Rodney was working as an apprentice at the Chatham dockyard when the war broke out. He offers an incredibly vivid and detailed account of the intense and dangerous labour and of the hardship faced by many at the time. Rodney was up close during an air raid on the dockyard and recalls the minute details of the HMS Arethusa returning fire and deterring the enemy. Another particular danger was exposure to asbestos. With so many men dying young because of it, Rodney counts himself as very fortunate to have survived in good health. Rodney and the men were also responsible for manning the anti-aircraft Z Batteries. At night they had to set up, load and fire the incredibly heavy rockets without ever really knowing if they hit the enemy as it was so dark.

Julie came from a military family with her father, uncle and grandfather all having served. Julie and Melvin met in their 40s, both having had previous marriages and families. Melvin had retired from the army by then and rarely talks about it but Julie knows he suffered a back injury during Desert Storm One. Melvin was also in a military band which took him all over the world but also meant standing for hours in all weathers. Over the years, Melvin has had terrible problems with his back but now his knees are causing problems too. Help for Heroes have helped Melvin find physiotherapy while the Band of Brothers group has provided a lifeline through advice and camaraderie. Julie has joined Band of Sisters and finds herself being one of the oldest in the group and able to share her life experiences. She enjoys the respite weekends and has also taken part in a number of courses. She admires the younger generation and what they are going through and both she and Melvin volunteer as much as they can to give back to the charity, and people, that have helped them so much.