Born in 1931, Ronald George Yardley faced the hardships of wartime as a child. At 18, he joined the Navy, trained for six weeks at HMS Royal Arthur, and became a Wireless Telegraphist. He later served on HMS Belfast and was deployed to Korea. Ron remembers the immense cold as they journeyed closer to Korea, travelling through frozen seas. When the Belfast arrived in Korea the bombardment and involvement in the war started immediately. He remembers a sad moment when the ship’s water pipes burst after being hit by enemy fire, scalding a soldier to death. Ron also recalls two marines who died on a mission, their bodies never recovered. Ron recounts a heartfelt moment when a young orphan from his mess deck, who never received letters, asked if Ron could read some of his own to help him feel connected to life back home. After leaving HMS Belfast, Ron was posted to HMS Royal Prince in Germany, where he carried out exercises on Hermann Goering’s luxury yacht. He remains deeply thankful to the South Koreans for funding the National Korean War Memorial, a place he proudly takes his grandchildren to.

Office boy Stan Hoare was called up in June 1943 and he joined the Royal Navy as a radar rating, completing his training at HMS Raleigh in Cornwall and on the Isle of Man. Stan’s first ship was HMS Hart, a modified Black Swan-class sloop, and he recalls the sense of pride he felt when boarding for the first time. He shares memories of his life and work on board the ship during sea trials, the Arctic convoys and D-Day, and remembers the serious consequences of an accident caused by heavy fog in the Bristol Channel during his watch. Stan went on to take a gunnery course and was subsequently transferred to HMS Duke of York, joining the British Pacific Fleet and setting sail for Australia. He vividly describes the differences between the two ships of his service, and remembers the final crashing wave that spared his life but ended his military career. Stan’s story, shared with much humour and humility, illustrates the overwhelming courage, dedication and resilience of all those who served with, before and after him.

Determined to join the WRNS as soon as she could, 17-year-old Liverpudlian Joan Endersby signed up in 1943 and began her training in London, first in Mill Hill then at Westfield College to learn how to operate a teleprinter. Her first draft sent her to the shores of Loch Foyle in Londonderry where she arrived on Christmas Eve 1943 and felt instantly at ease with her new life. Joan describes the living accommodation of the Wrens and talks in detail about her work tracking the movement of the Atlantic convoys heading in and out of Liverpool. She also shares with great humour stories about her life in Londonderry, reflecting on how society has changed since then. Acknowledging the true horrors of war, Joan feels fortunate to have served with the WRNS, and her wonderfully upbeat character reminds us that light can be found even in the darkest of days.