Brian Short joined the Royal Marines in 1973 not as a commando but as a musician in the world renowned Royal Marine Band Service. He was in Northern Ireland at the height of the troubles, witnessed the Deal Barracks bomb attack which killed eleven colleagues, and was operationally deployed during the Falklands War, as described in this book.
Retiring in 1989 he became a police officer for 14 years which presented him with a different set of challenges. He now lives in South East England where he continues play and enjoy music.