When Brian Hamblett was called up for National Service, he could hardly have imagined the journey ahead. He remembers the epic voyage around the world to Korea with real fondness — a last adventure before the war began in earnest.

Serving in the Machine Gun Company, Brian worked the Vickers gun on Hill 327, where he first witnessed the devastating effects of napalm. Soon after came the Battle of the Imjin River. Despite the overwhelming Chinese assault, Brian admits he never fired a shot before being captured and marched north to Camp No.1.

In his interview, Brian describes life as a prisoner of war: the harsh conditions, the struggle to endure, and the comradeship that helped men survive nearly two years in captivity. Returning home was not simple — the adjustment to post-war Britain brought its own challenges.

Looking back, Brian reflects on the war’s cost and its necessity, offering rare insight into both combat and captivity during one of Korea’s defining battles.

Joan Nicholls left school at only fourteen and concealed her age to enlist in the ATS. After undergoing rigorous testing and training at Fenham Barracks and Trowbridge, she arrived at Beaumanor Hall in March 1942. Joan describes the design and operation of the Beaumanor Y-Station and its significance to the Ultra cryptography project. She listened to and recorded German Morse transmissions, which were relayed to Station X (Bletchley Park) for decoding. Joan followed General Erwin Rommel throughout North Africa until the pivotal battle of El-Alamein, while catching snippets of other transmissions from Nazi Concentration Camps and the aftermath of D-Day. She describes developing a familiarity and respect for the German transmitters and the cat-and-mouse games of chasing them through different frequencies. Throughout the interview, Joan emphasises the importance of keeping her role a secret, even from those closest to her. It is only decades later that the Y-Service's efforts and sacrifices are publicly acknowledged. Unfortunately, she was never able to tell her father the true nature of her work.

After surviving the Blitz as a child, Leonard later joined National Service as a young adult. Following basic training, he volunteered for deployment in Korea, eventually travelling on the Empire Fowey. Upon arriving in Pusan, he joined the 14th Field Regiment. He reflects on his role as a signaller, detailing the equipment he worked with on the frontlines. Leonard remembers a night on duty when a radio transmission came through, the sound of gunfire in the background before fading into silence. By morning, he learned that those behind the transmission had been ambushed and killed by the Chinese. The cold of winter and the rabbit-sized rats that swarmed the battlefield and dugouts remain vivid in Leonard's memory. During his deployment, the Chinese broadcasted propaganda messages, aiming to demoralise soldiers by reminding them of home. Eventually, Leonard’s time in Korea ended and he returned home. He found it hard to adjust to life back home, but eventually settled. Years later, he revisited Korea and was amazed by how much the country had transformed since the war.