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.

In this interview Karen shares an inspiring story which began with her passion for sports and a determination to transgress the roles available to women in the army. Although she began her WRAC journey as a chef, she had plans to be a Physical Training Instructor and it was only after serving two years in Cyprus as a cook that she applied for her second trade. Karen describes how she passed the initial selection but suffered an unfortunate ankle injury which prevented her from completing the specialised PTI training. Feeling lost after her injury, she recalls the frustration she began to feel with the options available to women in the WRAC and considered leaving. Therefore, for Karen, the disbandment of the WRAC came as a sign that she and many other women alike could move forward and beyond the restraints of female specific roles. At Deep Cut she trialled for the military training instructors course with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, and in her interview describes the constant discrimination she faced in such a male dominated field. Karen became the first female instructor and went on to serve as Sergeant Major in Bosnia, Macedonia and Iraq before her career was ended by misfortune. This interview provides an example of one of the many trailblazing veterans of the WRAC.

Born in wartime London, Alan Tizzard's childhood was shaped by the terror of the Blitz. The resilience he developed served him well when conscripted into the British Army. Using his cadet training, he rose quickly through the ranks and was in command of a formidable Comet tank at the age of 19. Stationed in Germany with the elite 10th Royal Hussars, Tizzard experienced a stark difference between the hard conditions of basic training and the relative comfort of his new posting. As the Cold War intensified, his regiment became a frontline in the looming conflict with Russia. A sudden night call to action tested Tizzard's mettle as his unit fought off a Russian Panzer attack. This experience, among many, shaped his character. Even after leaving the regular army, he continued to serve, first in the Territorial Army and later as a civil defense officer. Tizzard's life is a testament to courage, grit, and the lasting impact of war.