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.  

George Higgins delivers a captivating tale of his travels as a soldier during the 1940s and 1950s. Growing up in London, George first joined the military at the age of twelve (lying that he was fourteen) where he became a runner for the Home Guard. He was forced to keep it a secret from his father who was, at first, adamantly against the idea of a military career after he received a low pension from serving in WWI. When he finally turned eighteen, George enlisted with the Royal Engineers before transferring to the Royal Artillery. In 1948, he was awoken early one morning by an officer, announcing that was being sent to Hong Kong. He remembers a tumultuous voyage to the east. At one point, he was taken ill after developing kidney problems, something which became a reoccurring liability during his service. Arriving in Hong Kong, he recalls defending the border against the Chinese who were trying to cross the Sham Chum River. However, he saw little action. Soon war in Korea erupted and he decided to volunteer for the Middlesex Regiment. Landing during the winter, George was faced with unpleasant conditions. Much of his experience consisted of hiding in trenches where there was less combat and more sleeping. Food became a constant struggle and the British lacked the equipment to keep clean and sustain warmth. Despite these issues, he was saddened after he was eventually invalided from Korea when his kidney problems returned. A few years later, he joined the regiment in Cyprus during the Cyprus Emergency. The Greek General Georgios Grivus had begun a war of independence against the British and the troops were tasked with reducing the riots. He remembers the confusion of a terrorist war, fought at close quarters, and finding it hard to distinguish who was a terrorist and who wasn't. This confusion led to one incident where an innocent elderly lady on a donkey was shot in a case of mistaken identity. Tragically, the conflict’s toll also affected his personal life; George's wife was with him in Cyprus, but amid the constant strain, she suffered a miscarriage, which led to her decision to return to England. She asked him to accompany her, and though it meant leaving the military, he agreed. Sadly, they later separated. Despite these hardships, he remembers his military years fondly, always finding humour even in challenging times. George's interview captures the harsh realities and strengths of being a soldier; forced to accept one's mortality and the consequences of their actions while managing to retain courage and optimism.