Having experienced the loss of his parents at a young age, Dennis explains how this tragedy was in fact the making of him and led him to joining the national service with the support of his extended family. In 1952 Dennis Dymond joined the Royal Fusiliers at the Tower of London, and recalls how he thoroughly enjoyed his time there. When Dennis first joined the Royal Fusiliers he was not aware that he would be sent to Korea, and a year later he embarked on his journey to the far East. Remembering the war, Dennis reveals he could never fire a rifle but enjoyed working with a mortar when in battle. He humorously discloses that his only fears during the war were explosives, mines and worst of all, snakes. In reflecting on Korea, Dennis discusses the brutality of warfare and, although he hadn't been on the front line, the awful conditions and violence enveloped in the Korean war. His lasting memories are of watching small children fleeing from war-torn towns and the refugees who begged for rations among the soldiers. Dennis's interview provides an insightful and emotional account of his early life, time spent in Korea and his ever-lasting memories of battle.

Ken provides a compelling account of his volatile journey through Europe with the 7th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment during World War II. Leaving an unhappy childhood, Ken received his moment of destiny after enlisting into the Royal Tank Regiment at sixteen. He trained as a driver/operator in the 7th Tanks before transporting to Normandy, 2-3 days after the D-day landings; his first taste of luck. Landing on seized beaches, six tanks were offloaded from an LCT. Despite being in the Churchill Regiment, Ken had the misfortune of operating inside a Stuart, a lightly armoured tank which the Germans could easily damage. Adding to the mania, it wasn't long before many officers were replaced for various reasons. This included the promotion of his Captain, resulting in Ken, the Troop Leader's operator, to take up the reins. Following a few gruelling battles, the crew encountered some Canadian troops hammering at the Germans with a field full of 7.2-inch Howitzers. It was decided for the regiment to rest around their position while struggling to sleep against the constant banging of their assault. However, this site would also prove fateful, as dusk approached, Ken beheld a German aircraft, releasing a calamitous rain of bombs from above. The scenes of destruction and pain remained evocative in his memory, from flaming petrol proliferating their surroundings to the agonising screams of their gunner, tragically missing much from the waist down in his failed attempt to remain hidden underneath one of the tanks. Despite the catastrophe, Ken managed to survive and was later sent to a holding camp for medical attention; considering himself fortunate once more. Eventually, he rejoined the 7th Tanks and continued his service. He recalls how people used to call tanks 'metal coffins' due to the number of troops who died inside them but Ken saw differently. Protection was better than no protection and despite the setbacks, he remembers the occasions when German snipers would attack and was thankful to be in a tank. Even among scorched earth, Ken was hardy throughout and embraced his time in the army, describing it as a big adventure. His story captures the bravery demonstrated by those who served in the Royal Tank Regiment as well as the fortunes and misfortunes one faces in a landscape afflicted by war.

Arthur Cant provides a compelling tale about his contributions during the D-Day landings while serving with the Royal Military Police. He recalls being responsible for the capture of enemy prisoners in Normandy to help clear a path for the allied troops towards Belgium. He recounts his first departure for Normandy, how the police corps managed to capture three hundred prisoners and took them aboard their ship. Following their capture, the corps then supplied the ship with five hundred bottles of soap so the prisoners could clean themselves, showing the generosity of the English. After clearing all the prisoners from Normandy, Cant was reassigned to a Landing Ship Tank (LST) from Southampton to capture prisoners near Belgium as the allies made their course. He remembers the interception of a German warship and how one out of three LSTs sank in a successful mission, exporting another three hundred prisoners. Until his eventual posting to Egypt, Cant estimates exporting more than nine hundred prisoners. Cant's story gives insight into the military tactics used by the Royal Military Police and is an example of how success against the enemy does not always mean violence or mistreatment.