Home | Veterans | Paul Lewis
Frame grab of a Para veteran being interviewed

A veteran interview with

Paul Lewis

Frame grab of a Para veteran being interviewed
Play video
Watch the interview

About Paul Lewis

Paul Lewis describes his story from joining the 3 Paras to becoming a veteran, showing determination at every stage of his journey. Though he initially struggled to keep up with his peers, Paul quickly became the most advanced in his company which earned him ‘Best Recruit’ title. Paul’s service and training took him around the UK, from RAF Brize Norton to Northern Ireland, and Dover to Colchester where he resided with the 16 Air Assault Brigade.

Despite signing off after five years of service, Paul signed back on to serve in Iraq. It was there that Paul’s military service would be forced to an end, when during a reconnaissance journey an explosion threw him off his motorbike, leaving him with severe knee injuries.

After battling with his mental health as an injured veteran, Paul recently founded ‘Wheels Ahead’, a marketing business to support other veterans to get back into employment. Paul’s story shows not only bravery, but a true commitment to the forces that extends beyond his service.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Gemma Jones

Transcripts:
Please note that transcripts and closed captions in the video player are automatically generated by Vimeo.

Copyright:
All video content, web site design, graphics, images (including submitted content), text, the selection and arrangement thereof, underlying source code, software and all other material on this Web site are the copyright of Legasee Educational Trust, and its affiliates, or their content and technology providers. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Any use of materials on this Web site – including reproduction for purposes other than those noted above, modification, distribution, or republication – without the prior written permission of Legasee Educational Trust is strictly prohibited.

Home | Veterans | Paul Lewis

A veteran interview with

Paul Lewis

Frame grab of a Para veteran being interviewed

Related topics & talking points

Keep on watching

More veteran stories...

Share this interview on:

https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/paul-lewis/

Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Lewis, Paul. A Veteran Interview with Paul Lewis. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, 8 Feb. 2016 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/paul-lewis/. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
APA Style:
Lewis, P. (2016, February 8). A Veteran Interview with Paul Lewis [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved May 21, 2026, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/paul-lewis/
Chicago Style:
Lewis, Paul. 2016. A Veteran Interview with Paul Lewis. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, February 8. Accessed May 21, 2026. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/paul-lewis/
Harvard Style:
Lewis, P. (2016). A Veteran Interview with Paul Lewis. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee, 8 February. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/paul-lewis/ (Accessed: 21 May 2026)
Vancouver Style:
Lewis, P. A Veteran Interview with Paul Lewis [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; 2016 Feb 8 [cited 2026 May 21]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/paul-lewis/
An interview with

Audrey Smith

Audrey was a Colonel in the WRAC and is now a Life Vice President of the association.

At university, Audrey joined the Officer Training Corps which ultimately led her to join the army when she graduated. Due to her experience, Audrey never enrolled in basic training but was instead sent to the WRAC school of instruction. She was then posted to Shoeburyness as a Commander, then Singapore, and then to the new Duchess of Kent Barracks as Commanding Officer. Audrey also discusses growing IRA threats, and recalls the horror of experiencing the Aldershot bombing in 1972. Her career continued to flourish and she went to Army Staff College where she was the only woman out of one hundred men. Audrey proceeded to be posted at Shrewsbury as Senior Personnel Officer, then to the doctorate where she wrote employment papers for the WRAC, then the BAOR, and the NATO headquarters in Brussels. Audrey's work in the WRAC was fundamental to its evolution and she was involved in the crucial integration of weapons training into the female corps. She felt strongly that women should be given opportunities and went on to design the selection tests for officers admittance to Staff College. A true trailblazer, we thank Audrey for her inspiring interview and passionate words about the importance of women's roles in the WRAC.