After surviving the Blitz as a child, Leonard later joined National Service as a young adult. Following basic training, he volunteered for deployment in Korea, eventually travelling on the Empire Fowey. Upon arriving in Pusan, he joined the 14th Field Regiment. He reflects on his role as a signaller, detailing the equipment he worked with on the frontlines. Leonard remembers a night on duty when a radio transmission came through, the sound of gunfire in the background before fading into silence. By morning, he learned that those behind the transmission had been ambushed and killed by the Chinese. The cold of winter and the rabbit-sized rats that swarmed the battlefield and dugouts remain vivid in Leonard's memory. During his deployment, the Chinese broadcasted propaganda messages, aiming to demoralise soldiers by reminding them of home. Eventually, Leonard’s time in Korea ended and he returned home. He found it hard to adjust to life back home, but eventually settled. Years later, he revisited Korea and was amazed by how much the country had transformed since the war.

Tony Martin shares his memories as a member of the Royal Pioneer Corps, initially carrying out the dirty job of setting up smoke screens to protect British cities and factories from German bombers during WW2. However, he is soon reallocated to the advanced airfield construction groups in preparation for D-Day.  Tony describes the relentless work of setting up crash strips for damaged planes and maintaining airfields in France, including how they set up a fully operational airstrip in record time. He shares the thrill of the frenzied crash strips, as spitfires, hurricanes and bombers “belly flopped” onto the runway. Tony also, however, reveals the danger and horror of the airstrips, as men dropped from burning planes thousands of feet above and they themselves became the target of German bombs, resulting in the loss of a close friend. After those initial months of the invasion, Tony was sent out to the Far East and he transferred to the military police in India. Tony’s interview is a stark reminder of the bravery and essential support work that the Royal Pioneer Corps carried out in WW2.

At only seventeen years old Wendy Joined the WRAC in 1972. Driven by her desire to travel, she joined the army as a communications operator and her interview provides a fascinating insight into the processes, and complications, of being a young woman in a military environment. Wendy recalls the strict routines at Guildford and the excitement of her passing out parade following the first six weeks of training. In her specialised training, Wendy discusses the complexity of the communications machinery and the development of technologies throughout her time as an operator. Beginning with T-100s, Wendy describes the transition into T-15 Telex machines in the late 1970s. Reflecting on the WRAC Wendy speaks fondly of her travels to Rheindahlen, Hong Kong, Australia, Cyprus and later Edinburgh. During this time she faced constant IRA threats, Cold War tensions and feelings of discontent that erupted with the onset of the Falklands. She speaks passionately on the importance of the WRAC as an emerging space for women to push beyond their societal expectations during a period of great change.