United through friendship
“It was very traumatic… but you weren’t on your own. That was the big comfort.”
Doug Muncie
Royal Air Force (RAF) Regiment, National Service 1955–57
Living and working so closely together, young men often formed lasting friendships from their time in National Service.
Being away from friends and family, they united in their shared experiences and found comfort in being on the journey together.
“I know a lot of people travel now, but it was travelling with boys and young men the same age as you. You all quickly gelled together; it was amazing how well we got on, seeing how we lived cheek by jowl.”
Harry Cornforth
Royal Navy, National Service 1949–1951
National Service affected more than just the men who served.
Although only men were called up to serve, National Service had a lasting impact on those left behind, including the families who had only just lived through the Second World War.
Mothers once again found themselves saying goodbye to sons, with the Ministry of Labour producing guidance to help families navigate the challenges.
As a prisoner of war in Korea, Charlie Daynes had been sent to Korea a year after his older brother, William James Daynes, was killed in Malaya at the age of 21. He was very aware of the effect his capture would have on his family.
“I saw her on the day that she got the telegram to say that my brother had been killed and it was a terrible, terrible thing to watch.”
Charlie Daynes
Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, National Service 1952–1954
With a whole generation of young men serving away, wives and girlfriends also had to come to terms with months of not seeing loved ones.
For Mike Bell, his biggest regret was missing his son’s birth:
“We got married on 3rd March, and on 24th March I was on an aeroplane to Malta to join the squadron, and I was away for well over a year. That’s how it was in those days.
“My son was five months old when I first met him.”
Mike Bell
Royal Navy, National Service 1955–1957