Originating from a military background, Julia recalls how it was somewhat inevitable that would serve in the army. After excelling in the aptitude tests, she was offered a position in the Intelligence Corps. In her interview Julia remembers finding the transition into army life difficult and struggled with the uniform due to both its impracticality and restrictiveness. Additionally, she found the climate of fear surrounding the IRA shocking and saw many women horrified by threats they either personally, or by an extension of their trade, received. Julia was posted to former West Germany with the 13th Signal Regiment where she worked alongside Signals Personnel. Within this role she would map the movement of troops in East Germany and flag Russian tanks, and being her first time overseas, she reflects on this period as particularly exciting. After leaving in 1975, Julia went on to join the MET as she felt there were more equal opportunities for women in organisation's that didn't restrict roles to gender. She continued to work for the Intelligence Corps at GCHQ on the Palestinian desk for many years. Reflecting on the WRAC, Julia describes the potency of class divisions within the military and her frustrations with the gendered restrictions. She maintains however that the fundamentals of the WRAC gave her the determination to continue her work in intelligence and commends the importance of documenting a history of female veterans.

When war broke out, Joan was initially in Civil Defence. However, after two years she was called up to the Auxiliary Territorial Service at the age of twenty-two; this was the women’s branch of the Army. She was sent to London for training, where she learned how to drive an ambulance. Joan was posted to Edinburgh where the barracks were so cold she slept with her greatcoat on. Later she drove her ambulance during the bombing of London. Just before D-day she remembers seeing huge columns of tanks and other vehicles, in preparation for the landings. After the invasion there were a lot more wounded to take to hospitals but the casualties decreased toward the end of the war. In Aldershot her barracks was bombed, and she also remembers the rations of unpleasant marrow jam and horse meat. She used to swap her cigarette ration for sweets. Like many others, once the war was over she missed the camaraderie of the Army. Thank you Joan for sharing your memories at the wonderful age of 107!

Dave Buck joined the Cheshire Regiment in 1997 and transferred to the Royal Logistics Corps after completing training. His first posting was to the 5th Airborne Brigade, which became the spearhead for NATO’s KFOR peacekeeping mission, and Dave talks in detail about military life in Kosovo, the destruction he witnessed, and the role – and frustrations – of a peacekeeping force. He shares memories of decompression in Cyprus and exercises in Canada, before recalling the moment he realised he’d achieved everything he’d wanted to do in the army, and left. After intense difficulties adjusting to civilian life, Dave volunteered for a six-month tour of Iraq as a reservist and worked predominantly in force protection, escorting convoys from Basra to Kuwait. After returning home again, the effects of PTSD began to manifest in earnest and Dave hit rock bottom. Eventually, after several years without help and stuck in an ever-downward spiral, Dave received support from Combat Stress who enabled him to recognise his illness, and provided him with ways to cope with and manage the condition he knows he’ll carry with him for the rest of his life.