Prior to enlisting in 1942, Terry lived through the Birmingham Blitz. The Army wasn’t his first choice but fear of heights ruled out the RAF and he definitely didn’t want to work as a stoker in the Navy so the Army it was, where Terry became trained in a new weapon, the Flail Tank. The Flail Tank took a lot of getting used to. The visibility was poor and this was a big issue when Terry landed on Juno beach. Another problem was the tank chains being blown off by mines. Eventually, the tank became stranded and as Terry sought cover he stood on a mine. Thankfully, the mine was defective but no sooner had he survived this scrape when he encountered an anti-tank mine, again, somehow remaining unhurt. While repairing the tanks, Terry’s group suffered heavy losses in a German attack. From that point on the tank crews were under manned and Terry became a gunner. Terry shares his recollections of moving through France including an attack on an underground radar station, the Battle of Le Havre, the fight to take Carpiquet and how he thinks he made it through thanks to the cool, calm nature of his driver, Ben. Terry also recollects a local family they would spend time with, sharing food, singing songs and looking out for each other. Terry went back about 10 years ago and was able to find one of the children, now a woman in her fifties. Terry ended the war in Germany then spent 12 months in Palestine.

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.

By the age of 14, Esther Hayes was approaching Grade 8 standard on the flute and piano. Three years in the band of the TA led her to pursue a full-time military musician career, and after completing basic training at ATR Winchester she spent her first year at Kneller Hall. Esther shares memories from her subsequent assignment to the Band of the Royal Corps of Signals, followed by a return to Kneller Hall for three more gruelling years of hard work to become a bandmaster. She went on to make history as the first female bandmaster of the Paras, and she talks about her experience of what was then a heavily male-dominated environment. After several years with the Paras, Esther returned to Kneller Hall, spending a couple of years in post as a Training Design Warrant Officer before joining the Household Cavalry and further developing her skills by learning to ride a horse whilst playing the flute. She goes on to talk about an operational role in Afghanistan, a stint in the Band of the Queen’s Division, and another return to Kneller Hall, this time to facilitate the training of the student bandmasters joining the ranks: a full-circle moment, but by no means the end of her incredible career.