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The Veteran Archive

Heartfelt thanks to the veterans who have shared their stories, so we may learn from their experiences and ensure they are never forgotten.

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An interview with

Colette Cook

Colette Cook gives an entertaining account of her time as a Wren. She had a...

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Harriet Wright

Harriet Wright gives a great account of her time as a Siganller in the Wrens....

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Ernest Edwards

Ernest Edwards gives an interesting account of his time in the NAFFI. He served on...

Civilian
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Irene Bellamy

Irene Bellamy provides an entertaining and detailed account of her service in the Wrens.  Before...

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Fred Estall

Fred Estall gives a good account of his life as a Gunner onboard a Defensively...

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Doug Joyce

Doug Joyce served on the heavy cruiser, HMS London. In July 1942 the ship was...

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Cornelius Snelling

Cornelius Snelling served on the Black Swan-class sloop HMS Wildgoose. The Wildgoose was one of...

Navy
D-Day and the Battle for Normandy (1944)
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An interview with

Dick West

Dick West gives a brilliant account of his life as an Engine Room Artificer on...

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

William Jenkins

William Jenkins gives a hilariously frank account of his service on HMS Emerald and HMS...

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Alfred Fowler

Alfred ‘Chick’ Fowler gives a very detailed account of his time spent as a Stoker...

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Charles Chirgwin

RMS Queen Elizabeth was one of the very first Merchant ships to be fitted with...

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Albert Owing

Albert Owing was a Merchant Seaman who sailed on many Atlantic convoys on RFA British...

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Frank Garbutt

Frank Garbutt was the Quartermaster on the aircraft carrier HMS Activity and provides some fascinating...
Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Frank Jones

Frank Jones was a Leading Seaman who gives a great account of his service on...

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Alex Owens

Alex Owens provides a classic story of life at sea for a young man who...

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Bill Churchill

Bill Churchill provides a detailed account of his life aboard the HMS Malcolm and HMS...

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Rodney Newnham

Rodney Newham lives in the RNBT’s Pembroke House in Gillingham. In the war he worked...

Civilian
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

John Woodward

John Woodward worked on a Minesweeper during WWII. Operating out of the Thames estuary his...

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Michael Wainwright

Michael Wainwright is one of the Battle of Britain fighter pilots we filmed with the...

RAF
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An interview with

Ralph Tyrrell

Ralph Tyrell gives an amazing account of life as a 20 year old bomb aimer....

RAF
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An interview with

George Reynolds

George Reynolds was captured during the fall of Singapore and sent to work in the...

Army
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An interview with

Joy Lofthouse

Joy Lofthouse flew Spitfires with the ATA during WWII. In her interview she shares details...

Civilian
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An interview with

Joyce Aylard

Joyce Aylard provides a detailed and fascinating account of her time working at a Bletchley...

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Edward Rogers

Ted Rogers sailed was an apprentice boy when he set sail with the Merchant navy....

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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Women of the Army (1949-92)

34 Interviews
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78 Interviews
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Recommended Projects

Women of the Army (1949-92)

In 2024, with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we proudly added 30 female voices to the Legasee Archive...
Browse Project
An interview with

Colette Cook

A member of the Women's Royal Naval Service who operated the Bombe machines at Bletchley Park.

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Colette Cook tells of her work at Bletchley Park operating the Bombe machines whose function was to find the daily key settings of the Enigma machines used by the Germans during WWII to transmit encrypted messages. Colette joined the WRNS (Wrens) as soon as she was able, and following a period of basic training, applied for a mysterious posting ‘P5’. It transpired that this was shorthand for HMS Pembroke V, a cover term for WRNS being posted to Eastcote (an outstation of Bletchley) to train as Bombe operators. In this engaging interview, Colette explains how, after signing the Official Secrets Act, she learned to load the bombe with the coloured wheels and then set about the difficult job of plugging up the back as directed by a ‘menu’. She describes the work as monotonous, physically demanding, and very noisy, but her and her colleagues ‘just grinded away’. She tells of a sense of urgency, but stresses it was not panic, and a realisation that what they were doing was important. Reflecting on her time at Bletchley, Colette says that whilst ‘it all seems like a dream now’, she has an overarching feeling of pride in the part she played to crack the German cypher.
Service:
Navy
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Vera Morgan

RAF
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Patricia Davies

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Jim Dimond

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Buster Brown

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Harriet Wright

Harriet Wright talks about her service as a Wren and being based in the Orkneys towards the end of the second world war.

