Sydney Adlam was a budding young sportsman when war broke out. It was at his local athletics club that he met a man by the name of Brady who introduced him to an altogether more explosive activity. Brady invited Sydney to join the Auxiliary Unit, a secret resistance network of highly trained volunteers, where he learnt how to assemble explosives, time pencils and switches, and to understand the workings of a hand grenade. Sydney recalls details of regular training sessions in Havant, Gosport and Aldershot, including a close encounter in a trench with a hand grenade dropped in error by his comrade but hurled to safety by the lightning-fast instructor nearby. Although the invasion never came, the Auxiliary Unit stood ever ready to disrupt and deter the enemy in defence of their homeland with the courage and bravery that came to define their generation.

Sparked from his involvement in the Air Cadets, hearing that her son, Kingsman Anthony Cooper, had signed up to the army at 16 was something Shelley Cooper never wanted to hear. She recounts how, despite her reluctance, she let him leave home and eventually serve tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In July 2010, Anthony was severely injured by an IED leading to him lose both his legs, one eye, several fingers, and suffer from a devastating blast brain injury. Doctors told him that he would never walk or eat normally again but, as the determined mother she is, Shelley did not lose hope on his rehabilitation. Shelley shares the emotional journey of being told of Anthony's injuries, visiting him in Birmingham hospital and her support in his recovery at Moseley Hall hospital and Headley Court. By staying strong and fighting for the best care, Shelley ensured that Anthony had every opportunity to succeed in his rehabilitation, despite others' doubts and his own fears. Like mother, like son, Shelley's interview shows the commitment and resilience both she and Anthony displayed in the face of adversity.

Content warning// This interview contains discussions of sensitive topics such as PTSD, suicidal thoughts and vivid flashback description which some viewers may find distressing. If you are affected by these topics, please consider seeking support from a trusted person or organisation.   Kate was training to be a nurse with the RAF when she met her husband-to-be, John, an RAF Police Officer. They both completed tours of Iraq and John went on to complete one more and also two tours of Afghanistan. Each time John returned, Kate started to notice slight differences in his character, such as an increase in drinking and frequent nightmares. She was grateful of both her RAF and medical training as it helped her understand the mental shift between home and work that John was having to manage. John sought help but was told there was nothing medically wrong and he was to carry on as usual, which he did. It was the birth of their son that Kate thinks caused John’s nightmares and flashbacks to intensify. He sought help again and this time was diagnosed with severe PTSD and signed off work, but without his job to provide a sense of purpose John struggled to function. John tried both CBT and EMDR therapies but Kate feels they both made the situation worse. John is now on a medication pathway. Kate describes this as an incredibly isolating time as no one knew what she was going through. She felt she could hardly leave John alone, especially when he started having suicidal thoughts. However, when she joined Band of Sisters she found a supportive group of women with shared experiences. She even managed to attend a weekend away which really helped her realise how stressed she was. She describes finding Band of Sisters as a real turning point which helped her realise she needed to take care of herself too. John has also found help through Help for Heroes and has attended a few courses and is now a qualified bushcraft and survival instructor. John has recently had a cancer diagnosis and Kate reflects that, sadly, the cancer process has been much smoother than the PTSD. Kate feels it is incredibly important for others to hear their story so they know they are not alone. She is even compiling a book.