Kriss Akabusi shares his journey from an army signaller to a British Olympic athlete. He joined the army as a data telephonist and embraced the cutting-edge technology of the time. Initially stationed in Germany with the 22 Signals, he found the transition from a care home to military life smoother than expected. Despite his dedication to the Signals, Kriss's talent on the track led him to the Army Physical Training Corps in 1982. He emphasises the influence of role models in the army and candidly discusses his lack of understanding about the army's function, particularly in light of the Falklands Conflict. His decision to leave the army turned him into a key figure in UK sports. He won medals for Great Britain from 1983 – 1992, and still holds the British record over 400m hurdles at 47.82 seconds. Kriss reflects on the significance of joining the army and openly shares his thoughts on young British soldiers in current conflicts. His story is a powerful testament to the transformative impact of military service.

Arthur Cant provides a compelling tale about his contributions during the D-Day landings while serving with the Royal Military Police. He recalls being responsible for the capture of enemy prisoners in Normandy to help clear a path for the allied troops towards Belgium. He recounts his first departure for Normandy, how the police corps managed to capture three hundred prisoners and took them aboard their ship. Following their capture, the corps then supplied the ship with five hundred bottles of soap so the prisoners could clean themselves, showing the generosity of the English. After clearing all the prisoners from Normandy, Cant was reassigned to a Landing Ship Tank (LST) from Southampton to capture prisoners near Belgium as the allies made their course. He remembers the interception of a German warship and how one out of three LSTs sank in a successful mission, exporting another three hundred prisoners. Until his eventual posting to Egypt, Cant estimates exporting more than nine hundred prisoners. Cant's story gives insight into the military tactics used by the Royal Military Police and is an example of how success against the enemy does not always mean violence or mistreatment.

For the first few years of the war, Leslie Fernandez was an Army Physical Training Corps instructor who trained SOE candidates in Hertfordshire and Manchester (parachuting). He was then invited by Colonel Munn to become an operative, deploying to SE France in July 1944; when the American landed there in August 1944, his group moved to Italy to help the partisans prevent the Germans in Italy from interfering with American operations. He provides a hugely detailed and modestly understated account of SOE operations (he does not mention his Military Medal or Croix de Guerre), starting with selection for different roles and his insertion by parachute, weighed down by weapons and equipment. He focuses heavily on little-known operations in the mountains between France and Italy, gathering explosives from his cache in a bakery, blowing up roads and negotiating the surrender of 80 Germans to 5 SOE. He also talks about the challenges of communication and receiving resupplies in harsh conditions where they were often isolated, as well as the psychological pressure of warfare and seeing people executed. He has fond memories and recalls the bravery of those involved, especially as he married a woman from the region, who was a courier.