Growing up in Cosford during the Second World War, Geoffrey Grimley became familiar with military surroundings from a young age. School geography lessons instilled in him an interest in Japan, and when conscription came at 19 years old, he registered with a preference to be stationed in the far-East. Geoffrey's childhood near an RAF base discouraged him from the airforce, so he instead became listed as a Signalman. The 6-month training period Geoffrey completed in Catterick taught him to decipher up to 14 words of Morse Code per minute. After a single excursion to a firing range, Geoffrey boarded a Devonshire 'Bibby Line' to Singapore. The journey took six weeks, and just a few weeks after his arrival, he journeyed on to Hong Kong. One bad winter later, Geoffrey left Kowloon Harbour to the sound of the Royal Ulster Rifles Pipe Band for the final leg of his journey to Korea. He arrived with the Kings Own Scottish Borderers on St. George's Day, 1951. Geoffrey recalls unsettled weather, mischievous tank drivers, and entertainment within his Brigade, including a boxing match between the KOSBs and a professional Filipino sportsman. Geoffrey was soon stationed at the Battle of Kapyong. Geoffrey's interview was cut short before sharing further details of his service due to his feeling unwell, but the beginning of his story creates a vivid, and at times, humorous, picture of his journey to becoming a Signalman.

Colin Parker details his experience with PTSD as well as his tragic fall from invincible Coldstream Guard to being left for dead in the Middle East. Slaving away day after day at his foundry job pushed Colin to actualise his childhood infatuation with the Armed Forces and join the Coldstream Guards. This particular regiment had a violent and prideful reputation due to moulding their recruits to feel like nothing could hurt them, something Colin experienced first hand.  Colin initially found it exciting to be on the battlefield until he was surrounded by Middle Eastern tribals and gravely injured by their mortar fire, the two teenagers soldiers under his command at the time not making it. Laying in the crater thinking about his family one last time Colin was fully convinced he had died but miraculously he survived.  After the attack, Colin had to relearn how to walk and talk and was then medically discharged and forced to deal with his new found PTSD alone. Having to accept that the army viewed him as expendable was extremely difficult for Colin; he felt so small and powerless after being discharged, he had lost everything and they did not care. Due to the way the Coldstream Guard trained him Colin never believed he would suffer from PTSD, but now he was stuck constantly relieving the stress and fear from that day over and over. 

As a young man desperate for adventure, Fox volunteered for Korea with the Gloucestershire regiment and recalls his excitement at fighting with the UN Army. Told that he would be home by Christmas, Bill remembers looking forward to his national service. Bill describes his arrival in Busan, which in 1950 was still a quiet harbour, and his following journey North. He reflects upon the words of his colonel and the quietness that enveloped their long, slow movement to the front line. As they moved North and into battle, Bill describes how they also began to face bitter cold Winter and the realisation that they would not be returning home that Christmas. In this interview, Bill recalls his first encounter with the enemy, the tactics of the Chinese army, and the battle of Hill 332 by the Imjin River which resulted in his capture as a prisoner of war. He details the horrific conditions of the camps and the peace talks that finally gave him hope of freedom.