Content warning// This interview contains discussions of sensitive topics such as PTSD, depression and suicidal thoughts which some viewers may find distressing. If you are affected by these topics, please consider seeking support from a trusted person or organisation.   German Uli met her partner Alex while he was working for the Professional Service Guard. He had previously served for almost 18 years with the Royal Logistics Corp and Uli knew bits and pieces about Alex’s time in Northern Ireland and Sierra Leone. In 2015 Uli noticed that Alex was becoming quieter and retreating into himself, he admitted that he was feeling depressed. Alex was diagnosed with PTDS. It was recommended that Alex join Band of Brothers for support and that Uli join Band of Sisters. She didn’t think she would need assistance herself but wanted to find out more about supporting someone through PTSD and depression. Uli is incredibly open about Alex’s symptoms of depression, anxiety, being hyper alert and burying his emotions. The more stories she heard from the Band of Sisters, she became incredibly grateful that Alex was never physically or verbally abusive. Alex’s treatment was slow and it took a very long time, and a great deal of pain to manage, before he was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia, or chronic pain syndrome. Thankfully, he had Uli to chase and advocate on his behalf but he now lives with extreme pain on a daily basis. Uli describes how she used to try and be superwoman for Alex but it all became too much. She worried so much about him, especially when he had suicidal thoughts. Uli sought help and was given medication and also undertook therapy with Hidden Wounds which she says was brilliant. The Band of Sisters has also been a terrific support. Not only is there always someone there who knows what you are going through, Uli has also been involved in numerous fundraising activities such as trekking in Cambodia. But Uli knows the road ahead is still difficult, she confesses she has had dark thoughts herself and only by opening up did she realise these were likely caused by her medication. She admits she never puts herself first and hopes that by sharing her and Alex’s story it will help others to reach out and find help.

Andrée Dumon's first encounters with evaders were exciting because she realised the danger she was putting herself in. Working full-time for the Resistance, she guided English soldiers across the Pyrenees Mountains. Nearing her 20th birthday she was arrested with her parents in Brussels but refused to divulge information despite German police threats. Her bravery and  determination were crucial attributes during her imprisonment. Following her 1942 capture, her sister Michou took her place in the Resistance, showing similar characteristics. After her 1945 liberation, she battled typhus in an English hospital, again displaying remarkable resilience. Andrée reflects on her experiences during the D-Day landings and post-war involvement with the English.

In firstly describing his earlier life, Bob recalls growing up in Paris and joining the special detachment force at the beginning of the Second World War. He then recalls arriving in England to undergo specialised training, and from this point onwards was made a saboteur. Bob remembers his first jump, and the speed at which saboteurs would have to seek, report and destroy enemy objectives. Operating in small teams of five to six individuals, he recalls the importance of discretion and trust among his network. As a member of the SOE, Bob was required to have a forged identity and resultantly, landed himself in troubled situations with the enemy. He recalls one particular incident on Christmas Day 1943 where, having missed the enforced curfew in Paris, he was taken by the German patrol. In an attempt to escape, he was shot in the lung and as a result, thought he had died. It was a slow recovery as not only did he have to remain in hiding from the enemy, but could only receive medical attention once he had returned to England in February. In the rest of his interview Bob discusses D-Day, the allied liberation, his post-war experiences in Asia, and the dive school he established in North Africa where he trained frogmen. Bob's account provides a series of exciting, moving and fascinating stories of his experience in the SOE both during, and after, the Second World War.