As a Junior Cadet, Godfrey just knew he wanted to be a soldier. Godfrey was born in Leicester, but schooled in Derby during World War Two. He enrolled at the Sandhurst Military Academy, aged 18. After Sandhurst, Godfrey became a Commissioned Officer in the Royal Leicestershire Regiment and was posted to Hong Kong. Aged 20, Godfrey was training in anticipation for Korea. In Busan, Godfrey recounts seeing casualties coming down from Maryang-san hill and how he wanted to do something. On November 5th 1951, Godfrey joined efforts to retake Maryang-San. He recalls the terrifying shelling and how his small platoon held and were relived from a small hill called "Italy". Godfrey recalls how he found out that the Chinese army took "Italy", and most of the platoon posted there. He also fondly remembers the Northumberland Fusiliers. After the Maryang-san battle, Godfrey was mostly on patrol and he recalls stepping on a mine and his logistical and personal journey to recovery. Godfrey took medical retirement after seven more years' service, never fulfilling his dream to command his Leicester regiment. Reflecting on Korea, Godfrey would not have missed it for the world and he will never forget those who served in it.

Stephen Jackson offers a powerful and emotional account of his time with the Northumberland Fusiliers during the Aden Emergency. Joining the army straight out of school at 15, Stephen quickly found himself posted to Germany as a company clerk, where his early days were marked by camaraderie, tough men, and even a memorable ski trip. However, everything changed when he was deployed to Aden in 1966. The scorching heat hit him first, followed by the tense atmosphere as he arrived at camp in a guarded truck. As a company clerk, his duties were largely administrative, but when out in the field, the situation could be terrifying. Stationed in the volatile Crater district, the role of the Fusiliers was to try and keep the peace between the NLF and FLOSY using foot patrols and roadblocks. One of his most harrowing memories is of the day the local police mutinied, resulting in the loss of several close comrades. After Aden, Stephen was posted to Belfast during the Troubles, completing four tours before finishing his service in Gibraltar. Reflecting on his experiences, he shares how the trauma from Aden has stayed with him, leading to PTSD. Despite the hardships, Stephen’s story is one of courage and resilience.

Coming from a musical and artistic family, John was attracted to military service as an opportunity to become a professional musician. He joined the Staffordshire Regiment, and after arduous basic training, joined the military band. He focused on the cornet and the double bass and describes his development as a musician. He puts his success down to hard work; he wanted to become a professional musician in a military band and he would do whatever it took to achieve this. He was then given the opportunity to train at Kneller Hall, which he describes as ‘the mecca for army music’. He practised hard and won a prize for the most improved musician on double bass as well as best double bass musician for that year. Following graduation, he spent time in Northern Ireland, then Gibraltar. Eventually he became an instructor in the Prince of Wales division and from there back to Kneller Hall as a student Bandmaster. Having graduated, he became the first black bandmaster and went to the Cheshire Regiment and from there to Bosnia and the first Gulf War. He describes his time with the Cheshire Regiment, during which he received a commission before retiring in 2000.