Stories of the Korean war by the men who experienced it.

Corporal Hannah Campbell joined the armed forces in May 2002, working first with Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps before discovering a strong preference for soldiering and transferring to the Adjutant General’s Corps. In 2007, Hannah and her partner received separate postings: hers to Iraq and his to Afghanistan. As they had a daughter together, they deemed Iraq the safer of the two options so Hannah left for Basra, but quickly realised it wasn’t going to be an easy environment to survive. Hannah talks about her work on base amidst the constant mortar fire, recalling a number of near misses before sharing a vivid and horrifying account of the day she suffered a direct hit. She goes on to talk candidly about her return to England and her struggles with PTSD, as well as the long and difficult road to accepting the need for her leg to be amputated; after which she was finally able to move on with her life thanks to the intensive and remarkable rehab she received at Headley Court.

At only eighteen and determined for adventure, Sue accepted her place at the WRAC college at Camberley in 1971. Being born into a military family Sue knew from a young age that she would join the army. In her interview she recalls the discipline and regimen of military life, but most importantly her pride at wearing her WRAC uniform. After Commissioning, Sue spent her first ten years in the WRAC recruiting, training or selecting women to be either WRAC Officers or Servicewomen. She was also involved in the training of Warrant Officers, Senior and Junior NCO’s and the selection of WRAC Junior Leaders. Sue reflects on this period with great fondness. Her extensive experience led to her selection to command one of the big three WRAC Companies. Sue was sent to Rheindahlen, Germany, and put in charge of 250 Servicewomen, a role which in many ways marked the pinnacle of her career. Remembering the Guildford bombing, Sue discusses its deep resonation with the women around her and the impact of other IRA attacks which she continued to feel through until the late 1980s. After leaving Rheindahlen in 1989, Sue went to work in the WRAC Directorate. Following the disbandment of the WRAC in 1992, Sue embarked on a seventeen-year career in the Adjutant General’s Corps. When that ended, Sue decided to commit her time to the WRAC Association to ensure its traditions and camaraderie lived on. She became its Vice President and Chairman of Trustees for Eleven years (2003 - 2014) and was awarded an MBE for her services to female veterans in 2014. She is now a Life Vice President of the WRAC Association and continues to give her time and experience to the Charity. A brilliant interview, we thank Sue for being an example of the many trailblazing women of the WRAC.