Harriet Wight was living in the countryside in North East Scotland at the outbreak of war and recalls seeing an enemy aircraft drop a bomb over Aberdeen. It was then she decided ‘to do her bit’ and joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS). After a medical in Dundee she did her initial basic training at Balloch on the edge of Loch Lomond and began her duties as a messenger. She was eventually posted to Ilfracombe in Devon as a signaller and was involved in taking and logging signals which at that time mainly related to noting casualties from the North African campaign in 1943. Harriet moved on to operating telephone switchboards after a period of training and was posted to Hatston on the Orkneys, close to the vital naval base of Scapa Flow. Harriet spoke of meeting her future husband, who was a sailor involved in Arctic and Atlantic convoys, and how she never concerned about the danger he was in until she found out that an American soldier pen-friend of hers had been killed in Belgium and then the reality of war hit home. Harriet concluded by saying how very proud she was of having been a Wren. 

David Sayer delivers an intricate account of his service aboard HMS Plymouth during the Falklands War. His fascination with the sea began at a young age, having fond memories of watching ships transiting across Torbay from the upstairs bedroom of his grandmother's cottage. Recognising his interest, his parents would send him to HMS Mercury to begin his training. Some time later, he qualified as a Master gunner, serving aboard many frigates. When war in the Falklands broke out, he had been serving aboard HMS Plymouth as a Squadron Gunnery Officer. Following the conclusion of Exercise Spring Train in the Mediterranean, Plymouth, along with an assemblage of other ships, were sent to the Falklands for naval support. The crew soon reached Bomb Alley in San Carlos where they were tasked with fighting off Argentinian resistance. David describes his position in the operations room and the process in which they used their weapons against the enemy. Being well prepared, David was infused with a sense of confidence which benefited the navy in the success they achieved early on. However, as he expected, it would only be a matter of time when their ships would receive a hit. He recalls how Plymouth lost power when it finally received a heavy blow. Thankfully, since it was a steel ship, it did not take long to recover. He reveals how this particular story was overshadowed by the RFA Sir Galahad being attacked on the same day. During the war, David also remembers the implementation of new weapons which were experimental at best. This included the Razzle Dazzle, a new type of laser weapon which was ultimately considered unwieldy. David's journey in the Falklands offers insight into the ingenuity of warships used in the war and the dependability of the officers who served aboard them.

Office boy Stan Hoare was called up in June 1943 and he joined the Royal Navy as a radar rating, completing his training at HMS Raleigh in Cornwall and on the Isle of Man. Stan’s first ship was HMS Hart, a modified Black Swan-class sloop, and he recalls the sense of pride he felt when boarding for the first time. He shares memories of his life and work on board the ship during sea trials, the Arctic convoys and D-Day, and remembers the serious consequences of an accident caused by heavy fog in the Bristol Channel during his watch. Stan went on to take a gunnery course and was subsequently transferred to HMS Duke of York, joining the British Pacific Fleet and setting sail for Australia. He vividly describes the differences between the two ships of his service, and remembers the final crashing wave that spared his life but ended his military career. Stan’s story, shared with much humour and humility, illustrates the overwhelming courage, dedication and resilience of all those who served with, before and after him.