John Aitken’s military service began after WWII with the Gordon Highlanders in Aberdeen before he moved on to Sandhurst where, in addition to his officer training, he learnt French, Russian, meteorology, maths and physics. In 1949 John was sent to Wunstorf in Germany to work within air dispatch operations for the Berlin Airlift. In his interview, John shares memories of barrack life adjacent to the runway, recalling how the rooms used to shake every minute as another fully laden converted bomber took off, and gives an interesting insight into how supplies were coordinated and transported. He also talks about some of the loads he used to fly into Berlin, and the friendly competition between the Americans and the British to see who could load their Dakotas more quickly; but unfortunately, as the competition got more intense, so did the risks. John paints a vivid picture of the city of Berlin both during the Airlift and several years later when he returned after a stint serving in the Middle East, with clear memories of his horror at the devastation left by WWII and later the striking divide between east and west.

Raised in the garrison town of Colchester, Maisie enlisted in 2002 after earning her music degree. She trained at Kneller Hall before joining the band of the Parachute Regiment. As a trumpet player, Maisie describes the immense pressure of performing The Last Post at commemorations and funerals. Maisie served in Iraq in 2004, stationed in Basra, and Afghanistan in 2010-2011. She notes the unique experience of being one of the few women in a male-dominated environment during these conflicts. She also describes the various roles of the band in an active war zone, in addition to sustaining morale. After almost a decade of service, Maisie left the army in 2011. She recounts many of the incredible events she performed at, and expresses how difficult it was to leave that identity behind when returning to civilian life.