As the camp internees reached the age of 18, they were offered the chance to do war work or to enter the Army Auxiliary Pioneer Corps. About 1,000 German and Austrian "prior-kinder" who reached adulthood went on to serve in the British armed forces, including in combat units. Several dozen joined elite formations such as the Special Forces, where their language skills were put to good use during the Normandy landings and afterwards as the Allies progressed into Germany. One of these was Peter Masters, who wrote a book which he proudly titled "Striking Back".