Ernie was recruited into the army aged just eighteen and began his primary training at the Royal West Kent Regiment in Maidstone. He joined the 7th Armoured Division and the Spearhead Invasion training in anti-tank gunnery. He then joined the 5th RHA (Royal Horse Artillery) as a driver operator and troop leader, and later as an OP Officer (Secondary Forward Observation Officer) training in tanks. Ernie describes being caught in cross channel gun fire at Albert Dock on the Thames whilst he was loading guns aboard his divisions boat. Arriving at the beach near Port au Bessin, Normandy on D-Day, Ernie acted as a relay for the guns, exchanging messages as the chaos of exploding mines and heavy gun fire surrounded him. He then manoeuvred through the difficult Villers Bocage hedgerow landscape encountering German tanks and S.S. Panzers throughout the journey. Ernie remembers the feeling of adrenaline and the fearlessness he had as a young man and the camaraderie between the crew, but also the vivid memories he had after the war. He also reflects on joining the Normandy Veterans Association in 1985, becoming the secretary and later the chairman, arranging trips with his own money for veterans to return to Normandy and how he had met so many extraordinary people through this important work.  

Conscripted into the Army, Peter Matthews completed his basic training at Shorncliffe Barracks before being posted to Berlin as part of Operation Plainfare, the British element of the Berlin Airlift. A bout of illness delayed his journey; by the time he recovered, the Russians had closed the roads, railways and rivers, so Peter had to be flown in — a dramatic introduction to a divided city.

In his interview, Peter recalls the Queen’s Royal Regiment’s role in maintaining order and containing the Russian threat during the blockade. He shares vivid memories of a riot at the German Chancellery, of seeing former concentration camp prisoners working alongside SS men, and of being billeted at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium — a poignant billet for a sports lover.

Peter talks candidly about joint guard duties at Spandau Prison, the danger of infection from bodies still buried in the rubble, and the stark contrasts between British and American rations. His reflections on Russian behaviour at the end of the war underline why so much effort was poured into keeping Berlin’s people fed and fuelled — and why this story remains so important to tell.

Born in Manchester and raised in foster care, John Clarke became an apprentice at sixteen before joining The Black Watch, following in his grandfather’s footsteps. After training in Scotland as part of the 6th Battalion, he was deployed to Tunisia, where he fought at Sidi Medienne and helped rescue wounded prisoners from an enemy ship—a highlight of his service. He later trained in Cairo, before being stationed high up the Aurunci Mountains in Italy with the British division in the American 5th Army. John joined the 12th Brigade in Cassino and remembers the chaos around Monte Cassino monastery, the heavy casualties, and the many acts of bravery. Post-war, he joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, managing the armoury in Gaza. John reflects on his military career, recalling memorable moments including meeting Winston Churchill. For John, the friends he made during the war became the family he never had growing up.