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Harriet Wight was living in the countryside in North East Scotland at the outbreak of war and recalls seeing an enemy aircraft drop a bomb over Aberdeen. It was then she decided ‘to do her bit’ and joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS). After a medical in Dundee she did her initial basic training at Balloch on the edge of Loch Lomond and began her duties as a messenger. She was eventually posted to Ilfracombe in Devon as a signaller and was involved in taking and logging signals which at that time mainly related to noting casualties from the North African campaign in 1943. Harriet moved on to operating telephone switchboards after a period of training and was posted to Hatston on the Orkneys, close to the vital naval base of Scapa Flow. Harriet spoke of meeting her future husband, who was a sailor involved in Arctic and Atlantic convoys, and how she never concerned about the danger he was in until she found out that an American soldier pen-friend of hers had been killed in Belgium and then the reality of war hit home. Harriet concluded by saying how very proud she was of having been a Wren. 
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Service:
Navy
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Fred Gardiner

RAF
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Margery Draper

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Megan Moir

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Frank Garbutt

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Ernest Edwards

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Photo Gallery icon 7 Photos
Service:
Civilian
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Vic Ould

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Albert Malin

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Alex Owens

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Alan Johnson

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Irene Bellamy

An entertaining and detailed account of a WWII Wren’s service in England, France and Germany.

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When war broke out, 20-year-old Irene Bellamy was evacuated from Bristol to Chipping Sodbury, where she worked for a time as secretary to well-known aeroplane designer Basil Henderson. Although she found the job interesting, she was ambitious and determined to join the WRNS, which she managed to do despite already working in a reserved occupation. After training in Leeds, Irene was sent to Chatham to work as an admin officer before she successfully applied for a vacancy with ANCXF/SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force) which took her to Eisenhower’s HQ in Bushy Park. There she began working for Admiral Parry, with whom she later transferred to France then Germany. Irene shares fascinating details about her life and work throughout her service, including the build-up to D-Day and its aftermath, and the end of the war which she saw celebrated around the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. She is rightly proud of her military career and was awarded the British Empire Medal in recognition of her hard work and significant contribution to the war effort.
Service:
Navy
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Michael Foot

Army
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Bill Bennett

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Mavis Batey

Civilian
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Fred Gardiner

RAF
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Fred Estall

Trying not to think about the U-boats: keeping busy as a gunner aboard a Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship in WWII.

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With a long-held ambition to join the Navy, Fred Estall keenly awaited the arrival of his call-up papers, which sent him first to Pwllheli in north Wales for initial sea training and then to HMS Wellesley in Liverpool for gun training. He passed out as a DEMS gunner (Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship) and went to Nova Scotia – via HMS Belfast and RMS Queen Mary – to join the crew of a Merchant Navy oil tanker. Fred talks about life on board, describing the extra work available to anyone willing to get his hands dirty – which he always was, not only because he could earn more money, but also because keeping busy helped him keep his mind off the U-boats. He explains the stark difference between the atmosphere of camaraderie in the Royal Navy and the Merchant Navy, and talks about the distinct lack of entertainment onboard a merchant ship. Recalling heavy seas, storms and the huge expanse of ocean, Fred’s memories bring vividly to life what it was like to move from tanker to tanker while the world was at war, keeping allied ships fuelled from 1940 – 1944.
Service:
Navy
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Geoff Shelton

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Luton School

Civilian
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Patricia Davies

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Joan Manuel

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Doug Joyce

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Photo Gallery icon 17 Photos
Service:
Navy
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Luton School

Civilian
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Alec Pulfer

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

James Pitts

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Jonni Berfield

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Cornelius Snelling

Cornelius Snelling recalls his WWII naval service aboard anti-submarine patrol ships in the North Atlantic, the Arctic and the English Channel.

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After serving in the Home Guard and experiencing bombing in the blitz in London, Cornelius Snelling was conscripted into the Royal Navy in 1942 and carried out his basic training on HMS Ganges at Shotley. From his port division, Chatham, he was assigned his first posting, as a Bosun’s mate, to a newly commissioned ship docked at Glasgow, HMS Wild Goose, a Black Swan-class sloop. HMS Wild Goose specialised in anti-submarine patrols in the North Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay and Snelling took part in some of the ship's most notable actions, including the renowned "six in one trip" in 1943, which saw HMS Wild Goose, alongside other Bird-class sloops, sink six German U-boats in a single patrol. Snelling’s final journey aboard HMS Wild Goose was participating in an Arctic convoy to Murmansk and he describes the extreme conditions. In 1944, Snelling transferred to HMS Tyler, an American-built frigate on loan to the Royal Navy. HMS Tyler conducted patrol and escort missions in the North Atlantic and the English Channel, where it also escorted landing craft and supply ships during the D-Day invasion of the Normandy beaches. Snelling's service concluded in October 1945 when he steamed with HMS Tyler back to the United States, where the ship was returned to the US Navy.
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Service:
Navy
Project:
D-Day and the Battle for Normandy (1944)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Alfred Fowler

