At only eighteen and determined for adventure, Sue accepted her place at the WRAC college at Camberley in 1971. Being born into a military family Sue knew from a young age that she would join the army. In her interview she recalls the discipline and regimen of military life, but most importantly her pride at wearing her WRAC uniform. After Commissioning, Sue spent her first ten years in the WRAC recruiting, training or selecting women to be either WRAC Officers or Servicewomen. She was also involved in the training of Warrant Officers, Senior and Junior NCO’s and the selection of WRAC Junior Leaders. Sue reflects on this period with great fondness. Her extensive experience led to her selection to command one of the big three WRAC Companies. Sue was sent to Rheindahlen, Germany, and put in charge of 250 Servicewomen, a role which in many ways marked the pinnacle of her career. Remembering the Guildford bombing, Sue discusses its deep resonation with the women around her and the impact of other IRA attacks which she continued to feel through until the late 1980s. After leaving Rheindahlen in 1989, Sue went to work in the WRAC Directorate. Following the disbandment of the WRAC in 1992, Sue embarked on a seventeen-year career in the Adjutant General’s Corps. When that ended, Sue decided to commit her time to the WRAC Association to ensure its traditions and camaraderie lived on. She became its Vice President and Chairman of Trustees for Eleven years (2003 - 2014) and was awarded an MBE for her services to female veterans in 2014. She is now a Life Vice President of the WRAC Association and continues to give her time and experience to the Charity. A brilliant interview, we thank Sue for being an example of the many trailblazing women of the WRAC.

Gordon Smith shares an emotional account of his WWII experiences, starting with memories of the Blitz. As a Royal Engineer he was involved in the secretive construction of the Mulberry Harbours, a massive project involving over 40,000 people and 13 million cubic meters of concrete. On D-Day, Gordon landed on Sword Beach and recalls fighting the enemy and his friends! He recalls the severe impact on Calais, which was heavily bombed by the 10th Panzer Division in May 1940, fortified by Germans, and used as a V1 Flying Bomb launch site. In February 1945, he was haunted by a British bombing mistake on Calais. He is also posted to the Far East and describes the Changi POW camp, where the Japanese held 50,000 POWs in the British Army's Selarang Barracks. Gordon reflects on the war's profound effect on him, despite feeling fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time.

Tom Cromie’s free spirit sparked initial ambitions to be an RAF fighter pilot, but so did every other nineteen year old, so instead he joined the Royal Artillery as a soldier of the 231 Mortar Brigade. His story starts with the invasion of Sicily as a dispatch rider and Tom shares fond memories of practicing trick cycling on his motorcycle in quiet lulls. But his part in Sicily was cut short when a Bren Gun Carrier reversed over his leg, breaking it and sending him back home to England, not before, however, a remarkable moment in which he shared a cigarette with a terrified German who lay in the bed next to him in hospital. Tom then shares his memories of the D-Day landings as a field gunner, and recounts his lucky escape from almost drowning off of Green Beach. Another injury ends his part in the Normandy invasion and unable to return to his brigade, he eventually volunteered to be sent out to the Far East, ending up in India. Tom’s story is one full of character and gives glimpses of lightheartedness and humour into the terror of WW2 invasions.