Bernard Cohen tells a fascinating account of his time as a Naval Airman during the Korean War. He began his initial training in Corsham, Wiltshire at the naval establishment, HMS Arthur. Following this, he served aboard HMS Illustrious for his Seamanship training and at HMS Gannet in Northern Ireland, he learned Firefighting and Air Traffic Control. Eventually, he was posted to serve aboard HMS Glory, spending much time in the Mediterranean before being deployed to Korea where he joined the war. As a member of the fly-deck party, his main responsibilities consisted of storing and positioning aircrafts of the airborne crew who came from offshore as well as helping them with landing and lifting off safely from the carrier. He has upsetting memories of the airmen who died in crashes, remembering how he had given each of them a thumbs up before flying only to never see them again. The ship was not immune to hazardous weather conditions and it was during his service when Typhoon Marge struck. Despite this issue, Bernard was fortunate to be with the first commission during the summer period when the storm was less severe compared to what the second and third commissions had to endure who arrived during the winter when conditions had worsened. Throughout his service in the war, Bernard never stepped ashore in any of the Korean harbours or port cities. He revisited Korea many years later when veterans of the war were invited to the country annually. He recalls the admiration and generosity of the Korean people, treating them like heroes for helping them in their time of need. Bernard's interview captures the bravery and sacrifice of those in the Navy who helped the Korean people, ensuring a better future for them and establishing a lasting bond for future generations.

John Ramage was born in Bromley, South East London, and spent his childhood in Gravesend, North Kent. He attended King's School Rochester and was encouraged by his parents to pursue a career in medicine, despite having no doctors in the family. He attended medical school at Westminster Hospital in King's College, qualifying in 1978. He joined the Navy, initially serving with the Marines from 1979 to 1982. As the only doctor in a Commando unit (and later on a fighting ship), John faced significant responsibilities, making critical decisions without external support. His deployment to Northern Ireland was particularly challenging, involving high-risk situations such as responding to bombings and shootings. John joined HMS Antelope in 1982, a relatively new ship with a well-stocked sickbay. Despite having no prior experience with warships, his previous combat and trauma experience proved invaluable. Antelope’s deployment to the Falklands was initially thought to be brief. However, the sinking of sister ships and the reality of combat made it clear they were in an increasingly dangerous situation. During the conflict, HMS Antelope was hit by several bombs, leading to severe injuries and fatalities among the crew and to her eventual dramatic sinking.  John and his team provided critical medical care under extremely challenging conditions whilst the ship was heavily on fire. They were amongst the last to leave Antelope before she exploded. After leaving the service, John reflects on his training and the challenges faced during the Falklands conflict, acknowledging the inadequacies in preparation for such intense situations. During his further career, he specialised in gastrointestinal and liver diseases, continuing in various hospitals and furthering his abilities and medical knowledge. Rising to become a Professor and senior medical expert.

Franck was called up to the Royal Navy in 1943 and assigned to serve on a Arromanches Merchant Navy ship. This was an Estonian cargo ship in Hull, armed with two 20mm anti-aircraft guns and an old 12 pounder. They sailed in a 6-knot convoy to Canada which took eleven days. On arrival in Canada they experienced great hospitality before sailing back to Belfast. He was then transferred to an ex-Danish vessel based in Cardiff that was being modified to carry troops and ammunition for the Normandy invasion. It was partly crewed by Puerto Rico stevedores serving in the US armed forces. The US infantry on board impressed Franck with their fatalistic defiance, their attitude being that they were not coming back and they just had to seize their objectives on the beach whatever the cost. On arrival at Omaha beach they began to ferry troops and ammunition ashore, using DUKW amphibians. Only one of these vehicles returned to the ship. From his vantage point on board Franck could see the course of the assault and observed how the US troops persisted in the attack, despite taking heavy casualties as they disembarked. In Mumbai on his next posting they got news of the dropping of the Atom bomb to end the war and celebrated with free beer. At the time, as a young man, the whole thing seemed like a big adventure. Looking back on these events he recalls the waste of life and the single-mindedness of the American troops.