Joan Taylor, a member of the Women's Transport Service First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY), served in the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II. Born in London, Joan's family relocated to Buckinghamshire and later to Surrey due to the war. At 19, Joan joined FANY, attracted by its unique reputation and diverse roles. She underwent training at Overthorpe Hall in Banbury, learning Morse code, coding, and other essential skills. Later, at Fawley Court and Thame, she honed her skills in wireless operation and coding, working with agents who were being trained for deployment in occupied countries. Joan's service took her to various locations, including Grendon Hall, where she worked as part of an operational team transmitting messages to and from agents in the field. She was later deployed to Massingham in North Africa, where she continued her signals work, primarily supporting missions in France and Italy. After Massingham, Joan was stationed in Bari and Siena, Italy, where she continued her signals work until the war's end. She reflects on her wartime service with pride, recognising the importance of her role in supporting the Allied effort.

In 1982, Rupert Ballantine experienced a unique journey that he will always remember. He went from traveling the seas between the UK and the US aboard the renowned cruise ship the QE2 to embarking on a mission towards a conflict zone. When the military requisitioned the ship, Rupert immediately volunteered his services. It took approximately half a day for 3,000 troops and their equipment to be loaded onto the ship. The voyage began with the ship limping out of Southampton, briefly stopping behind the Isle of Wight, where a closed stopcock was found to be the culprit. The QE2 achieved speeds of 27 knots, outpacing the accompanying warships as it navigated across the oceans in a zigzag pattern. Throughout the journey, troops utilised every available space for training, and Rupert had the opportunity to sample a Gurkha curry, which is still the best he has ever tasted. Sadly, Rupert did not set foot on land when they reached their destination, but he takes pride in having contributed to the safe arrival of the British troops, enabling them to reclaim the land. The return journey included 700 injured service personnel from three British vessels that had been sunk.

Margaret Pawley was born in Germany to British parents, she moved back to England in her childhood. During the war her father recommended she sign up for the SEO (Secret Operations Executive), thinking her ability to speak German would make her a great asset. She interviewed at Baker street and was accepted, she completed 8 days of training at the FANY cipher school before being sent to Cairo. She worked in the signals office for a while before being sent to Italy. She was stationed there for a couple of months, before someone noticed she could speak German, because of this, she was transferred to an intelligence branch where she began to listen and decode German transmissions so that she could track their movements. Margaret reflects on the highs and lows of her wartime experience. Deadly illnesses were very common, and she recalls many of her comrades died to sickness. She herself suffered ringworm and jaundice due to the lack of fresh food. However, she also cherishes the friendships she made and the support among her peers. She continued her duties until the war's end, she was sent to Scotland to assist the injured before being demobbed in December. She recalls how the FANYs began and the different roles these women had throughout the years. She talks about how it developed into the SOE and how the FANYs were used as a cover for its female operatives. The role of the FANYs was recognised by Major-General Sir Colin McVean Gubbins, acknowledging he couldn’t have run the SOE without the women of FANY.