In 1952 Lesley Simpson was called up for National Service. Lesley was excited for this, as he viewed it as a way to travel the world, free of charge. Basic training took six weeks, he learnt how to fire weapons, how to march and salute, and so much more. Lesley passed his basic training and went on to join the Royal Corps of Signals. Lesley volunteered to go to Korea, as one of his good friends was stationed there. The journey took four weeks, setting off onboard the Troopship Dunera from Southampton and arriving in Kure, Japan. During the summer, Lesley remembers working from 6am to midday, with an hour for breakfast. His role as a radio mechanic was to service wireless equipment. During downtime, he went to the banks of the River Imjin to swim and play football. In the summer they wore normal fatigues (casual military uniform). When winter arrived, he remembers it getting very cold, sometimes down to -40c. They wore special boots that would keep them warm and dry, a parker that had 3 layers, and other waterproofs. Lesley recalls never being cold due to the excellent clothing. The soldiers were encouraged to write home, Lesley made sure to do this, writing home at least once a week to friends and family. Lesley’s time in Korea came to an end in November 1954, he left onboard the Troopship Asturias. He remembers finding it difficult to transition back into everyday life, but after a while was able to find a job as a junior surveyor. National service taught Lesley how to be self-sufficient and how to look after himself. In the years after national service, Lesley maintained associations with the armed forces, including Blind Veterans UK and The British Korean Veterans Association. He was offered a trip back to Korea, paid for by the Korean government. Lesley was very impressed at the state of the country, describing it as being completely rebuilt and that the standard of living was amazing.

When WWII ended Tom felt joining the army was a waste of time, but started his military service in 1946 nonetheless. He spent the bitter winter of 1946-47 training in Cornwall and later stationed in Germany. Tom reflects upon the dangers faced by British servicemen who went out alone at night in postwar Germany, as well as the prevalence of venereal disease within his company. He was bemused by the extensive security and secrecy surrounding the distribution of the Deutsche Mark. Tom enjoyed his role as a platoon fitter working on wartime wagons, as he didn’t have to go on parade or do any guards. Work during the Berlin Airlift was more strenuous, but servicemen maintained good spirits, determined to stand up to the Russians. He recalls the camaraderie within the army, a near miss when an RAF sergeant taught him to fly a plane, and organising an army football game against Polish displaced persons. Tom is proud of his work in the airlift and believes British actions and discipline broke down barriers with the Germans.

Joining during the Second World War, Betty was sent to train at the Welsh Barracks near Wrexham. After performing well in her tests, she was sent to interview with the Intelligence Corps in London. She remembers being immediately taken to sign the Official Secrets Act and proceed to working in listing translated messages in Bletchley. It was at this posting that she discovered her talent for paraphrasing, and from this point onwards was given the task of paraphrasing translated enemy messages to be sent on to Burma. Remarkably, Betty was then sent to work in the Pentagon before moving to the British Army Staff base in Washington DC. In her interview she describes the lack of news made available to American civilians surrounding the war in Europe, and her frustration at the lack of understanding future employment had on the highly classified status of her military work. When asked her thoughts on the disbandment of the WRAC, Betty felt disappointed that there was no longer a women's army as she enjoyed the independent identification of the female corps.