Born into a military family, John begins by talking about his life as a boy during the Second World War. John left school at fourteen, moving from one job to the other until he joined the Army Apprentice School. Here, he continued his education while training as a mechanic. Afterwards, he underwent his basic training as a mechanic in Arborfield, Berkshire, before joining the Royal Electrical and Medical Engineers (REME) as a craftsman. After a series of injections, John, now nineteen, was kitted out, ready to be sent to Korea, a place he had never heard of before. First, the 121 REME’s were sent to the Reinforcement Base Depot in Japan to train for the Korean terrain. However, John sustained a knee injury playing football with his comrades, causing him to spend three more weeks in Japan recovering. When reunited with his mates in Pusan, South Korea, John recalls his shock at seeing the ‘horrendous’ conditions that people lived in. John’s first assignment was at an American airbase on Koji Island, repairing vehicles, later travelling to Seoul and the Yong Dong Po. During this time, his boss was Dutchie Holland, a man John speaks very fondly about, describing him as a father to the men. John talks about the charge sheets he used to receive, most often for carrying too many vehicles in at the same time, as well as recalling the harsh extremes of conditions in the workshop, both bitterly cold and boiling hot. In his time in Korea, John serviced lots of vehicles, including mobile bakeries, laundry vehicles, and k2 ambulances, as well as a Centurion tank that had been blown up, which was not a pleasant experience to work on. John talks of what Christmas day was like as a soldier, the time off, the gift of rum, and the food eaten. After returning to England on HMT Dunera, John was told that he had earned himself some stripes, a moment he was incredibly proud of. Thank you for such a fascinating interview John.

Born and raised in Sheffield, Yorkshire, Ann had a practical streak and a good sense of adventure. In the late 1930s, after reading about the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY) in a Territorial Army magazine, she and her close friend Lois Ragg decided to join. The organisation appealed to her — hands-on, disciplined, and useful. She trained in map reading, engine maintenance, and gas attack procedures, and took part in pre-war camps, one memorably inspected by Princess Alice. When war broke out, Ann was called up to Northern Command in York, later serving with the 2nd Air Cavalry Division near Nottingham. When the FANY became part of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), she stayed on, completing officer training in Edinburgh and earning her commission. Her wartime service took her across Britain, from northern headquarters to the southern coast, including a key posting in Dorset where she managed transport and logistics for anti-aircraft units, a demanding job she handled with steady efficiency. Later, she transferred to the Education Corps before her discharge in 1945. After the war, Ann’s resourcefulness found a new outlet. She co-founded Decor Studios Limited in London, producing lampshades at a time when the city was rebuilding and reinventing itself. She later married and settled into family life, carrying with her the same calm capability and sense of purpose that had defined her service years. The publication of this previously unseen interview was made possible thanks to a grant from The Gerry Holdsworth Special Forces Charity, to mark 80 years since the closure of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in January 1946. 

Michael Fryer joined the National Service at 18 and after completing basic training, he chose to specialise in bomb disposal with the Royal Engineers. Later, he was deployed to Korea and boarded the HMT Lancashire for the journey. He flew into Korea on a Globemaster, then took the train to Seoul. He travelled to the frontline, joining up with the 55th Field Regiment, based at the 38th Parallel. Michael's duties included bomb disposal along the Imjin River. During the Battle of the Hook, he also took on the dangerous task of transporting ammunition to and from the frontlines. The Chinese forces swarmed over the hills, only to be cut down by machine gun fire. He fondly remembers his Rest and Recuperation in Incheon and Tokyo. This was a time for soldiers to rest, eat nice food, and experience Japanese culture. Whilst in Tokyo he stayed at The Kookaburra Club in the Ebisu Camp. Michael was demobbed in June 1953, he travelled home aboard HMS Fowey. Returning home was very hard, and later in life he realised he had been suffering with PTSD.