Originating from a military background, Mary knew she wanted to join the army and officially signed in 1978 when she left school. After excelling in her assessments, she chose to join the Royal Army Pay Corps knowing that they had bases all over the world. Following her initial training at Guildford, Mary was posted to Brighton where she worked on translating army promotions into symbols in order for occurrences to be coded into computer systems. She was then moved to Krefeld in Germany and placed in a pay team with two other RAPC individuals. She remembers her time in Germany as the moment in which she, like many others, became aware of the IRA threats and realities of life in the army. Having joined the WRAC towards the end of the 1970s, Mary reflects on the changing nature of women's roles and remembers the introduction of weapon training. She describes the extensive NBC training in Krefeld, in particular 'Active Edge' exercises which were intended to mimic Russian invasion. Mary describes the relationship between technological development and pay duties, and her developing awareness of the discrepancy in pay. With the disbandment of the WRAC she went for commission and became the only female RAPC. Her interview is an inspiring and authentic account of one of the many trailblazing women who broke the system.

Between 1967 and 1971, Bob Barrett served in the Life Guards, with hopes of going abroad and learning to drive. Instead, he remained in London, where it soon became apparent he’d be swapping cars for horses. Life in the Army took some initial getting used to: the living conditions at Pirbright and Wellington barracks were shocking, however Bob took naturally to the horses during his time in riding school. Despite a lack of experience, he grew quickly in confidence, and it wasn’t long before he was well on his way to becoming a competent rider. Ahead of duties, he also took on the important job of caring for the horses' kit: with the looming prospect of inspections, it wasn’t uncommon for men to spend hours cleaning their equipment, often into the early hours of the morning.  For Bob, his first Trooping of the Colour very nearly ended in misfortune, after almost losing his boots during the parade. It’s a humorous anecdote, however service in the Life Guards was highly disciplined, and in this film Bob recalls occasions where other men were not so lucky.  Although his involvement in the Army was different to what he’d originally imagined, Bob considers his time as a Life Guard to have benefited him greatly, and recounts the range of interesting people he was able to meet as a result. In this interview he provides an amusing and candid insight into his career, and remains very proud of his time in service. 

Richard Donovan's military journey with the Royal Welch Regiment began in 1951, when he narrowly missed deployment to Korea and instead embarked on an adventure in the Caribbean. Stationed at Park Camp in Jamaica, Donovan enjoyed the sun-soaked island life, even encountering Hollywood legend John Wayne on a beach. However, his time there wasn't all leisure; his regiment was tasked with internal security, facing challenges such as riots, a devastating hurricane, and disturbances in Grenada and British Guyana. After serving as an instructor, Donovan was finally sent to Korea, but fate had other plans. Just as he arrived, a peace treaty was signed, and his battalion was rerouted to Malaya. Here, he engaged in the harsh realities of the Malayan Emergency, conducting dangerous jungle patrols with the Ghurkhas against the Malayan Races Liberation Army (MRLA). Donovan's vivid accounts reveal the grueling tactics employed to weaken the MRLA, terrifying encounters with wildlife, and a near-trap sprung by two POWs. Leading a platoon through the dense jungle, Donovan's experiences included tracking a rogue elephant and surviving friendly fire incidents. Reflecting on his service, his only regret was retiring too early. In later life, he became a dedicated historian of the Royal Welch Regiment.