Edward Rogers, known as 'Ted' to his friends, was born in Liverpool in 1924. Following the Blitz, Ted was still too young to join the Royal Navy aged only 16. However instead of waiting to be called up once he was old enough, he instead made the bold decision to join the Merchant Navy as an apprentice. Although Ted didn't yet know it, his first sea voyage would change his life forever. While sailing aboard the Alfred Jones, Ted and his crew were part of a vicious torpedo attack, by a U-Boat commanded by the formidable Günther Hessler. After being given orders to abandon ship as fire broke out, Ted made the unfortunate discovery that his allocated lifeboat had been destroyed in the explosion, and that he would have to swim to another for any chance of survival. Stranded 120 miles from shore in a small, overcrowded lifeboat, he was incredibly lucky to survive, though sadly two other members of the crew were not so fortunate. As part of life in the MN, burials at sea were not uncommon, however for Ted he mainly recalls the great camaraderie he shared with his crew, despite the constant threat of U-Boat attacks, including celebrations for Christmas and the eventual end of the war. It took another year following the end of the war for Ted to be demobilised, where he faced yet another big decision about his future, having to choose between maintaining a romantic relationship or training for the priesthood. Ted chose the latter, which would mark the beginning of yet another great adventure in his life.

Alan Johnson served in the Royal Navy from 1943 to 1947. The son of a professional Manchester city footballer he was enlisted as an Able Seaman on the Minesweeper HMS Onyx. In his expansive interview he talks in detail about his life onboard and the work he was involved in. He describes the mine clearing procedure in depth and the particular threats the ship faced day and night. The Onyx operated both in the Balkan seas on the Russian convoys and in the English Channel during the Normandy invasion. Alan shares entertaining memories from them all.

John Ramage was born in Bromley, South East London, and spent his childhood in Gravesend, North Kent. He attended King's School Rochester and was encouraged by his parents to pursue a career in medicine, despite having no doctors in the family. He attended medical school at Westminster Hospital in King's College, qualifying in 1978. He joined the Navy, initially serving with the Marines from 1979 to 1982. As the only doctor in a Commando unit (and later on a fighting ship), John faced significant responsibilities, making critical decisions without external support. His deployment to Northern Ireland was particularly challenging, involving high-risk situations such as responding to bombings and shootings. John joined HMS Antelope in 1982, a relatively new ship with a well-stocked sickbay. Despite having no prior experience with warships, his previous combat and trauma experience proved invaluable. Antelope’s deployment to the Falklands was initially thought to be brief. However, the sinking of sister ships and the reality of combat made it clear they were in an increasingly dangerous situation. During the conflict, HMS Antelope was hit by several bombs, leading to severe injuries and fatalities among the crew and to her eventual dramatic sinking.  John and his team provided critical medical care under extremely challenging conditions whilst the ship was heavily on fire. They were amongst the last to leave Antelope before she exploded. After leaving the service, John reflects on his training and the challenges faced during the Falklands conflict, acknowledging the inadequacies in preparation for such intense situations. During his further career, he specialised in gastrointestinal and liver diseases, continuing in various hospitals and furthering his abilities and medical knowledge. Rising to become a Professor and senior medical expert.