MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK care of veterans “disgraceful”, says VC decorated soldier

The British Army's most decorated serving war hero has claimed the UK Government is failing to care for soldiers with mental trauma caused by combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for saving the lives of comrades during two ambushes in Iraq, said it was "disgraceful" that some veterans were not getting the treatment they needed. He told The Independent that the Government had not done enough to help soldiers suffering from severe combat stress, depression and mental breakdowns. Corporal Beharry also said military charities were being used to patch up holes in soldiers' care. "These are people who have served this country. Why can't they get treatment? I don't think the Government is doing enough for soldiers," he said. "Those who are still serving get some form of help for combat stress but even those who are serving don't get enough support. I think it is disgraceful that an ex-serviceman or woman has to go to the NHS. The Government should have something in place for ex-servicemen and women." Cpl Beharry, of the 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, twice rescued colleagues while under heavy rocket fire in Al-Amarah in May and June 2004. He was awarded the VC four years ago for "repeated extreme gallantry and unquestioned valour". Speaking of his own stress following his return from Iraq, the 29-year-old said: "It brings me back into the killing zone, to the explosion. When you hear a bang in Iraq you know it is going to be followed by something and back home you feel the same. You go tense, waiting. I go into that defence mode. I am learning to live with it. Everyone experiences combat stress differently. But we are all linked; we all suffer the same problem in different ways." Defence Minister Kevan Jones said: "We recognise mental illnesses as serious and disabling conditions but also ones that can be treated. Our dedicated psychiatric teams based in Theatre provide the very best diagnosis and treatment of psychological illnesses both during and after deployments".