Of war... and within weeks

was discharged he used to taxi injured soldiers to hospitals all around the country. So he saw people he served with suffering bad injuries. It just tormented him.

“He went to therapy and they threw tablets at him but he always said the medication just numbed him. Not enough was done to help him.”

Birthday

Rifleman Kevin Williams met the Queen after becoming the youngest soldier to be sent to Iraq when he was deployed on his 18th birthday.

But an inquest heard he killed himself near his home in Basildon, Essex last March 18 after the horrors of war left him feeling “pretty much useless”. He Saw three mates shot by a sniper, had to hold another comrade’s face on after an IED blast. Discharged with hearing loss caused by mortar bomb. Haunted by visions of wounds and fear of dark had signed up at just 16 after being inspired by watching soldiers on TV but was discharged at 22.

In a documentary he said: “Returning to civilian life was a big shock. The skills I learned were all combat-based. I was pretty much useless and felt sad all the time.”

But now his sister has revealed how he was wracked with feelings of horror and guilt.

Jennifer, a software manager from Yorkshire, said: “He told me one story where he saved the lives of five of his comrades but to do that he had to kill someone with a bomb strapped to them. He couldn’t understand how he could have done that and he broke down and said, ‘Jen, it was either them or me, what could I do?’. “There were signs when he was still in the Army but later he realised that being in civilian life was even harder with PTSD. There should be therapy for troops as soon as they land back in the UK.” Among the mourners at John Paul’s funeral was ex-2 Rifles comrade Steve Nicholls, who signed up at the same time as him and even caught the same train to Catterick for their first day of training.

Steve, 33, who has PTSD himself, said: “He was a strong lad and a really nice guy. His banter got us through Iraq.

“But I couldn’t save him and I couldn’t save Kev Williams either.”

The Sunday People’s Save Our Soldiers campaign wants more support for Forces heroes – who are committing suicide at the rate of one a fortnight – an inquiry by MPS and increased NHS funding.

The MOD said: “Any suicide is a tragedy. Help is available through the 24-hour mental health helpline and we have increased spending to £22million a year.” Voice of the Sunday People: Page 14