Alec Victor Ashcroft Pulfer was conscripted into the Royal Navy in August 1939, just before World War II. Despite his reluctance to join the Royal Navy, he decided to see the war through. After four months of signalman training, he joined HMS Javelin in Southend on Sea. He struggled with Morse code but eventually mastered it, finding Morse code and semaphore crucial for his daily duties. In the Battle for Norway, Alec and his crew faced a disaster when their transport ship was torpedoed by the Germans and sank, leaving them unable to save anyone while they hunted the attacking submarine. They retreated to Alesund, where German paratroopers attacked, but HMS Javelin managed to return to England. Unfortunately, HMS Glorious and other ships were not as fortunate. Alec then joined HMS Woolwich, heading to the Mediterranean fleet. After two years in the Mediterranean, HMS Woolwich survived despite losing most of its fleet. Alec returned home for signals training before heading back to the Middle East, where he fought in the Greek civil war, his worst experience. He remembers seeing people die, describing it as very grim, but it was something he got used to. But he never got used to seeing civilians dying, that was a common occurrence in Greece, as the Germans had mined everywhere before they left. Alec was tasked with safely routing ships in and out of Greece. Eventually, the war ended and Alec returned home and was demobbed (released from service).

John Harrison was a brave Ordinance Officer on board the HMS Belfast during its time serving in WWII. Like the proud vessel now resting upon the river Thames in London, John's time spent on the HMS Belfast will never be forgotten. In this interview, John Harrison tells us a little bit about what life was like at sea; and despite his age, John speaks with the vigour and enthusiasm of the brave officer he once was, and his impressive memory serves to retell an exciting yet nail-bitingly intense story about his terrifying experience of being caught in a naval minefield.

James Bisiker served in the Royal Marines as part of 40 Commando. He recalls the intense physical demands, particularly during harsh conditions in places like Dartmoor, where the group faced severe weather and tragically lost a fellow trainee to hypothermia. In 1948, he endured a rough crossing to Malta and continued to North Africa and eventually to Palestine. He recalls the chaos in Haifa as Israel became a state. The tense atmosphere and waiting for possible attacks from militant groups put him on edge every day. James reminisces fondly about the inclusivity within the Marines, where soldiers of different backgrounds, including Jewish, Black, and even openly gay comrades, were accepted and treated equally. His time in the Marines instilled a deep sense of pride and achievement. Despite the hardships, he and his comrades became a close group, forming strong bonds through shared experiences.