Eric Peters joined the army on New Year’s Day, 1945, at age 17. Initially sent to Markeaton Park, Derby, to the General Service Corps, he was persuaded by a friend to join the Black Watch and later, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He was posted to Germany to manage records of soldiers. After a brief period, Eric was posted to India during the war of independence. He arrived in Bombay and took a six-day train journey to the North West Frontier. One night, while sleeping in the back of the barracks, Eric and his battalion heard shouting, fighting, and gunshots. The next morning, they found that everyone in the streets had been slain. Soldiers on horseback quickly escorted them out of the town. This traumatic experience has stayed with Eric ever since. After leaving Karachi, Eric's regiment was split, and he was assigned to the Argylls. He was then posted to Palestine, Egypt, England, and spent 18 months in Hong Kong before heading to Korea. Upon arrival, they found only a 30-mile perimeter of South Korea left. Eric fought throughout Korea, from Nakdong and Tagu to the North Korean capital. The soldiers, ill-equipped for the bitter winter, ate American rations of beef burgers, frankfurters, coffee, and cocoa—Eric loved the food. During a night mission, Eric was tasked with scouting a nearby village. His commanding officer assured him that his group would be the only one operating that night. After completing the scouting and crossing back over the frozen river, they encountered a group of soldiers. Remaining alert, they approached and asked for the password, which the soldiers correctly provided. It became clear that his group was not the only one operating that night, Eric was very angry. As the Chinese joined the war, Eric was preparing to leave Korea. After his departure, he was stationed in Hong Kong for 12 months before returning home. Upon arrival, the streets of Edinburgh were filled with people applauding their return. Eric describes the Korean War as an experience—not a pleasant one, but a part of life.

From a young age Ali knew she wanted to join the army, and was part of the new 1984 revolution of women that went straight to training at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy. Ali describes the developments in training, such as compulsory weapon exercises and more intensive physical fitness. She was posted to 10 Company Aldershot where she took on administrative roles in welfare and career management. Ali was then taken to the Royal Green Jackets, then the Light Division Depot at Winchester. She describes this as the point in which her ambition for a military career took over and she began to dedicate herself entirely to the army. From here she was posted to the NATO camp in Sennelager, the Grenadier Guards, and Hohne for gunnery training where she began to understand Soviet tactics in the Cold War. When the Gulf war broke out in 1990 Ali knew that the WRAC was coming to an end. She was initially told that as a member of the WRAC she could not go to the Gulf, but she was grateful that the orders changed. In her interview she gives an incredible description of her experiences on ground operation. Ali continued to serve with the Adjutant General Corps and left as a full Colonel responsible for training across the whole of the army.

Cheryl was twenty-four when she joined the WRAC and saw the army as a career opportunity. At Guildford she dedicated herself to training and felt a sense of achievement wearing her solider's uniform. Cheryl completed her trade training at Aldershot, and specialised in silver service techniques. She was then posted to the Royal Armament and Development Establishment where she worked in both the sergeant's mess and on guard duty. At the RARDE soldiers would test new vehicles and weapons under extremely classified conditions, therefore those working there, such as Cheryl, had to stand on high alert at all times. Cheryl remembers having basic weapon training during this period, yet she still was not given ammunition whilst on guard. In her interview she describes the horrific treatment of women in the army, one of the reasons for her leaving in 1989. Cheryl felt unsupported on her leave and disappointed by the army's attitude towards the female corps. She feels that although the WRAC is a huge part of her history, there were real issues of gender discrimination which should be documented in oral histories such as those held in Legasee's archive.