At aged 18, Richard interrupted his apprenticeship to do national service. He enlisted in the Royal Artillery, became a radio operator and was posted to Germany. While there, he tells of being asked to volunteer to go to Korea and was also asked to sign up as a regular. He refused to become a regular but agreed to go to Korea. Subsequently, he embarked on HMS Asturias and arrived at Pusan some 4 and ½ weeks later. He describes being welcomed during disembarkation by the band of the 2nd US Infantry Division. Following this he tells of a nighttime journey to the Headquarters of the Royal Artillery which was a distance away from the frontline at the Imjin River. He was required to relay messages from the frontline for US, Canadian and British troops. This included messages about the locations of the Chinese artillery and he described being actively involved in supporting the 3rd battle of the hook, just before the armistice was signed in 1953. He also describes his involvement in processing British POW’s after armistice. Lastly, he expresses his frustration at the extent to which the Korean war has been ignored.

Arthur Staggs shares the remarkable story of his time working as a wireless operator for the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in enemy-occupied France. Fluent in the local patois of Roubaix, Arthur was parachuted into France in 1942. He recounts the ‘physical challenge’ of the extensive training, and the SOE ‘Farmer’ circuit’s work alongside local resistance movements around Lille to sabotage railways and industrial targets. He tells how his ‘nerve’ got him out of some dangerous situations, including bribing customs inspectors and chatting with a German officer to deflect police attention. In late 1943 his luck ran out, and he was imprisoned and interrogated by the Gestapo. He relays his determination not to talk, and how, upon his release, the local Gestapo chief joked that they had ‘mistakenly’ believed he was an ‘English parachutist’! His language skills had saved him. Keen to resume work, Arthur joined the French Resistance. Known as Capitaine Bébert, he led operations to sabotage V-1 rockets destined for London, and worked on missions that unbeknown to him paved the way for the D-Day landings. Arthur’s story tells of lost friends, and the strain of clandestinity, but ultimately it is one of sheer determination to do whatever he could to disrupt the German war effort, and defend his country.

Edgar spent most of his childhood living near Heathrow and experienced the blitz and bombing of London. He enlisted in 1949 at aged 18. After joining the Middlesex battalion and travelling to Hong Kong, Edgar became a batman, as well as a barman and waiter. However, 8 months after arriving, they were transferred to Korea with only 4 days’ notice. He describes being nervous, as he didn’t know what to expect or what was happening there. His memories of Korea began with the smell of human waste at the dock. His primary role in Korea was that of riding shotgun for supply convoys to the front line such as the Pusan Perimeter and Huang He. Edgar gives a rich account of his time in Korea, including the complex relationships they had with the American troops, his experiences of the Korean people and the significant challenges of facing the Chinese army. He ascribes his own survival to the knowledge of the WWII veterans, and particularly the skills of their three commanding officers.  However, he feels that the Korean war and their role in it, have not been recognised to the extent that it should even to this day.