Alec Penstone’s life took a big turn during World War II. Before the war, he worked in a factory and was only 14 years old when war broke out. He spent much of the early war days in London as a volunteer ARP messenger during 'The Blitz'. He then joined the Royal Navy in 1942. He wanted to have an adventure and help his country. Alec was posted onto HMS Campania as a submarine detector and quickly learned that life as a sailor was tough. HMS Campania was part of the Arctic convoys - ships that sailed from the United Kingdom, Iceland and North America to the northern ports in the Soviet Union in very cold waters. He helped hunt for enemy submarines called U-boats. It was hard and scary work. When the war comes to an end in Europe, Alec is given 7 days VE leave in which he gets married before being sent off to the Far East to fight the Japanese. However after the Hiroshima atom bomb was dropped, he was put on more general 'police work' duties. Alec's interview highlights how the sailors stuck together during tough times and gives great insight into what it was like to live on a ship during the war. His account reminds us that war is terrible. Many people lost their lives. But it also shows how strong people can be when they work together. His story helps us remember and honour the sailors who fought for their country during some of the darkest times in history.

After joining the Navy in 1943 and completing his training at stone frigates HMS Royal Arthur, HMS Scotia and HMS Ganges, able seaman Vic Ould was sent to Chatham Barracks to wait for his first draft. This came in the form of HMS Carron, a brand-new ship in Greenock, Scotland, who first set sail in the dead of night to evade any U-boats lurking nearby hoping for an easy catch. Vic shares details of the many escort missions the Carron undertook in the Arctic and Atlantic Convoys, and talks about the job of a destroyer and how its crew enables it to operate effectively. He also recalls details about his role as a radar operator, and reflects on the end of his military service in Indonesia. Vic – who became a prolific writer who penned several fascinating ‘first-person accounts’ from sailors aboard other destroyers – shares his story with humour, humility and an eye for detail that brings his memories vividly to life.

Fanny Hugill recalls her extraordinary life serving in the Women’s Royal Navy Service (also known as Wrens), reaching the rank of Third Officer and serving during WW2. She decided to join the Wrens after visiting a recruiting officer during her lunch break at work. After joining, she was sent to the Wren headquarters in London to serve as a short-end typist. It was boring work and Fanny tried to transfer out, but she wasn’t allowed. Luckily for Fanny, her father, a war veteran, bumped into Admiral Ramsay, an important military figure during WWI and WWII, on a train, explained the situation and the Admiral said he’d move Fanny over to Dover. Her job there was as a plotter, marking on charts everything that moved in the English channel, from slow moving convoys to minesweeping ships, Fanny remembers it as very complicated work. She was housed in Dover college and she worked in the operations room in the tunnels under Dover castle. She loved her time there and remembers it as some of the happiest months of her life. Dover was a hub of activity and on occasion, very important figures would come and visit the operations room. She remembers Sir Winston Churchill visited several times, and on one occasion remembers seeing him looking over across the sea to France, it is something she never forgot. Eleanor Roosevelt also visited, she was very popular amongst the Wrens. Fanny fondly remembers her time at Dover, but, after 21 months, she was promoted and moved on. She carried out her officer training course at the start of 1944, describing it as three of the hardest weeks in her life. After completing her officer training, she was assigned to be a personal assistant to Admiral Tennent, the renowned "Dunkirk Joe", who played a pivotal role in the evacuation of over 300,000 Allied soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk. However, Fanny much preferred working as a watchkeeper, so asked the Admiral to transfer her, which he happily did. Fanny took part in planning D-Day with Admiral Ramsay and his team. Fanny was on shift when the day came. She gives us a first hand recount of the operations room during such a tense time. Following the D-Day landings, she was sent to Normandy, September 6th 1944. She recalls the devastating sight as she travelled through Normandy to Granville. Fanny talks about the impact on morale that the death of Admiral Ramsay had on her and the rest of the team. Ramsay's replacement was Sir Harold Burrough whom she describes as a "big, teddy bear of man." Fortunately he stayed with them through to Germany. Fanny reflects on her war. She missed out on a place at Oxford but says, "I have been so thankful for the experience, people I met, people I worked with, people I worked for and the friends I made. And I think it made one feel, you can do things if you want to. It's up to you. Get on and do it. And that stood me in a very good stead."