Reg was called up to the army in February 1942 and posted to the infantry. While in Dover he recalls shelling from German long-range guns across the Channel. In July 1944 he joined his unit south of Caen and saw death close-up when four men near him were killed. During the Battle of the Falaise Gap he remembers the stench and decay from the hundreds of human and animal corpses. By now his battalion had suffered fifty percent casualties and was brought back up to full strength. One time an infantryman jumped out of his trench and ran toward the German lines and was killed, a condition they called ‘Bomb Happy’. On Christmas Eve 1944, his unit was ordered to support American troops engaged in the Battle of the Bulge. When his unit reached Germany the fighting became even tougher, although the population preferred the western Allies to the Soviets.

‘Your life’s in their hands and their life’s in your hands.’ That’s how Keith Nutter summarises his time in Korea. After starting his working life at a local engineering firm, Keith wasn’t taken on as an apprentice. Knowing there was more of the world to see - after years of watching the American Fortresses land near his home during the Second World War - he joined the Army at 18. What unfolds next is a story of opportunity: taking each one as it came and finding light in challenging times. Keith shares his story with humility - at times underplaying his contributions to the success of their detachment - and with a warmth and clear admiration for the people he worked and lived alongside. His accounts are full of detail and humour, challenging the listener to really consider the conditions he lived and operated in.

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.