Arthur Brown joined the army in 1943 as a radio operator in the Tank Regiment but soon became fed up with the training and volunteered for the Special Operations Executive (SOE). He joined Operation Jedburgh, which involved three-man teams—an allied commanding officer, a radio operator, and a local officer—being parachuted behind enemy lines around D-Day to work with resistance fighters in France and the Low Countries. There were around 100 ‘Jedburgh’ teams deployed in the European theatre mainly between June and September 1944. On the 9th of June, Brown, now a Sergeant, his team leader, the highly decorated Scottish officer, Major Tommy MacPherson and a French officer, Michel ‘Bourbon’ were dropped into central France to assist the Maquis. The ‘Jedburgh’s were dressed in military uniform to avoid being executed as spies, if captured. Brown’s role was to send coded radio messages back to the UK updating their operations but he became ill and had to be hidden by the Maquis, being moved around to avoid detection. After France was liberated, he and MacPherson continued similar operations in Italy until the German surrender. When faced with a possible posting to Germany, Brown volunteered to go to Burma and served there with other former ‘Jedburghs’ until the war's end. 

Sharon's interview provides an insight into the life of an ambitious woman who pushed against gender boundaries at the time. Having always wanted to join the military, Sharon thrived on the discipline at Guildford and felt proud to wear her uniform. She describes however, the difference in treatment towards men and women within her chef trade training, and how she felt as if the expectations of women were far lower than that of their male counterpoints. Sharon also describes her first posting to Ireland with the Army Catering Corps and the harsh reality of serving during this dangerous period. She later recalls her return to Belfast in 1988, where she was an unfortunate victim of the bombing and reflects on the trauma, she, and others alike, faced on that tour. Sharon also describes the conditions she worked in at the nuclear bunker in Wilton during the height of the Cold War. She only cooked with rations, tinned goods and remained underground for entire shifts. From this point onwards she continued to rise in her corps and as a result became the first female chef to serve officer residences, where she catered for individuals such as Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Reflecting on her time with the WRAC Sharon maintains that she feels forever connected to the female corps, but recognises how it restricted women's opportunities at the time.

In the Second World War, Violet Clarke served in The Auxiliary Territorial Service. She was from farming stock in Norfolk and didn’t want to become a Land Girl so joined the ATS. The ATS was the forerunner to the Women’s Royal Army Corps. She provides some lovely detail about her time in Mertsham which was a holding point for tanks and armoured vehicles being stored for D-Day - she recalls a young Princess Elizabeth. As a Salvationist, she got wind of an opportunity to join the band and subsequently became a Trombonist based at Norfolk House in London. Again some more lovely detail provided. We secured this interview thanks to the good people at the Royal British Legion Industry village in Aylesbury Kent.