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George-Seal

A veteran interview with

George Seal

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About George Seal

George Seal was in 106 Bridge Company of the Royal Engineers. He crossed to France on D-Day and his small unit landed on Sword Beach. George recalls in precise detail the facts of their location and mission. However, they never get the opportunity to complete their mission as the airborne landed the previous night and, in George’s words, stole their glory.

George describes the fear of landing badly but, ultimately, feeling safe surrounded by the sheer number of troops. However, he did experience an incredible near miss of friendly fire when a gunship started firing on a house in front of him believing there was sniper movement. There was no sniper, it was just the wind but for George it was a terrifying 10 seconds. He also clearly remembers walking past a dead horse on the road and when he returned that same day, after putting down bridging on the Seine, it was just a skeleton. Despite seeing no locals, someone had stripped the horse to its bones. He muses that someone, somewhere must have enjoyed horse steaks that night.

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Reviewed by:
Lizzie Gray

Transcripts:
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Home | Veterans | George Seal

A veteran interview with

George Seal

George-Seal

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Seal, George. A Veteran Interview with George Seal. Interview by Unknown. Legasee, n.d. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/george-seal/. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
APA Style:
Seal, G. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with George Seal [Interview by Unknown]. Legasee. Retrieved June 13, 2026, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/george-seal/
Chicago Style:
Seal, George. n.d.. A Veteran Interview with George Seal. Interview by Unknown. Legasee. Accessed June 13, 2026. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/george-seal/
Harvard Style:
Seal, G. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with George Seal. [Interviewed by Unknown]. Legasee. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/george-seal/ (Accessed: 13 June 2026)
Vancouver Style:
Seal, G. A Veteran Interview with George Seal [Internet]. Interview by Unknown. Legasee; n.d. [cited 2026 Jun 13]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/george-seal/
An interview with

Sylvia Adams

Sylvia worked in the Royal Military Police and became one of the first women to ride in the mounted troop.

Sylvia joined the WRAC in 1974 in hopes of working with animals and also learning to drive. After completing her initial training at Guildford, she began her specialised training with the police after performing well in her aptitude test. Unlike some other veterans, Sylvia remembers feeling she had a choice regarding her trade and as a result thoroughly enjoyed her experience with the military police. Belonging to squad 7405, she recalls the complex physical and mental training she had to complete in order to become a ranked military police officer. Although never weapon trained, she was taught how to engage in unarmed combat and endured NBC training procedures. In this interview Sylvia provides an insight into the feelings of WRAC women existing under the shadow of IRA threats. Discussing the Guildford bombing of 1974, she recalls the constant fear that hung over those serving in the army in their shared realisation that everyone was a target. She also describes her desires to push against the restrictions on female horse riding, and was eventually posted to Aldershot as the first female rider to join the military police mounted troop. Sylvia's interview provides an interesting and powerful account of one of the many ambitious women who served under the WRAC, and showcases the importance of documenting these women as army veterans.
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Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker