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A veteran interview with

John Clarke

John Clarke gives a brutal and compelling account of his experiences as an infantryman with The Black Watch during the Second World War.

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About John Clarke

Born in Manchester and raised in foster care, John Clarke became an apprentice at sixteen before joining The Black Watch, following in his grandfather’s footsteps. After training in Scotland as part of the 6th Battalion, he was deployed to Tunisia, where he fought at Sidi Medienne and helped rescue wounded prisoners from an enemy ship—a highlight of his service.

He later trained in Cairo, before being stationed high up the Aurunci Mountains in Italy with the British division in the American 5th Army. John joined the 12th Brigade in Cassino and remembers the chaos around Monte Cassino monastery, the heavy casualties, and the many acts of bravery.

Post-war, he joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, managing the armoury in Gaza. John reflects on his military career, recalling memorable moments including meeting Winston Churchill. For John, the friends he made during the war became the family he never had growing up.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Vicky Barnes

Copyright:
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Home | Veterans | John Clarke

A veteran interview with

John Clarke

JohnClarke-e1588418022895

John Clarke gives a brutal and compelling account of his experiences as an infantryman with The Black Watch during the Second World War.

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Clarke, John. A Veteran Interview with John Clarke. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, 8 Oct. 2012 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/john-clarke/. Accessed 17 May. 2025.
APA Style:
Clarke, J. (2012, October 8). A Veteran Interview with John Clarke [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved May 17, 2025, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/john-clarke/
Chicago Style:
Clarke, John. 2012. A Veteran Interview with John Clarke. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, October 8. Accessed May 17, 2025. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/john-clarke/
Harvard Style:
Clarke, J. (2012). A Veteran Interview with John Clarke. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee, 8 October. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/john-clarke/ (Accessed: 17 May 2025)
Vancouver Style:
Clarke, J. A Veteran Interview with John Clarke [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; 2012 Oct 8 [cited 2025 May 17]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/john-clarke/
An interview with

Vikki Foley

Vikki candidly opens up about her husband’s tours of Afghanistan and the toll they took on his mental health and their marriage.

Content warning// This interview contains discussions of sensitive topics such as PTSD which some viewers may find distressing. If you are affected by these topics, please consider seeking support from a trusted person or organisation. Vikki and Chris were teenagers when they met and enjoyed a fun, loving relationship. Sadly, this changed when Chris was posted to Afghanistan. Chris’ battalion were hit badly and suffered a lot of casualties, including the death of Chris’ friend, which caused Chris to become very angry. He wanted to stay and fight rather than return home. It was a confusing and isolating time for Vikki, she didn’t know how to help Chris or have anyone to talk to. When Chris returned, Vikki noticed that he was very jumpy as well as angry and drinking a lot more. Chris’ anger escalated so much that Vikki insisted he seek help. Chris was set on a path of PTSD treatment but appointments and treatment were sporadic. He then passed all checks and was cleared for a second tour of Afghanistan. Vikki was incredibly worried about Chris but the big difference for her this time was that they were now living in married quarters so she had other wives and friends around to draw support from. When Chris returns, this time his change in behaviour is so noticeable that he is downgraded to lighter duties at work which made him angrier still. Vikki wishes that she had spoken up more and demanded help for Chris but is incredibly grateful that the birth of their son did mark a positive change in Chris’ behaviour. Chris’ discharge in 2015 was a stressful period when the family suddenly had to find somewhere to live. Thankfully they found a home through a veteran’s housing association which was a massive benefit to both as it meant they were surrounded by neighbours who could relate to their situation. Vikki also thinks being in the NHS system of treatment worked better for Chris as he could open up more rather than feeling he was letting the military down. Vikki also joined Band of Sisters where she values the support and does her best to support others too. She also wrote a poem which was chosen to be turned into a song for the Invictus Games. Vikki acknowledges there were some very dark days and is sad to think of all the ex-military personnel, and their families, left to struggle with their demons. For a long time she felt there was no one else like her but through opening up she has found incredible support and sisterhood and wants others to know they are not alone.
Service:
Project:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Ishbel Thomson

Joining the OTC at university while training as a pharmacist set Ishbel Thomson on an army career that saw her serve in many global conflicts.

Ishbel had experience with the University Officers Training Corps (OTC) and the Territorial Army (TA) before she joined the WRAC in 1985. She had trained as a pharmacist at university and it was only after graduating she considered joining the army. She recalls Crusade Eight as the first major operation she worked on alongside the local infantry unit. Ishbel describes how in this role, aside from escorting VIPS, most of the women would take on administrative work. She was then posted to C Company in Grangemouth as a Platoon Commander and comments on the changing atmosphere surrounding women's treatment in the early 1980s. Ishbel also describes how in the OTC and the TA women were afforded more opportunities, such as weapons and armed combat training, whereas the WRAC were only just introducing weapons training. From this point Ishbel underwent a series of role changes within the army; she traveled to Sandhurst, Catterick, Cyprus, Northern Ireland, and London where she completed her Masters in Administration. At Porton Down, she revisited her pharmacist experience and worked with scientists to develop pharmaceutical and technological military defences. Ishbel went on to become an Adjutant General in Bosnia, the Balkans, then a Lieutenant Colonel in Cyprus and a medic in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Reflecting on the WRAC, Ishbel feels that it gave her the grounding to begin her wider military career. An inspiring interview, we thank Ishbel for her incredible stories and for being a trailblazing woman.
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Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Judy Hasnip

Judy was deployed to Aden when she served with the WRAC.

In this interview Judy recalls joining the WRAC as a way to begin her career and move out of her family home. Judy completed her initial basic training at Lingfield, which was the predecessor of Guildford, before she was posted to Worthy Down to specialise as a pay clerk in the Royal Army Pay Corps. Reflecting on her training, Judy remembers being amazed at how quickly she transformed from a young girl into an adult woman. She also describes the experience of working with fast-changing technology, and how later in her life she realised how instrumental her work in data processing became with the arrival of the first computerised consensus. Later, Judy was posted to Aden and remembers the excitement of flying over the pyramids. Here she was taken to the Singapore lines where she worked with the binary code. When asked to reflect on the WRAC, Judy felt frustrated by the lack of options made available to women at the time but also extremely proud of the work she had done.
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Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker