Walter Irish was just 18 when a chance encounter with a Royal Marine in uniform inspired him to enlist. Having grown up on a farm near Newton Abbot, he took easily to the physical demands of commando training and proudly earned his green beret. Posted to 41 Independent Commando, he soon found himself in Japan, re-equipped with American weapons and training alongside the US Marines.

In his interview, Walter recalls daring raids on North Korean supply lines, gruelling night landings, and the bitter cold of the Chosin Reservoir campaign where temperatures plummeted to -34°C. He describes the chaos of ambush, the loss of friends, and the sheer will to survive. Wounded by shrapnel, he was evacuated to Japan but carried with him the enduring bond of comradeship.

Walter went on to serve in Borneo, Malta, Singapore, and Aden, but Korea remained a defining experience. His testimony sheds light not only on the hardships of war but also on the resilience of a young Royal Marine who never forgot the men he served alongside.

Bernard Howell joined the Royal Navy at 16 and underwent four weeks of training at Portsmouth barracks. He was then drafted to HMS Faulknor, a battle destroyer, where he participated in several convoys to Iceland, Russia, and the Mediterranean. The ship was later recalled to England and anchored off the Isle of Wight, awaiting further orders. On June 4th, they were directed to Juno Beach, but due to rough weather in the channel, they were recalled several times. Eventually, they were sent back out with the Canadians, with orders to shoot at anything that moved. By lunchtime, they had exhausted their ammunition firing at a small French town and returned to Portsmouth to resupply. After picking up General Montgomery, they headed back to Normandy but ran aground too close to the shore. They were rescued by two American Landing Crafts and remained in constant combat for another three weeks. Bernard, having been prepared by his time in the Russian convoys, faced this combat without fear.

Frank Bewley, born in London in 1931, joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer in 1948 and was initially posted to RNAS Culdrose, where he recalls early trials of jets landing without undercarriage. He volunteered for Korea and joined 821 Squadron, which trained at RAF Makrihanish before heading to Korea in 1952. He served on HMS Glory, which flew old World War II Firefly 5s for ground support. He was responsible for maintaining his assigned aircraft and had a close relationship with his pilot, Lieutenant Barrett. Initially unfamiliar with Korea, he learned about its history through old World War II books. He found HMS Glory more friendly than other ships, but prone to rolling. He describes the challenges of working on the flight deck, where a lot of maintenance and arming work was completed, in inclement weather and the camaraderie among the crew. They still operated on messdecks containing up to 14 men, sleeping in hammocks and collecting food form the galley, rather than having a central canteen.