At only 17, George Batts, MBE, Leg d’Hon enlisted for military service, hoping like many others his age that it would make him a hero. From an ex-schoolboy in the Sussex countryside to a Corporal in the Royal Engineers, life for George changed dramatically when he volunteered himself for special duties, where he was trained on fitness, booby traps, and how to dismantle mines. Although he enjoyed the physical intensity of his training, George soon experienced the first hand 'organised chaos' of Normandy, after landing at Gold Beach in total darkness on board a Landing Ship Infantry. He recalls the terrible storm, the sound of gunfire, and later the sight of ambulances treating the long queues of wounded servicemen.  In this interview, George proudly describes his work on the Mulberry Harbours, before moving to a more front-line role in Belgium. On VE Day, while others celebrated, George knew he would soon be bound for India, to assist the continuing war effort in the Far East. Thirty two days later he arrived in Bombay, and afterwards sailed to Malaya, though was interrupted by the detonation of the atomic bombs in Japan before his arrival. Like many other veterans, here George describes himself as “one of the lucky ones”, and shares his hope for the future. Following the war, George was eventually made National Secretary of the Normandy Veterans Association, and served as an integral part of Legasee's Normandy project, ensuring that similar stories will never be forgotten. 

In 1952 Lesley Simpson was called up for National Service. Lesley was excited for this, as he viewed it as a way to travel the world, free of charge. Basic training took six weeks, he learnt how to fire weapons, how to march and salute, and so much more. Lesley passed his basic training and went on to join the Royal Corps of Signals. Lesley volunteered to go to Korea, as one of his good friends was stationed there. The journey took four weeks, setting off onboard the Troopship Dunera from Southampton and arriving in Kure, Japan. During the summer, Lesley remembers working from 6am to midday, with an hour for breakfast. His role as a radio mechanic was to service wireless equipment. During downtime, he went to the banks of the River Imjin to swim and play football. In the summer they wore normal fatigues (casual military uniform). When winter arrived, he remembers it getting very cold, sometimes down to -40c. They wore special boots that would keep them warm and dry, a parker that had 3 layers, and other waterproofs. Lesley recalls never being cold due to the excellent clothing. The soldiers were encouraged to write home, Lesley made sure to do this, writing home at least once a week to friends and family. Lesley’s time in Korea came to an end in November 1954, he left onboard the Troopship Asturias. He remembers finding it difficult to transition back into everyday life, but after a while was able to find a job as a junior surveyor. National service taught Lesley how to be self-sufficient and how to look after himself. In the years after national service, Lesley maintained associations with the armed forces, including Blind Veterans UK and The British Korean Veterans Association. He was offered a trip back to Korea, paid for by the Korean government. Lesley was very impressed at the state of the country, describing it as being completely rebuilt and that the standard of living was amazing.

Coming from a musical and artistic family, John was attracted to military service as an opportunity to become a professional musician. He joined the Staffordshire Regiment, and after arduous basic training, joined the military band. He focused on the cornet and the double bass and describes his development as a musician. He puts his success down to hard work; he wanted to become a professional musician in a military band and he would do whatever it took to achieve this. He was then given the opportunity to train at Kneller Hall, which he describes as ‘the mecca for army music’. He practised hard and won a prize for the most improved musician on double bass as well as best double bass musician for that year. Following graduation, he spent time in Northern Ireland, then Gibraltar. Eventually he became an instructor in the Prince of Wales division and from there back to Kneller Hall as a student Bandmaster. Having graduated, he became the first black bandmaster and went to the Cheshire Regiment and from there to Bosnia and the first Gulf War. He describes his time with the Cheshire Regiment, during which he received a commission before retiring in 2000.