Raised in the garrison town of Colchester, Maisie enlisted in 2002 after earning her music degree. She trained at Kneller Hall before joining the band of the Parachute Regiment. As a trumpet player, Maisie describes the immense pressure of performing The Last Post at commemorations and funerals. Maisie served in Iraq in 2004, stationed in Basra, and Afghanistan in 2010-2011. She notes the unique experience of being one of the few women in a male-dominated environment during these conflicts. She also describes the various roles of the band in an active war zone, in addition to sustaining morale. After almost a decade of service, Maisie left the army in 2011. She recounts many of the incredible events she performed at, and expresses how difficult it was to leave that identity behind when returning to civilian life.

Ronald Arnold joined the Home Guard in 1940 aged 16, before joining the regular army in 1942 (Middlesex Regiment) and serving in Normandy. As a wartime teenager, he felt a strong sense of duty and urgency, with most people somehow contributing to the war effort. He provides a fascinating insight into wartime Britain: working as a machinist by day, basic Home Guard training from First World War veterans, learning to use sticky bombs, standing guard at night and vigilance against German parachutists. His reminiscences on wartime Britain continue after he joined the army: the harshness of the conditions, training exercises across the countryside, navigating through Southern England a dispatch rider with minimal resources and relying on army units for fuel and food. His unit landed in Normandy later in June as a support unit for 43rd Wessex Brigade. He recalls the ever-present fear of enemy artillery and nebelwerfer rockets, which had a significant psychological impact. After being injured, he was evacuated for medical treatment and struggled with feelings of guilt for leaving his comrades.

When Brian Hamblett was called up for National Service, he could hardly have imagined the journey ahead. He remembers the epic voyage around the world to Korea with real fondness — a last adventure before the war began in earnest.

Serving in the Machine Gun Company, Brian worked the Vickers gun on Hill 327, where he first witnessed the devastating effects of napalm. Soon after came the Battle of the Imjin River. Despite the overwhelming Chinese assault, Brian admits he never fired a shot before being captured and marched north to Camp No.1.

In his interview, Brian describes life as a prisoner of war: the harsh conditions, the struggle to endure, and the comradeship that helped men survive nearly two years in captivity. Returning home was not simple — the adjustment to post-war Britain brought its own challenges.

Looking back, Brian reflects on the war’s cost and its necessity, offering rare insight into both combat and captivity during one of Korea’s defining battles.