At 18 years old Bill Hurst joined the 1st King's Liverpool Regiment as a national serviceman, and describes how his initial training as a driver ultimately led him to fighting in Korea, a country he had never heard of. Bill recalls the terror of the shelling, and the shared realisation amongst the soldiers that they might not be returning home. In one particularly moving moment, he remembers the fear of being sent over the top and the shrapnel he took in his knee as a result of enemy fire. He also reflects on the huge loss of young men during this war, and how it has been largely forgotten as a war. However, Bill maintains the importance of remembering the funnier moments and shares fond memories of the friends he made, and the end of the war where they all knew they would be going home. Remembering the Battle of the Hook, Bill makes clear that he tried to keep his head down and survive the never-ending barrage of shells. His interview provides an authentic account of the Korean war and the reality of life in the trenches.

At aged 18, Richard interrupted his apprenticeship to do national service. He enlisted in the Royal Artillery, became a radio operator and was posted to Germany. While there, he tells of being asked to volunteer to go to Korea and was also asked to sign up as a regular. He refused to become a regular but agreed to go to Korea. Subsequently, he embarked on HMS Asturias and arrived at Pusan some 4 and ½ weeks later. He describes being welcomed during disembarkation by the band of the 2nd US Infantry Division. Following this he tells of a nighttime journey to the Headquarters of the Royal Artillery which was a distance away from the frontline at the Imjin River. He was required to relay messages from the frontline for US, Canadian and British troops. This included messages about the locations of the Chinese artillery and he described being actively involved in supporting the 3rd battle of the hook, just before the armistice was signed in 1953. He also describes his involvement in processing British POW’s after armistice. Lastly, he expresses his frustration at the extent to which the Korean war has been ignored.