Ken Jones provides a thorough account of his service as an Artificer Sergeant and tank engineer for the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) during the Korean War. Fours years after being in the Army Cadet force, he began his military career at the early age of seventeen and three quarters. It was his ambition to join the REME as an engineer and after six weeks training with the South Wales Borderers, he would make the transition. Some time after serving in Germany during the aftermath of the war, he was summoned to Hanover where a Sergeant told him that he was going to Korea with the A Platoon. Arriving in Korea, Ken was assigned to Tac HQ ( 2 miles behind the front line) where he was placed in charge of tank repairs and preserving them in preparation for battle in no man's land. Based near the reservoir, the tanks would move across various hills into their battle positions. He shares memories of narrowly avoiding destruction from six mortars while crossing a ridge to Korean troops who would remain elusive by hiding inside a camouflaged cave, only travelling at night to deliver supplies before scrambling back to the sanctity of the cave. He also reveals the cruelty inflicted by some of their own men towards local Koreans who resisted them. In Korea, the terrain was just as much an enemy as the north Korean forces, proven when Ken describes a near miss involving a tank which ran out of control down a hill, crushing everything in its path. Tanks themselves could be death traps and this was no more apparent when operating a Churchill from WWII, Ken believing that anyone who managed to survive in such a machine should have been awarded a medal. He details the effectiveness of tanks and how despite their versatility, they were perhaps less mobile and more static during times of war than younger generations may believe. Ken's interview captures the intricacies of tank warfare and the contributions of the engineers who ensured their efficacy during the Korean War.  

At only seventeen years of age, Lieann joined the WRAC so she could travel and see the world. Lieann describes working hard at Guildford and her amazement at the rate in which young women transformed into soldiers within only six weeks. After excelling in her aptitude tests she was posted to Catterick to train as a data telegraphist. Lieann discusses developments in technology and the transition to computers in 1989. She also describes the introduction of weapons training across WRAC trades, and how she could feel the change happening within the female corps. During her time in communications, Lieann was posted to the nuclear bunker in Wilton and recalls the enhanced security measures in place during Cold War exercises. She was then posted to the Falklands and later Cyprus where she re-badged with the Royal Signals. At this point the WRAC had been disbanded and Lieann permanently signed on to the ninth Signal Regiment. During her time in Cyprus she fell pregnant and continued to serve until her last few weeks. She was one of the first women to serve in the army whilst pregnant, and although this marked an important moment in military history - Lieann describes the lack of emotional, financial and even uniform support offered to her during her pregnancy. A woman who truly pushed boundaries, we thank Lieann for her brilliant interview and her candour surrounding women's experiences within the WRAC.

Freddie Montgomery recounts her experience in Germany during the Berlin airlift, from being assigned overseas when she was nineteen to the eventual lifting of the blockade during her tenure in the WRAC. Although she initially wanted to become a military policewoman, a position opened overseas, sending her to Germany and then, eventually, Berlin to help during the blockade. Freddie recalls her time in Berlin, primarily working in administration, and her sympathy towards struggling elder Germans, fear of Russian soldiers, and the lack of food during the airlifts. Nevertheless, Freddie reminisces on her time in Berlin with fondness, and explains how the Germans largely welcomed British troops, socialising with other sectors, and enjoying cultural activities like visiting the cinema and playing sports when she wasn't working. Later in life, Freddie became a minister in the Church, which was a choice heavily inspired by her experiences working during the airlift. Despite loving her time in Berlin, Freddie remembers the poverty she saw, and the amount of loved ones she saw die. Freddie's work as a minister still brings her in contact with the Berlin blockade today, as she recounts how she met some German people in the cathedral who expressed gratitude for British aid during the Berlin blockade, and Freddie is similarly aware of the impact of the airlift on her today.