Between 1967 and 1971, Bob Barrett served in the Life Guards, with hopes of going abroad and learning to drive. Instead, he remained in London, where it soon became apparent he’d be swapping cars for horses. Life in the Army took some initial getting used to: the living conditions at Pirbright and Wellington barracks were shocking, however Bob took naturally to the horses during his time in riding school. Despite a lack of experience, he grew quickly in confidence, and it wasn’t long before he was well on his way to becoming a competent rider. Ahead of duties, he also took on the important job of caring for the horses' kit: with the looming prospect of inspections, it wasn’t uncommon for men to spend hours cleaning their equipment, often into the early hours of the morning.  For Bob, his first Trooping of the Colour very nearly ended in misfortune, after almost losing his boots during the parade. It’s a humorous anecdote, however service in the Life Guards was highly disciplined, and in this film Bob recalls occasions where other men were not so lucky.  Although his involvement in the Army was different to what he’d originally imagined, Bob considers his time as a Life Guard to have benefited him greatly, and recounts the range of interesting people he was able to meet as a result. In this interview he provides an amusing and candid insight into his career, and remains very proud of his time in service. 

John Mitchell joined the army in 1943. He undertook 6 weeks of basic training in Aberdeen, before completing 21 weeks of wireless operator training in Yorkshire. He joined the 1 Corps Signals in Hunterston, Scotland, to prepare for D-Day and shipped out to Normandy on June 5^th 1944. John landed on Juno beach on D-Day +1. He describes seeing the aftermath of the initial invasion, and the quick progress that had been made to fortify the landing zones. He details his responsibilities as a wireless operator in Normandy, as well as recounting his experiences with French locals. John and his crew served alongside the 4^th Commandos, Pioneer Company, and the Black Watch Battalion and saw action throughout France, Belgium, and Holland. He recollects the aftermath of the offensive and the impact of bombings across his journey. He was briefly stationed in Germany as the war ended, and was then shipped to the Middle East, where he gives a brief, but eye-opening account of Jewish violence towards British soldiers. With everything that he has seen, John’s overriding memory from Normandy is that he is fortunate to be alive and to have seen all that he did.