Serving in the Army is taking a toll on soldiers

THE Sunday Times revealed four veterans and one serving soldier took their own lives in just six days.

The shocking statistic comes after The Record’s expose into the hidden crisis sweeping the armed services.

Fraser Stirling, a sergeant and veteran of three tours of Afghanistan, died on September 26 while on leave from the Royal Irish Regiment.

Trevor Coult, a former Royal Irish colour sergeant who suffers from PTSD and campaigns for better mental health care for veterans, said the 30-year old, from Buckie in Moray, had witnessed “horrific things”.

Both men served in Helmand province in 2008, when a Land Rover triggered a roadside bomb planted by the Taliban.

Fraser rushed to help the vehicle’s wounded occupants but a quad bike being used to move the wounded triggered another bomb.

Gary Bruton was found dead, aged 41, of a suspected overdose on September 26.

He was 17 when he joined the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and was deployed to the Balkans in the mid-90s.

He was in the former Yugoslavia as part of the UK’s peacekeeping mission during the civil war pitting Bosnian Serbs against Bosnian Croats.

Gary’s aunt Doris said her nephew had once mentioned “seeing lots of bodies everywhere”.

After 22 years in the Army, Jamie Doyle retired in January and returned home to the West Midlands.

He was found dead on September 26.

Jamie, in his early 40s, was a former sergeant in the 4th Regiment Royal Artillery, and served tours of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Friends say he struggled to adjust to civilian life and felt “on his own” after leaving the Army.

Adam Simcock was a lance corporal in the Royal Corps of Transport when he was exposed to violence in Ulster in the 80s.

His friend, Robert Starling, said: “He witnessed a few deaths in Northern Ireland, both civilians and service personnel and he was quite affected by that.

“There were huge bouts of depression.”

Police found him dead at his South African home after taking his own life on September 29. He was 54.

Mathew Shillito, 31, had been tormented by the chaos of Basra and Helmand.

Police arrived at his Leicestershire flat, where the 6ft 7in former Army corporal killed himself wearing campaign medals from multiple tours of Afghanistan and Iraq.

His mother, Tracey said: “Demons are demons and they just take over.”