With a father in the Admiralty, Lord Alan spent his childhood around dockyards and naval bases including travelling to Singapore on a troop ship and almost being blown up by Malayan terrorists. He always wanted to go to sea and joined the navy in 1965. He first spent time in the Middle East as a midshipman which was incredibly dangerous but also exciting. Lord Alan’s next posting was to the Falklands with HMS Ardent where he was involved in bombarding Goose Green. He speaks candidly and in incredible detail about this time and how he felt as a young commanding officer knowing his ship was dangerously exposed. He talks about the enormous bravery of the crew and how he carried the weight of those killed and injured. Ultimately, they come under heavy fire and he gives the extremely difficult order to abandon ship. For his actions on HMS Ardent, Lord Alan received the Distinguished Service Cross. Following this, Lord Alan then joins the Ministry of Defence where he witnessed the Hong Kong Handover, the Kosovo War, the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and by 2002 became the First Sea Lord for the invasion of Iraq. He recalls how it was fascinating to see intelligence come together but also how he could be under pressure to produce evidence. Finally, Lord Alan joins Gordon Brown’s government as Security Minister. He brings incredible knowledge and direct experience to the roll, far above that of the civil servants and other ministers. He is proud his efforts have kept the country safer, though sad that it is not completely safe.

Mastering sea-sickness and enduring rough waters was only the beginning of Bob Gale's military life at sea. Desperate to explore the world outside of a baker’s shop in Farnham, Bob describes his multiple attempts to volunteer in the military before he was offered a place in the Royal Navy. In 1942, he boarded the Duchess of Bedford liner bearing landing crafts (LCAs), where he experienced his first assault landing off the coast of Algiers in the dark. After narrowly missing an opportunity to take part in the invasion of Sicily thanks to a scarlet fever outbreak at HMS Pasco in Scotland, Bob was subsequently assigned to the oil tanker Derwentdale with a Canadian LCM flotilla. He spent a fortnight on Sicilian beaches, accompanied by rough Mediterranean seas, delays in movement, and limited provisions for him and his unit. Bob eventually found himself in Bombay, spending his time there guarding various facilities from mobs and strikes by the Indian navy.  When intense preparations for the Normandy landings begin, Bob recounts how he and his flotilla conducted nighttime exercises and large-scale troop landings from the secret HMS Cricket camp. A drill at Hayling Island tragically claimed lives due to strong currents, while another at Poole Harbor saw Bob heroically save a sinking landing craft by offloading weight and steering it ashore.

Maurice joined the Navy in 1946 and trained as an air mechanic. He was assigned to HMS Ocean, an aircraft carrier, in 1951. In 1952 they sailed to the Middle East to reinforce the British presence in Egypt after the fall of King Farouk. He and several other crewmen spent time at an RAF airfield in the desert during the unrest when some British troops were attacked. After this they sailed to Malta to complete pilot training and then proceeded to Korea to join the British forces fighting in the Korean War, arriving in early 1953. The ship was equipped with the Hawker Sea Fury and the Fairey Firefly. They were stationed off the east coast of Korea, out of range of enemy mine laying boats. From here the aircraft would support Allied ground troops, the Furies sometimes escorting the Fireflies as these carried heavier bombs to attack targets like bridges. Their ship travelled to Japanese ports such as Sasebo or Kure to refuel and rearm and during these times he was able to take shore leave. During operations the aircraft were in constant use during the day and at night Maurice and his comrades worked on the aircraft, preparing them for operation the next day. After the armistice he returned on the troopship HMT Dunera, which was also carrying POWs who had been held by North Korea. Many were traumatised and some had been tortured by their captors. At least two of them committed suicide on the trip home.