Navy
D-Day and the Battle for Normandy (1944)
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An interview with

Alf Burton

Navy
D-Day and the Battle for Normandy (1944)
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An interview with

Bernard Howell

Navy
D-Day and the Battle for Normandy (1944)
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An interview with

D-Day school film

Army
D-Day and the Battle for Normandy (1944)
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An interview with

Dick West

Dick West and "the Shiny Shef"

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"You could say I had a fortunate life really." Dick West recalls his time as an Engineering Artificer (ER2) during World War II in the Royal Navy, following in his father’s footsteps. Follow his journey from Chatham Tech (A.K.A Collingwood) through to his first posting in Portsmouth to Torpoint (Cornwall) all the way north to Scapa Flow. His time on the Destroyer called Oribi and the Sheffield “Shiny Sheff” (cruiser). Dick recalls life in the mess on a boat, the roles he had in supporting the Cruiser and places they visited and friends they made along the way, including Canadians. From Scottish ports, to Icelandic fronts (Akureyri, Hvalfjordur), to the Arctic Sea Battle of Scharnhorst alongside the Belfast and The Norfolk, fighting off German tanks in Italy. Dick recalls a lot of spent time in the Arctic Circle but also making stops in the Med and North Africa before finishing in Canada and the USA (picking up parts from General Electric).  
Photo Gallery icon 4 Photos
Service:
Navy
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Alec Pulfer

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Christian Lamb

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

John Woodward

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Jim Dimond

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

William Jenkins

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Photo Gallery icon 2 Photos
Service:
Navy
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Albert Owing

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Dick West

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Alan Johnson

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Betty Dobson

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Alfred Fowler

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Photo Gallery icon 8 Photos
Service:
Navy
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Vic Ould

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Bernard Howell

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Harry Card

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

William Sheppard

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Charles Chirgwin

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Photo Gallery icon 2 Photos
Service:
Navy
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Harriet Wright

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Patrick Hollins

RAF
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Bernard Howell

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Betty Dobson

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Albert Owing

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Photo Gallery icon 1 Photo
Service:
Navy
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Patricia Davies

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Frank Garbutt

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Frank Jones

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Bill Churchill

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Frank Garbutt

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Photo Gallery icon 9 Photos
Service:
Navy
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Albert Owing

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Alfred Fowler

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Eric Conway

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Alec Pulfer

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Frank Jones

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Photo Gallery icon 13 Photos
Service:
Navy
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Joan Manuel

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Bernard Howell

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Charles Chirgwin

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Buster Brown

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Alex Owens

Able seaman Alex Owens remembers his Naval service during WWII, providing protection for the fleet aboard S-class destroyer HMS Savage.

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Alex talks about the first strict days of his Naval training at the shore station of HMS Ganges in Ipswich, and the even stricter regime that followed at Chatham Barracks, recalling the general attitude amongst his peers of ‘just getting on with’ whatever they had to do. His first draft as an ordinary seaman was to HMS Savage, a brand-new ship which he was one of the first to board. Unfortunately for Alex, as soon as he left the shore for the very first time, he was laid low by seasickness which took a fortnight to get over and left him temporarily unable to care if the ship sank or sailed! Alex shares stories from his time on the Russian convoys and the unimaginable hardships the crews endured. He also details close contact with the SS Penelope Barker, as well as Savage’s heroic role in the sinking of the German battleship Scharnhorst: an amazing account made even more incredible when he remembers the moment the Savage turned her guns in the wrong direction… A charming, generous and funny man, Alex’s story is that of a young sailor at sea determined to do his bit, regardless of the dangers and fears he encountered along the way.
Photo Gallery icon 7 Photos
Service:
Navy
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
An interview with

Jonni Berfield

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Robert Watts

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Reg Neile

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Joyce Aylard

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Bill Churchill

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Photo Gallery icon 9 Photos
Service:
Navy
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Albert Malin

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Frank Jones

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Jonni Berfield

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Alec Pulfer

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Rodney Newnham

The battlefield wasn’t the only place of danger during the war as we learn from Rodney’s in-depth insight into the life of a dockyard worker.

