In 1940, aged 18, Alec Hall was one of the first people to volunteer for 1st Airborne. He was in the Royal Army Medical Corps training at Tidworth Hospital where he learned various medical skills, including delivering a baby. He excelled in sports, playing football and hockey for his unit, and placing 8th in a cross-country run for the British Southern Command. He then trained with gliders and served in an airborne hospital, often being loaned out to other units. Invariably in the thick if the action, he recalls his time in Oran, North Africa, and a trip through the Atlas Mountains. In Italy, attached to the Airborne Light Artillery, he describes intense action from a cemetary. He talks extensively about his role as a medic, the equipment he used, and being part of the first gliders to Arnhem in Operation Market Garden in September 1944.  Based in two hotels which were set up as hospitals, Alec treated wounded soldiers and vividly remembers giving two pints of his own blood to save Reg Curtis, who was operated on in the field. Eventually he was taken POW and sent to Stalag V11-B. Upon the war's end, Alec endured the Long march and stayed briefly at a local woman's house, listening to her recount her husband's shooting. After returning to the UK, Alec underwent medical checks and set a running record—a mile in just over 4 minutes. He revisited Tidworth Hospital before transferring to 102 Company in Dortmund Hospital, Germany. Alec passed away on October 16th, 2023

As a Junior Cadet, Godfrey just knew he wanted to be a soldier. Godfrey was born in Leicester, but schooled in Derby during World War Two. He enrolled at the Sandhurst Military Academy, aged 18. After Sandhurst, Godfrey became a Commissioned Officer in the Royal Leicestershire Regiment and was posted to Hong Kong. Aged 20, Godfrey was training in anticipation for Korea. In Busan, Godfrey recounts seeing casualties coming down from Maryang-san hill and how he wanted to do something. On November 5th 1951, Godfrey joined efforts to retake Maryang-San. He recalls the terrifying shelling and how his small platoon held and were relived from a small hill called "Italy". Godfrey recalls how he found out that the Chinese army took "Italy", and most of the platoon posted there. He also fondly remembers the Northumberland Fusiliers. After the Maryang-san battle, Godfrey was mostly on patrol and he recalls stepping on a mine and his logistical and personal journey to recovery. Godfrey took medical retirement after seven more years' service, never fulfilling his dream to command his Leicester regiment. Reflecting on Korea, Godfrey would not have missed it for the world and he will never forget those who served in it.

In 1942, Fred undertook 16 weeks of infantry training in Reading, joining the fifth battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment. He was first sent to Marlborough in Suffolk to undertake beach defence, but after the Germans did not land there, he was reassigned to Scotland to train in a beach group for the Normandy landings alongside a Canadian division. He trained in small assault craft out to sea and undertook extensive training in handling different cargo and rope tying, becoming an experienced stevedore, a loader and unloader of ships. Fred was next stationed near Waterlooville for further training, before going to Southampton Number 1 dock to sail for Normandy with many other ships. He describes being caught in a storm and sheltering in Calshot before being allowed to leave the harbour. Fred describes the chaos and noise of the gun battles and shell fire of the Normandy landings. Whilst there he manned a Bren gun that he was proud to have never left during Operation Overlord. Fred unloaded thousands upon thousands of cargo, including barbed wire, rations and other essential supplies, sometimes standing in four foot of water. At the same time, he was also helped to move prisoners, casualties and many bodies from the beach after joining the Forth Wiltshire Regiments platoon. Fred describes being wounded and the nightmares he suffered with but also reflects on the importance of his regiment mates for team moral during and after the war.