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

At only seventeen years old Wendy Joined the WRAC in 1972. Driven by her desire to travel, she joined the army as a communications operator and her interview provides a fascinating insight into the processes, and complications, of being a young woman in a military environment. Wendy recalls the strict routines at Guildford and the excitement of her passing out parade following the first six weeks of training. In her specialised training, Wendy discusses the complexity of the communications machinery and the development of technologies throughout her time as an operator. Beginning with T-100s, Wendy describes the transition into T-15 Telex machines in the late 1970s. Reflecting on the WRAC Wendy speaks fondly of her travels to Rheindahlen, Hong Kong, Australia, Cyprus and later Edinburgh. During this time she faced constant IRA threats, Cold War tensions and feelings of discontent that erupted with the onset of the Falklands. She speaks passionately on the importance of the WRAC as an emerging space for women to push beyond their societal expectations during a period of great change.  

Clifford Herridge recalls his National Service in the King's Regiment (Liverpool) serving in the Korean conflict, often described as ‘The Forgotten War’. When South Korea was invaded by North Korea’s KPA in 1950, many countries, including Great Britain, sent troops in support of South Korea. After a year of conflict, a period of static trench warfare ensued; this is what Clifford encountered when he arrived. He tells of his role in the mortar platoon, digging trenches and ‘hutches’ in the hillside for the men to live in. A landscape of ‘hills, hills, and more hills’, and the extreme weather, overwhelming summer heat and freezing winters, are still vivid memories. Despite knowing the old adage ‘never volunteer’, when the platoon cook was taken ill, Clifford, with no formal culinary training, stepped forward to take over. He describes feeding forty-five men with an array of food supplied by the Americans, including fresh salmon, which Clifford had no idea how to cook! When he returned home, his fiancé, Doreen, was waiting for him. She gives the perspective of those left behind and tells of her abundant letter writing to stay in touch. Despite some apprehension, Clifford calmly ‘did what he was told to do’, commenting that National Service changed him by broadening his mind, and making him realise he was ‘a lot better off then he thought’.