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Rodney was working as an apprentice at the Chatham dockyard when the war broke out. He offers an incredibly vivid and detailed account of the intense and dangerous labour and of the hardship faced by many at the time. Rodney was up close during an air raid on the dockyard and recalls the minute details of the HMS Arethusa returning fire and deterring the enemy. Another particular danger was exposure to asbestos. With so many men dying young because of it, Rodney counts himself as very fortunate to have survived in good health. Rodney and the men were also responsible for manning the anti-aircraft Z Batteries. At night they had to set up, load and fire the incredibly heavy rockets without ever really knowing if they hit the enemy as it was so dark.
Service:
Civilian
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
An interview with

Cornelius Snelling

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Bill Churchill

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Charles Chirgwin

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Edward Wells

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

John Woodward

The critical work of a Navy minesweeper and its ingenious captain during World War II.

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18-year-old John Woodward followed in the footsteps of his father, uncle and grandfather by enlisting in the Royal Navy in 1942, keen to join the fight and do his bit for the war effort. His original intention was to become a signaller but when he was found to be colour blind, he was transferred to the minesweepers and based on the Isle of Sheppey at Queenborough Pier. John shares details of his early training and his role onboard the minesweeper, and recounts a particularly inspired yet risky manoeuvre ordered by the ship’s captain when the Germans’ mine-laying tactics had become a little too predictable. As well as providing details about the types of mines deployed by the Germans and how his minesweeper dislodged them, John also recalls both the build-up to D-Day and the actual event itself, before going on to talk about VE Day and his memories of the occasion. Like his peers, John shares his story with remarkable modesty, but it is easy to find behind his words the bravery, commitment and dedication with which he served, and which will form the heart of his legacy for many years to come.
Service:
Navy
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Gladys Yates

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Bill Churchill

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Joan Endersby

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

John Harrison

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Michael Wainwright

Gliding to Greatness

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Michael Wainwright served with the RAF during WWII; he fought bravely and valiantly in the Battle of Britain, one of the most frightful chapters of the Second World War, and the first time British forces faced the terrifying Luftwaffe. During the interview, Michael recalls the horrifying moment at which war was announced; he joined the RAF in 1936 at the age of 37 where he trained flying a Hawker Fury. Although, in his early career, Michael flew the notorious Bristol Blenheim, a bomber plane. He was later assigned to 64 squadron where he would take up the cockpit of a spitfire in order to defend the English boats crossing to France. He talks about his friend and leader: sub/Lt. Dawson-Paul who was shot down during the conflict, and taken prisoner by a German patrol boat in the English Channel. As his career continued, Michael made the decision to move to 102 glider OTU and take up the role of an instructor, teaching budding new pilots how to safely glide their planes in the event of being shot down or engine failure - he also teaches them how to defuse situations with angry farmers when landing in their fields.
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Service:
RAF
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Ralph Tyrrell

With seventy years in the Air Training Corps, a WWII Officer reflects on his time in Bomber Command.

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Having always wanted to fly with the RAF, Ralph Tyrrell MBE joined the newly-formed Air Training Corps in 1941. Starting as a Cadet, Ralph’s involvement in the war effort would take him all over the world, and introduce him to a wonderful crew with memories to last a lifetime.  Being part a reliable, high-spirited crew was important, especially in a unit as treacherous as Bomber Command. During the Second World War, the RAF’s Bomber Command suffered the highest number of casualties out of any British unit, and for Ralph and his crew, the risk was all too well-known. Although Lancaster Bombers weren’t the most comfortable to fly in, Ralph's crew was well prepared thanks to their intensive training, alongside the addition of a few lucky mascots to keep morale high. Looking back at his time in Bomber Command, in this film Ralph recalls the happy times and great camaraderie he shared with his crew, as well as his thoughts on some of the more controversial decisions made during the war, like the raids undertaken in Dresden, Germany. Returning to the UK as an Officer, Ralph was awarded an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II in 1993, for fifty years of service in the Air Training Corps, and continued to raise funds each year for the Wings Appeal, in aid of the RAF Association. At the end of the war, though it was difficult to say goodbye to his crew, who had all become like brothers, Ralph was deeply proud to have served his country, retaining his gratitude for the RAF, for helping to shape him from a boy into a man. 
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Service:
RAF
Interviewed by:
Rebecca Fleckney
An interview with

George Reynolds

In search of a story to tell, George Reynolds’ military career is one of much mayhem, overcoming trials and tribulations to live to tell the tale.

