From a rural background working with tractors, John was first conscripted into the Royal Horse Artillery then, after a period of training in Germany, was transferred to the 20^th Field Regiment and on to Korea. John vividly remembers the journey to Pusan (now Busan) and arrival at Christmastime 1952. He describes how the area had been devastating by the war. John was a Linesman and responsible for repairing damaged wires between the guns and the infantry. He showed incredibly bravery as this work could often be at night and risked mortar attack if the enemy saw their lights. Despite this, John loved this work. John was then sent to the Hook for observation duties and was there for the Third Battle of the Hook in May 1953 which he recalls in detail. The Hook was a ridge which offered a valuable position and John describes how thousands of Chinese soldiers were sent to try and take it. The firing was intense, including napalm from American aeroplanes, which John expresses reservations about the use of. John was in Korea for the armistice and was demobbed close to Christmas that year. Reflecting on the war, John says he is glad they were sent to help. He has since returned to South Korea and is impressed with the nation’s growth and modernity.

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.

Gosport born Vic Blake recounts his memories of D-Day, fighting in the 43rd Reconnaissance regiment of the Wessex Division. For most of his time, he drove and maintained a light wrecking Daimler vehicle across patrols of Normandy. Through eerie nights and countless close shave encounters with German soldiers, Vic considers himself a lucky man as a part of the B squadron who made it onto French shores. Sadly, his other comrades from A and C squadrons were not so lucky and Vic shares the story of how they lost 188 men after tragically hitting a sea mine off the coast of Juno beach. Sadly, Vic's luck ran out and he didn't make it home unscathed. He recalls waking up in a stretcher surrounded by other injured soldiers after being injured from getting too close to a mortar. In his civilian life, he lived as if he was never in the war, however now in his older age, the memories have returned; one of those being when a German soldier surrender himself to his team and, with no animosity, they offered him tea and a cigarette. This interview truly shows the bravery and understanding nature of Vic Blake.