Austin Byrne relates the harrowing account of his ordeal on the SS Induna, a defensively equipped merchant ship sunk by a German submarine in hostile waters. Joining the navy to see the world at nineteen, he recalls his initial exciting experiences on the ship, learning the ropes, navigating mines, and enduring storms. However, this is quickly cut short when a torpedo hits the Induna's stern and Austin’s account of the ships’s last moments are rivetingly well told. He recounts the subsequent excruciating, and very long, four days spent adrift on a small, exposed lifeboat with his remaining shipmates, as fears and emotions run high in fatal conditions. When the lifeboat is finally picked up by a Russian minesweeper Austin is taken to a Russian hospital, his memories of which are filled with both grief and humour.  Within only a couple of weeks of his return to the UK, however, Austin was back on the sea again and just over a year later, he was on a ship bound for Russia. Austin’s story is not one that is easily forgotten and is reflective of the remarkable bravery and resilience of many a navy veteran during WW2.

Harry Eddy was born in Devon and joined the Navy in 1943. Following training in Letchworth and Troon, he passed as a wireman and was posted to the LCT-944 (landing craft tank) in readiness for the D-Day landings. Harry describes in detail life aboard his LCT and the responsibilities of his role, recalling the horrors of war and the Navy’s perhaps rather shocking approach to recruits who abandoned their posts during the height of battle. He also remembers how an attempt by his crew to rescue a stricken landing craft from Sword Beach nearly sank his own ship, leaving him lucky to make it back to Britain alive. After the liberation of France, Harry recalls how he and his shipmates headed for Westkapelle, a coastal town in the Netherlands, where the promised and much-relied-upon air support didn’t arrive. In his own words, “It made D-Day look easy.” Harry also shares his memories of VE Day, and joyfully recalls an emotional reunion at a meeting of the LST and Landing Craft Association with his best friend from the war who he hadn’t seen for 40 years.

In 1941 at the age of 17, Joan Field applied to join the WRNS (Women's Royal Naval Service). Keen not to become a cook or a steward, Joan was happy when the discovery of her perfect eyesight meant she was chosen to become a signaller and sent to HMS Cabbala to begin her training. Joan talks in detail about the instruction she received – including Morse code, semaphore, the phonetic alphabet and naval discipline – before her first draft sent her north to the pier signal station in Oban. Joan shares memories of life in Oban, and the stark differences she encountered when she moved to the remote Ganavan signal station shortly after her arrival in Scotland, recalling one particularly frightening encounter that made her glad of the pistol training all Wrens received. She also talks about the improvements to planning that came when the Americans joined the war, but recalls with some horror their apparent lack of discipline within the ranks. Joan’s story provides a particularly engaging insight into the life and work of a female signaller, and highlights her deep connection both to the Scottish Highlands and the vital role she played in the war effort.