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George Reynolds tells the story of his military career, where each memory is as engrossing as the next. Following in his father’s footsteps, George enlisted in the army in 1937. Not long after, in 1939, he was off to India, where he had become both a stand out signaller and a skilled equestrian.   By 1941, his regiment found themselves embroiled in battle against the invading Japanese army. Troubling times followed; the Japanese succeeded in their occupation, George among the 80,000 taken as POW.   He was first put to work in a Singapore prison, where he detailed his starved but tanned condition, a result of outdoor work. After being shipped off to Taiwan in 1942, George recalls his torturous experience in a copper mine, where he faced the threat of beatings, malnutrition, and sickly skin, all at a level he had never seen before.  I’m sure you’ve gone through a roller coaster of emotions engaging with George’s story, but he closes on a powerful note. Following his liberation by the American Navy in 1945, George was plunged into a moral dilemma – how was he supposed to feel about the people who had hurt him?   To hate them, he says, was akin to a “cancer eating away at him”. At once, there and then, he decided to “forgive but not forget”. This ultimately underlines the hardiness and determination of a soldier, who, after seven long years away from home, was favoured to live to tell the tale. 
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Service:
Army
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Joy Lofthouse

WWII ATA Spitfire Pilot

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In this interview, listen to Joy talk about her rare and exciting opportunity to fly with ATA in the famous spitfire plane. Born in Cirencester, Joy was raised in the countryside where she learned to be strong and independent, always striving to be the best she could possibly be. When her sister joined the ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary), it was only a matter of time before Joy's fierce competitive edge would cause her to follow in her sister's footsteps and join up as well. Although Joy found her training quite difficult due to the tough weather conditions which made her experience more challenging; she soon found her rhythm and was accepted to fly possibly the most iconic plane from the WWII era: the spitfire. However, as the war progressed, there became less and less of a need for women pilots in the eyes of the military, so Joy's original pool was disbanded. In the interview, Joy speaks on her experience of moving pools not once but twice! She also explains how the different ranks in the ATA work, as well as talk about an intense emergency landing that forced her to hitchhike back home, in additional to what made the American bases so much more exciting.
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Service:
Civilian
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Joyce Aylard

A World War II Wren provides a fascinating insight into her role as a Turing Bombe operator at Bletchley Park.

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When war broke out, 14-year-old Joy Aylard was evacuated to the countryside for two happy years, before leaving school and returning to London to study at college until she was old enough to join up. As soon as she could, she joined the WRNS and was almost immediately sent to Bletchley Park’s Eastcote Outstation. Joy describes in detail the top-secret work involved in operating the Bombe machines to decipher German Enigma messages, remembering the boost to morale that came when successful results of their codebreaking efforts were filtered back to them. Reflecting on the intense secrecy surrounding the work, Joy explains that everyone just got used to not talking about what they were doing; not even Joy’s father knew what her job entailed! Joy’s reflections on her time during the war allow us a vivid glimpse into life behind the walls at Bletchley Park, and the technical skill, dedication and discretion of all who worked there and played such a pivotal role in the Allied war effort.
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Service:
Navy
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Walter Marshall

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Joan Taylor

Civilian
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Margaret Jackson

Civilian
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

J-L Cremieux

Civilian
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Edward Rogers

A lucky WWII seaman details what it was like to be stranded at sea after being torpedoed - and still survive.

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Edward Rogers, known as 'Ted' to his friends, was born in Liverpool in 1924. Following the Blitz, Ted was still too young to join the Royal Navy aged only 16. However instead of waiting to be called up once he was old enough, he instead made the bold decision to join the Merchant Navy as an apprentice. Although Ted didn't yet know it, his first sea voyage would change his life forever. While sailing aboard the Alfred Jones, Ted and his crew were part of a vicious torpedo attack, by a U-Boat commanded by the formidable Günther Hessler. After being given orders to abandon ship as fire broke out, Ted made the unfortunate discovery that his allocated lifeboat had been destroyed in the explosion, and that he would have to swim to another for any chance of survival. Stranded 120 miles from shore in a small, overcrowded lifeboat, he was incredibly lucky to survive, though sadly two other members of the crew were not so fortunate. As part of life in the MN, burials at sea were not uncommon, however for Ted he mainly recalls the great camaraderie he shared with his crew, despite the constant threat of U-Boat attacks, including celebrations for Christmas and the eventual end of the war. It took another year following the end of the war for Ted to be demobilised, where he faced yet another big decision about his future, having to choose between maintaining a romantic relationship or training for the priesthood. Ted chose the latter, which would mark the beginning of yet another great adventure in his life.
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Service:
Navy
Project:
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Bill Churchill

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Joan Manuel

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Dorothy Brewer

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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An interview with

Joan Endersby

Navy
Naval Convoys (1939–1945)
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