Already an accomplished musician, Eddie Pickering joined the 50th Signal Regiment Band of the TA as soon as he left school. After progressing through various short-term roles he joined the 1st Royal Tank Regiment, with whom he spent two years based at Catterick Garrison then four years in Germany. Eddie then enrolled at Kneller Hall as a student bandmaster, and he shares his memories of the privileges and pressures of the course. On successful completion of his studies, Eddie was posted to the Cheshire Regiment, with whom he spent the next 23 years of his career. Eddie shares details of some of the incredible events and diverse venues around the world at which the Cheshires played. He also recalls the devastating bomb blast at the Droppin Well in December 1982 when they were stationed in Ballykelly, Northern Ireland; and talks about the overwhelmingly emotional reception of the band at their first engagement after the blast later that same week. Eddie’s recollections give a wonderful insight into the life and career of a regimental bandmaster, and it’s a privilege to hear him talk about – as he describes it – his dream job: a role he held for more than a quarter of a century.

George Hodkinson left school with little education but secured work as an apprentice boilermaker before National Service caught up with him. To his father’s fury, he persuaded his grandmother to sign his papers and soon found himself in uniform with the East Surrey Regiment, before transferring to the Royal Fusiliers. After training at Brentwood, he sailed east to a conflict few knew much about — the Korean War.

As a radio operator on the 38th Parallel, George served alongside Officer Hoare, sharing both the routine of trench life and the sudden dangers of combat. During Operation Pimlico in November 1952, those dangers became starkly real. When Hoare was killed, George was forced to take charge, recalling the desperate fighting in vivid detail before being knocked unconscious and captured.

What followed was a gruelling 300-mile trek to Camp 2A in North Korea, where he endured captivity until his release in the Little Switch of 1953. His interview recalls not only hardship but also kindness, resilience, and the unforgettable moment of returning home to embrace his mother.

George Hodkinson passed away on 11 January 2024.

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.