Pam Torrens was born in Southampton from a lineage of sailors and fishermen and so without question joined a sea faring service in the war.  She joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) aged eighteen and was made a chief petty officer after six months. Pam describes her Wren training and the testing of her German language skills. Beginning at Mill Hill, and then transferring to a special unit called Southfields, she learnt how to use radio frequencies to detect E-Boats, and interpret the codes used by Germans. She was sent to Station X, unaware at the time that this was Bletchley Park. Here she listened to codes and would phone them through to the local naval intelligence centre. Later sent to work in intelligence centres herself, she describes the windy Abbots Cliff where she listened to messages about the Bismarck, learning morse code at Hemsby, and being stationed at Ventnor during D-Day. She later volunteered to go to Hamburg Germany to interpret captured documents for the navy. Reflected throughout is Pam’s enjoyment of being in the Wrens, but also the tough circumstances and reality of not being able to divulge information about code breaking to her family after signing the Official Secrets Act. She remained hopeful her important work was impactful to the war effort.

Edward Rogers, known as 'Ted' to his friends, was born in Liverpool in 1924. Following the Blitz, Ted was still too young to join the Royal Navy aged only 16. However instead of waiting to be called up once he was old enough, he instead made the bold decision to join the Merchant Navy as an apprentice. Although Ted didn't yet know it, his first sea voyage would change his life forever. While sailing aboard the Alfred Jones, Ted and his crew were part of a vicious torpedo attack, by a U-Boat commanded by the formidable Günther Hessler. After being given orders to abandon ship as fire broke out, Ted made the unfortunate discovery that his allocated lifeboat had been destroyed in the explosion, and that he would have to swim to another for any chance of survival. Stranded 120 miles from shore in a small, overcrowded lifeboat, he was incredibly lucky to survive, though sadly two other members of the crew were not so fortunate. As part of life in the MN, burials at sea were not uncommon, however for Ted he mainly recalls the great camaraderie he shared with his crew, despite the constant threat of U-Boat attacks, including celebrations for Christmas and the eventual end of the war. It took another year following the end of the war for Ted to be demobilised, where he faced yet another big decision about his future, having to choose between maintaining a romantic relationship or training for the priesthood. Ted chose the latter, which would mark the beginning of yet another great adventure in his life.