Marines ‘suicide’ epidemic
Commandos hit by 4 heroes’ deaths
AT LEAST four former Royal Marines are suspected to have committed suicide in the past four weeks in a new PTSD scandal, we can reveal.
All the ex-commandos are understood to have been veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan war zones who were suffering with their mental health.
The spate of deaths – described as “carnage” – came as it also emerged that a further three former soldiers are feared to have taken their own lives since the beginning of April.
It is understood to have caused “grave concern” at the very highest levels of the tight-knit Marines, whose proud traditions date back 350 years.
Maj Gen Charles Stickland, who as Commandant General is head of the elite corps, is said to have expressed deep concern over the deaths.
Invincible
And Prince Harry, who served in Afghanistan with the Army but now holds the ceremonial post of the Marines’ Captain General, has also voiced his worries.
Harry recently said that both he and new bride Meghan were “shocked to the core” by stories from veterans struggling with mental health issues.
He said previously: “I have seen those I have served with suffer, struggling to seek out help they desperately need.
“And we know there are more just like them who suffer in silence.”
A veteran of 20 years in the Marines who was friends with one suicide victim described the recent surge in deaths as “utter carnage”.
He said: “PTSD is a killer. It doesn’t matter who you are, how tough you are or how many medals you have on your chest. Everyone who has served in a combat zone is vulnerable and not everyone will win the battle with PTSD. “One guy who died was over 6ft and looked as though he could carry the world on his shoulders. “He was a fantastic Marine but not even his best mates knew he had PTSD. “He had a loving family, a nice home and a good job. Yet he wanted to end it all. “There is a big problem with senior noncommissioned officers, often very strong characters. They look invincible but they are carrying a lot of baggage and are often too proud to get help.” The disclosure comes after new figures from the Ministry of Defence reveal more than 5,000 Armed Services members were diagnosed with a mental health problem last year. The MOD also revealed that 24 soldiers who joined the military under the age of 18 were medically discharged with mental health problems in 2016-17.
One of the Marines who died was buried on the same day that veteran Daniel Johnston, 35, who served in the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment and the special forces, committed suicide.
His body was found in woodland in West Sussex after a four-day search involving hundreds of serving and former soldiers.
Daniel, who was in the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, was described as being in a very vulnerable state when he went missing. Last week former England football captain Terry Butcher told an inquest his son, who had been a soldier, died after becoming a “victim of war”.
Christopher Butcher, 35, was a captain who served in Afghanistan with the Royal Artillery.
And Terry said when his son returned to Britain he was suffering from PTSD and “demons took control of his mind”.
Christopher’s death at home in Suffolk in 2017 left his soccer legend dad and the family devastated.
The Sunday People’s Save Our Soldiers campaign is fighting for an urgent overhaul of the Mod’s treatment of sufferers. Our crusade, which has been hailed by MPS of all parties, is calling for an independent inquiry to establish links between PTSD and the suicides of veterans.
WHAT would you do if you won the lottery?
It’s a question that most of us ponder – particularly during working hours. Fast cars, exotic holidays, big houses maybe?
For many lottery winners an A-list lifestyle is the first thing they go for… sometimes with disastrous results.
Barbara Wragg chose a different path when she scooped almost £8million in 2000.
It was life-changing money. But not just life-changing for Barbara.
She said the cash was too much for just two people.
So she used it to help others, ploughing the money into a string of good causes.
Barbara and her husband Ray kept a modest lifestyle.
Hospitals
And all the while they used their winnings for the good of the people in their area.
There were 17 charities that benefited over the years, and countless individuals.
They kitted out hospitals, fitted medical rooms, paid for youngsters to go to the theatre, donated to pals and helped veterans with a trip to honour their comrades.
Over the years, Ray and Barbara gave the majority of their fortune away.
Sadly, Barbara died this week. And what a legacy she has left.
Her selfless actions have not only touched the people she helped. They also stand as an example to us all.
She was a woman who put aside any selfish thoughts and chose instead to improve the lives of all around her.
Barbara knew that glitz and glamour are fleeting and disposable. She chose instead to use her money to help others.
And that is something that will last far, far longer.