Arthur Cant provides a compelling tale about his contributions during the D-Day landings while serving with the Royal Military Police. He recalls being responsible for the capture of enemy prisoners in Normandy to help clear a path for the allied troops towards Belgium. He recounts his first departure for Normandy, how the police corps managed to capture three hundred prisoners and took them aboard their ship. Following their capture, the corps then supplied the ship with five hundred bottles of soap so the prisoners could clean themselves, showing the generosity of the English. After clearing all the prisoners from Normandy, Cant was reassigned to a Landing Ship Tank (LST) from Southampton to capture prisoners near Belgium as the allies made their course. He remembers the interception of a German warship and how one out of three LSTs sank in a successful mission, exporting another three hundred prisoners. Until his eventual posting to Egypt, Cant estimates exporting more than nine hundred prisoners. Cant's story gives insight into the military tactics used by the Royal Military Police and is an example of how success against the enemy does not always mean violence or mistreatment.

Tony Martin shares his memories as a member of the Royal Pioneer Corps, initially carrying out the dirty job of setting up smoke screens to protect British cities and factories from German bombers during WW2. However, he is soon reallocated to the advanced airfield construction groups in preparation for D-Day.  Tony describes the relentless work of setting up crash strips for damaged planes and maintaining airfields in France, including how they set up a fully operational airstrip in record time. He shares the thrill of the frenzied crash strips, as spitfires, hurricanes and bombers “belly flopped” onto the runway. Tony also, however, reveals the danger and horror of the airstrips, as men dropped from burning planes thousands of feet above and they themselves became the target of German bombs, resulting in the loss of a close friend. After those initial months of the invasion, Tony was sent out to the Far East and he transferred to the military police in India. Tony’s interview is a stark reminder of the bravery and essential support work that the Royal Pioneer Corps carried out in WW2.

Raised in the garrison town of Colchester, Maisie enlisted in 2002 after earning her music degree. She trained at Kneller Hall before joining the band of the Parachute Regiment. As a trumpet player, Maisie describes the immense pressure of performing The Last Post at commemorations and funerals. Maisie served in Iraq in 2004, stationed in Basra, and Afghanistan in 2010-2011. She notes the unique experience of being one of the few women in a male-dominated environment during these conflicts. She also describes the various roles of the band in an active war zone, in addition to sustaining morale. After almost a decade of service, Maisie left the army in 2011. She recounts many of the incredible events she performed at, and expresses how difficult it was to leave that identity behind when returning to civilian life.