was crucial in easing the fears of anxious Berliners.  Like many others, Jean remembers attending the famous Christmas show of 1948, and getting to meet Bob Hope. She recalls being very proud to serve in the ATS, especially because Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess, was also a member. Even after the Airlift, Jean often returned to Berlin, including a visit to Parliament to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the blockade. Decades later, the Berliners still show their gratitude, and continue to thank Jean for her help. 

At only eighteen and determined for adventure, Sue accepted her place at the WRAC college at Camberley in 1971. Being born into a military family Sue knew from a young age that she would join the army. In her interview she recalls the discipline and regimen of military life, but most importantly her pride at wearing her WRAC uniform. After Commissioning, Sue spent her first ten years in the WRAC recruiting, training or selecting women to be either WRAC Officers or Servicewomen. She was also involved in the training of Warrant Officers, Senior and Junior NCO’s and the selection of WRAC Junior Leaders. Sue reflects on this period with great fondness. Her extensive experience led to her selection to command one of the big three WRAC Companies. Sue was sent to Rheindahlen, Germany, and put in charge of 250 Servicewomen, a role which in many ways marked the pinnacle of her career. Remembering the Guildford bombing, Sue discusses its deep resonation with the women around her and the impact of other IRA attacks which she continued to feel through until the late 1980s. After leaving Rheindahlen in 1989, Sue went to work in the WRAC Directorate. Following the disbandment of the WRAC in 1992, Sue embarked on a seventeen-year career in the Adjutant General’s Corps. When that ended, Sue decided to commit her time to the WRAC Association to ensure its traditions and camaraderie lived on. She became its Vice President and Chairman of Trustees for Eleven years (2003 - 2014) and was awarded an MBE for her services to female veterans in 2014. She is now a Life Vice President of the WRAC Association and continues to give her time and experience to the Charity. A brilliant interview, we thank Sue for being an example of the many trailblazing women of the WRAC.