Barry Andrews was a dedicated veteran who carried out 38 years of service. Throughout his time, he had a variety of roles from Royal Engineer to Regimental Sergeant Major. From his time in Osnabrück, Germany, Barry reflects on the benefits of being a Royal Engineer and how it gives you ‘two strings to your bow’, going onto explain how important engineers are in the daily life and recovery of soldiers. Barry expresses the sense of naivety the soldiers felt upon dealing with the role of nuclear warfare, explaining the intense training that had to be undertaken. In his interview, Barry reflects on how soldiers handled their relationships with locals and funny anecdotes that came along with it. However, he goes onto share difficult situations like the 30th May, which unfortunately saw two men killed and nine casualties. He explores how this had a detrimental effect on the morale of the camp, as they had to learn to deal with the effects of grief and anger. Overall, he considers Aden to have been a good experience for a young man, yet, with the devastating loss of two good friends, he will always carry it with him.

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.

From a happy childhood in a Yorkshire mining village to a career spanning almost five decades, Major Clive Candlin reflects on his lifetime of service. Joining the Army at just 17 years old opened up a world beyond Yorkshire that took him to places he could never have imagined visiting. The interview centres on Clive's deployment to Aden in 1964, with the Coldstream Guards, where he served as a clerk at Battalion Headquarters. He offers a rare perspective on how a battalion functioned during an active campaign, describing the unseen administrative work that kept operations moving. This included the responsibility of handling casualty reports so that soldiers’ families could be informed quickly and accurately. Clive also reflects on the personal costs of service. He speaks openly about the difficulties of leaving his wife, Margaret and their infant son, Steve, behind in Britain, describing the uncertainty of being separated for such a long time, especially when communication was not what it is now. Among some of Clive's happier memories are those of the friendships and camaraderie he shared among the men, which provided moments of relief amidst the pressure of service. Clive's testimony provides valuable insight into both the operational realities and the emotional cost of Army life during the Aden Emergency.