From a rural background working with tractors, John was first conscripted into the Royal Horse Artillery then, after a period of training in Germany, was transferred to the 20^th Field Regiment and on to Korea. John vividly remembers the journey to Pusan (now Busan) and arrival at Christmastime 1952. He describes how the area had been devastating by the war. John was a Linesman and responsible for repairing damaged wires between the guns and the infantry. He showed incredibly bravery as this work could often be at night and risked mortar attack if the enemy saw their lights. Despite this, John loved this work. John was then sent to the Hook for observation duties and was there for the Third Battle of the Hook in May 1953 which he recalls in detail. The Hook was a ridge which offered a valuable position and John describes how thousands of Chinese soldiers were sent to try and take it. The firing was intense, including napalm from American aeroplanes, which John expresses reservations about the use of. John was in Korea for the armistice and was demobbed close to Christmas that year. Reflecting on the war, John says he is glad they were sent to help. He has since returned to South Korea and is impressed with the nation’s growth and modernity.

Ernie was recruited into the army aged just eighteen and began his primary training at the Royal West Kent Regiment in Maidstone. He joined the 7th Armoured Division and the Spearhead Invasion training in anti-tank gunnery. He then joined the 5th RHA (Royal Horse Artillery) as a driver operator and troop leader, and later as an OP Officer (Secondary Forward Observation Officer) training in tanks. Ernie describes being caught in cross channel gun fire at Albert Dock on the Thames whilst he was loading guns aboard his divisions boat. Arriving at the beach near Port au Bessin, Normandy on D-Day, Ernie acted as a relay for the guns, exchanging messages as the chaos of exploding mines and heavy gun fire surrounded him. He then manoeuvred through the difficult Villers Bocage hedgerow landscape encountering German tanks and S.S. Panzers throughout the journey. Ernie remembers the feeling of adrenaline and the fearlessness he had as a young man and the camaraderie between the crew, but also the vivid memories he had after the war. He also reflects on joining the Normandy Veterans Association in 1985, becoming the secretary and later the chairman, arranging trips with his own money for veterans to return to Normandy and how he had met so many extraordinary people through this important work.  

Keith Watson was a carpentry apprentice before he was called up into the Royal Norfolk Regiment for his National Service. His first posting was on the Yugoslav/ Italian border in 1952. When he returned home, he served as batman to the Regimental Sergeant Major, a role that kept him out of trouble until he arrived in Korea. On arrival, Keith was moved to B company and sent to the frontline. He gives a first-hand account of life on the hills in Korea, which mostly involved: digging trenches, keeping warm, and trying to avoid the mosquitoes. Keith details the configuration of barbed wire fences and mines in No Man’s Land and how, as a patrolman you had to be very aware of how to navigate these defences. He recalls being sent to a small hill in No Man’s Land nicknamed “the island” to survey the enemy – the hill was very exposed, and Keith counts himself lucky not to have been attacked. Keith served the maximum of 12 months in Korea and was pleased to be sent home. His interview culminates with a moving poem dedicated to soldiers who served in Korea.