Bill Blount followed in the footsteps of his father and uncle by volunteering to join the Royal Marines at the outbreak of World War II. He was trained at the Royal Marine Commando Barracks in Lympstone, where he endured rigorous physical training and forged deep bonds of camaraderie with his fellow Marines. He played a crucial role in the D-Day landings, supporting the Canadian forces on Juno Beach, providing escorts from his landing craft. His ship was part of the Trout Line, a nighttime defence line around Normandy, a position fraught with stress and danger. He recounts the immense challenges and profound sense of duty that characterised his wartime experiences. Blount's memories include difficult experiences, such as witnessing the destruction of a ship beside his own and seeing a Spitfire hit by a rocket, transforming into a ball of red fire. His stories capture the intensity and chaos of war and the emotional impact of these events on those who lived through them. After Normandy and one week of leave, Blount was sent to Malaya, Singapore, Burma and eventually Sumatra on board another landing craft. Blount's eventual return to the UK was filled with mixed emotions. He describes his simple but pleasant life, tempered by the lasting memories of the war and the comrades he lost. His reflections are a powerful testament to the enduring mark that war leaves on those who serve, underscoring the sacrifices and resilience of the Royal Marines during one of history's most challenging periods.

Nick joined the Navy as a boy in 1933 and served until wounded in action in 1945. After training he served on HMS Emerald, a coal-burning cruiser. On returning from the East Indies he transferred to HMS Southampton, another light cruiser. On this ship he saw action against the Italian navy in the Mediterranean. He then transferred to service on motor launches, patrolling the North Sea for a brief period before being assigned to a minesweeper, HMS Ardrossan. After time spent mine-sweeping parts of the English Channel and North Sea his flotilla escorted a convoy of merchant ships to the beaches on D-Day. The sea was rough and many of the troops being carried suffered from sea-sickness, as well as being attacked by the Luftwaffe, until protection from the RAF arrived. He found the screeching of the bombs as they dropped particularly distressing and he remembers it to this day. His ship then took part in the bombardment of German defensive positions. He watched the infantry climbing from ships into landing craft which took them to the beaches. Some troops drowned because they left the landing craft too soon, trying to wade ashore in the choppy sea. They were carrying a lot of kit and Nick still recalls the bodies floating by his ship, and this sometimes keeps him awake at night. During this period his ship was at action stations for three weeks, fighting German E-boats and aircraft. Every Armistice Day Nick remembers the details of these tumultuous events.