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A veteran interview with

Tom Griffiths

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About Tom Griffiths

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Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker

Transcripts:
Please note that transcripts and closed captions in the video player are automatically generated by Vimeo.

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Home | Veterans | Tom Griffiths

A veteran interview with

Tom Griffiths

335448444

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Griffiths, Tom. A Veteran Interview with Tom Griffiths. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, n.d. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/tom-griffiths/. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
APA Style:
Griffiths, T. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Tom Griffiths [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved March 8, 2026, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/tom-griffiths/
Chicago Style:
Griffiths, Tom. n.d.. A Veteran Interview with Tom Griffiths. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee. Accessed March 8, 2026. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/tom-griffiths/
Harvard Style:
Griffiths, T. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Tom Griffiths. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/tom-griffiths/ (Accessed: 8 March 2026)
Vancouver Style:
Griffiths, T. A Veteran Interview with Tom Griffiths [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; n.d. [cited 2026 Mar 8]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/tom-griffiths/
An interview with

Michael White

Michael White shares his experience of growing up during WWII and serving in the Korean War as a TARA.

Michael White grew up in wartime England, facing rationing and Nazi air raids. At 18, Michael signed up for National Service and trained as a driver for the Royal Artillery. In August 1951, he travelled on the Empire Fowey for his first deployment in the Far East. After reaching Japan, he was sent to Kowloon, Hong Kong, where he learnt about the brutal fighting in Korea. Soon after, he was chosen for duty in Korea. Before leaving, he trained with mortars and became a Technical Assistant Royal Artillery (TARA). Michael recalls how he used 4.2 mortars against the enemy and his experience of napalm. Soldiers experienced very rough conditions, dealing with lice and long periods without washing. During rest and recuperation in Incheon and Hiroshima, Michael experienced Asian culture and much-needed relaxation. He fondly remembers flying over Mount Fuji and notes that many soldiers took photos beside signposts showing how far away home was. Michael has since returned to Korea, witnessing its amazing transformation. For his service, the Koreans awarded him a medal and invited him to visit a memorial in Pusan, honouring those who died.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Clifford Herridge

A National Service conscript who became a cook in the Korean conflict and in doing so realised he was better off that he thought

Clifford Herridge recalls his National Service in the King's Regiment (Liverpool) serving in the Korean conflict, often described as ‘The Forgotten War’. When South Korea was invaded by North Korea’s KPA in 1950, many countries, including Great Britain, sent troops in support of South Korea. After a year of conflict, a period of static trench warfare ensued; this is what Clifford encountered when he arrived. He tells of his role in the mortar platoon, digging trenches and ‘hutches’ in the hillside for the men to live in. A landscape of ‘hills, hills, and more hills’, and the extreme weather, overwhelming summer heat and freezing winters, are still vivid memories. Despite knowing the old adage ‘never volunteer’, when the platoon cook was taken ill, Clifford, with no formal culinary training, stepped forward to take over. He describes feeding forty-five men with an array of food supplied by the Americans, including fresh salmon, which Clifford had no idea how to cook! When he returned home, his fiancé, Doreen, was waiting for him. She gives the perspective of those left behind and tells of her abundant letter writing to stay in touch. Despite some apprehension, Clifford calmly ‘did what he was told to do’, commenting that National Service changed him by broadening his mind, and making him realise he was ‘a lot better off then he thought’.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker