SHAMEFUL NUMBER OF TROOPS ARE 13,000 heroes The crisis at Harry’s door
THE Sunday People has led the way in campaigning for better treatment for veterans with mental health problems.
We have told how former troops suffering illnesses such as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety lost their homes after being unable to find new jobs.
That made their illness worse and drove them to the brink of suicide.
One of the most vocal campaigners is Prince Harry – a former Army officer who rose to the rank of captain and completed two tours of Afghanistan.
Earlier this month he was drawn into the UK’s homelessness crisis after a councillor in Windsor, where he will marry Meghan Markle this May, called for homeless people to be expelled from the town’s streets before the big day.
It is the home of Windsor Castle and two barracks, giving the city a proud military history and presence.
Murphy James, of the Windsor Homeless Project, last night told the Sunday People: “There are 12 to15 rough sleepers on the streets of Windsor and we’ve got 50 to 60 on our books.
“Typically, two in ten at any one time will be former military.
“They may not necessarily have just left the military, but that is where they developed their mental health issue which led to them being homeless.”
Murphy added: “The problem is that the Government aren’t doing nearly enough to help.
“They haven’t done anything and whatever they have done amounts only to lip service.
“They’ve been making cuts to mental health services and that’s the crux of the problem in this country. “
Murphy has just launched a new project to help anyone suffering a mental health problem. See more about it at www. theknowhow.org. AT LEAST 13,000 of our war heroes are homeless after leaving the military, a Sunday People probe reveals.
Military charities said the shameful figure is a record high and the Government is failing those who risk their lives for Queen and country.
They also issued a stark warning that the crisis deepens every month.
Les Standish, who won the Military Medal in the Falklands War, said: “The Government has let these people down. These men and women were willing to fight and lay down their lives for this country and the only help available to them is from charities.
“The Government needs to do more for them. It’s a disgrace.”
Les, who saved the life of a comrade who had his leg blown off in the 1982 Battle of Goose Green, was homeless for six months after suffering posttraumatic stress disorder.
Screaming
The 56-year-old says during his time on the streets and since, he has met hundreds of veterans, from the Falklands campaign through to more recent conflicts, including those in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many are reduced to sleeping in doorways, bus stops and parks, begging from passers-by.
And almost all are struggling with the devastating affects of PTSD, which often leads to other problems, including addictions to drugs and alcohol. “All of the homeless veterans I
met had PTSD and were in need of help,” said Les, a former member of 2 Para who became a prison officer.
Describing his own ordeal, the Bolton Armed Forces Centre volunteer said: “I could see the faces of the men I had killed and would wake up screaming, soaked in sweat.
“I became too scared to go to sleep and began drinking heavily. I was med medically retired form the prison serv service. My world collapsed and I was hom homeless. I slept in my van for six mon months and felt unable to talk to anyo anyone. But eventually I got help.”
C Cait Smith, 45, runs the Bolton Arm Armed Forces Centre for Veterans, whe where she helps homeless ex-service pe personnel.
She said: “Homelessness among th the veterans community is getting w worse by the month. The youngest we have dealt with is an 18-year-old and the oldest is 97. And we helped p people of every age in between.”
Cait was diagnosed with PTSD 20 years y after her entire command was wiped out in the 1994 Mull of Kintyre helicopter disaster.
She said: “When I left the Army in 1997 I was a single mum. I had nowhere to live and a child to look after. I felt as though I had somehow failed. I was eventually given help and got my life back together.
“But I received no help from the armed forces. It was from charities and friends.”
Northern Ireland veteran Tony Hayes, 58, is now the chief executive of Veteran Assistance UK, a charity helping homeless ex-servicemen and women and those who are struggling with PTSD.
He said: “Nearly all the homeless veterans we come across have PTSD or some form of mental health problem. Once they leave the Army, they loose their support structure. “Those suffering from PTSD will often turn to drink and that can have an impact on the marriage and in a short period of time a veteran can find himself homeless. “We estimate 13,000 but we believe i t’s an accurate figure from what our outreach teams are seeing. “Fr o m our experience, the problem of homeless veterans has never been greater. I’d say 13,000 is a minimum – it could be far higher.” Charity bosses say the problem has been made worse by cuts to the armed forces, which has led to almost 30,000 troops losing their jobs since 2010. Homeless numbers have soared,