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A veteran interview with

Clarence Obi

Clarence Obi served with the Royal Pioneer Corps in 1973. In his revealing interview it becomes very apparent that attitudes to race were very different at the time. Clarence was interviewed thanks to the support of the Stoll Housing Association.

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About Clarence Obi

Clarence Obi details the racism he experienced serving with the Royal Pioneer Corps in the 1970s after being spurred to join the Army by his curiosity and inspiration from his father. Training was by far his favourite part of his army career; it was tough but varied and always left him feeling physically and mentally fit, something he couldn’t say about the rest of his service.  

His first experience with the army’s prejudice came when his staff sergeant beat him until he bled in front of 30 to 40 people and suffered no consequences for his crime. The next time he was beaten was during a sports day, when a lieutenant officer used a pacer stick to nearly blind him while the other officers turned a blind eye. When kicked by his corporal for tying his laces, he made the mistake of reporting it to his colonel, staff sergeant, and sergeant major, who then proceeded to kick Clarence themselves. 

Clarence had wanted to make a career out of the army but left after finding all the rules and regulations overly restrictive for him and easily abused by others. No matter how many exams he passed, he was stuck doing repetitive physical labour with no chance of promotion, being sent abroad or advancing himself in any way. Even though he possessed an exemplary record and was wearing the same uniform as everyone else, he was treated like an animal rather than an equal and he had had enough.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Sarah Beck
Reviewed by:
Leon Graham

Transcripts:
Please note that transcripts and closed captions in the video player are automatically generated by Vimeo.

Copyright:
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Home | Veterans | Clarence Obi

A veteran interview with

Clarence Obi

Clarence-Obi-4

Clarence Obi served with the Royal Pioneer Corps in 1973. In his revealing interview it becomes very apparent that attitudes to race were very different at the time. Clarence was interviewed thanks to the support of the Stoll Housing Association.

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Obi, Clarence. A Veteran Interview with Clarence Obi. Interview by Sarah Beck. Legasee, 22 Jul. 2014 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/clarence-obi/. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
APA Style:
Obi, C. (2014, July 22). A Veteran Interview with Clarence Obi [Interview by Sarah Beck]. Legasee. Retrieved March 8, 2026, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/clarence-obi/
Chicago Style:
Obi, Clarence. 2014. A Veteran Interview with Clarence Obi. Interview by Sarah Beck. Legasee, July 22. Accessed March 8, 2026. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/clarence-obi/
Harvard Style:
Obi, C. (2014). A Veteran Interview with Clarence Obi. [Interviewed by Sarah Beck]. Legasee, 22 July. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/clarence-obi/ (Accessed: 8 March 2026)
Vancouver Style:
Obi, C. A Veteran Interview with Clarence Obi [Internet]. Interview by S. Beck. Legasee; 2014 Jul 22 [cited 2026 Mar 8]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/clarence-obi/
An interview with

Sylvia Adams

Sylvia worked in the Royal Military Police and became one of the first women to ride in the mounted troop.

Sylvia joined the WRAC in 1974 in hopes of working with animals and also learning to drive. After completing her initial training at Guildford, she began her specialised training with the police after performing well in her aptitude test. Unlike some other veterans, Sylvia remembers feeling she had a choice regarding her trade and as a result thoroughly enjoyed her experience with the military police. Belonging to squad 7405, she recalls the complex physical and mental training she had to complete in order to become a ranked military police officer. Although never weapon trained, she was taught how to engage in unarmed combat and endured NBC training procedures. In this interview Sylvia provides an insight into the feelings of WRAC women existing under the shadow of IRA threats. Discussing the Guildford bombing of 1974, she recalls the constant fear that hung over those serving in the army in their shared realisation that everyone was a target. She also describes her desires to push against the restrictions on female horse riding, and was eventually posted to Aldershot as the first female rider to join the military police mounted troop. Sylvia's interview provides an interesting and powerful account of one of the many ambitious women who served under the WRAC, and showcases the importance of documenting these women as army veterans.
Photo Gallery icon 15 Photos
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker