At only 17, George Batts, MBE, Leg d’Hon enlisted for military service, hoping like many others his age that it would make him a hero. From an ex-schoolboy in the Sussex countryside to a Corporal in the Royal Engineers, life for George changed dramatically when he volunteered himself for special duties, where he was trained on fitness, booby traps, and how to dismantle mines. Although he enjoyed the physical intensity of his training, George soon experienced the first hand 'organised chaos' of Normandy, after landing at Gold Beach in total darkness on board a Landing Ship Infantry. He recalls the terrible storm, the sound of gunfire, and later the sight of ambulances treating the long queues of wounded servicemen.  In this interview, George proudly describes his work on the Mulberry Harbours, before moving to a more front-line role in Belgium. On VE Day, while others celebrated, George knew he would soon be bound for India, to assist the continuing war effort in the Far East. Thirty two days later he arrived in Bombay, and afterwards sailed to Malaya, though was interrupted by the detonation of the atomic bombs in Japan before his arrival. Like many other veterans, here George describes himself as “one of the lucky ones”, and shares his hope for the future. Following the war, George was eventually made National Secretary of the Normandy Veterans Association, and served as an integral part of Legasee's Normandy project, ensuring that similar stories will never be forgotten. 

Joan Nicholls left school at only fourteen and concealed her age to enlist in the ATS. After undergoing rigorous testing and training at Fenham Barracks and Trowbridge, she arrived at Beaumanor Hall in March 1942. Joan describes the design and operation of the Beaumanor Y-Station and its significance to the Ultra cryptography project. She listened to and recorded German Morse transmissions, which were relayed to Station X (Bletchley Park) for decoding. Joan followed General Erwin Rommel throughout North Africa until the pivotal battle of El-Alamein, while catching snippets of other transmissions from Nazi Concentration Camps and the aftermath of D-Day. She describes developing a familiarity and respect for the German transmitters and the cat-and-mouse games of chasing them through different frequencies. Throughout the interview, Joan emphasises the importance of keeping her role a secret, even from those closest to her. It is only decades later that the Y-Service's efforts and sacrifices are publicly acknowledged. Unfortunately, she was never able to tell her father the true nature of her work.

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.