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The family of a soldier who killed himself after serving in Iraq say he was failed by the Army which offered him no psychological help when he returned home.
Private Andrew Watson saw his friends blown up by landmines and described having to carry dead babies out of bombed buildings during his five years in the war-torn country.
The 25-year-old from Walworth, south London, began suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and ended up taking his own life by jumping to his death from the top of the block of flats where he lived.
Today his mother said the Military of Defence gave him no support when he was struggling to cope.
Glynis Watson, also from Walworth, said: "To me, he was dead when he came back from Iraq.
"He saw some terrible things while he was there and three things in particular really affected him.
"He went on patrol one day with two friends when they were blown up by a landmine in front of him. He had to move their bodies. Once he was on home leave, the guy who was replacing him was blown up.
"And he described having to carry dead babies out of bombed buildings - that's what solders do, but it really changed him and he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder."
Mrs Watson, 53, who has three other children, Cliff, 35, Gary, 30, and Georgina, 15, added: "Once his friends started dying he wanted out desperately, but he had to serve for a year before he could leave.
"That was the worst year of his life.
"They militarise you and then put you back in civvie street and some people can't cope with it."
Pte Watson, who joined the Army as a "fun-loving, energetic" 18-year-old in October 2001 and served in Basra with the logistics corps, had been working as an HGV driver for diamond drilling company CDS. He jumped from the top of Southborough House last Friday at 5am. He was taken to King's College Hospital in Denmark Hill but died.
Mrs Watson said: "We were desperately trying to get him the help he needed. I remember him crying in my arms and saying, 'I know I'm really, really ill'. We don't want anyone else to go through this and I want to urge other soldiers who feel like this to seek help.
"He was a great son until he got ill. We had a lot of trouble the last three years - I just wanted to mend his broken heart but I couldn't do it."
After his passing-out ceremony, Pte Watson served in Gutersloh, Germany, before going on tour with the Army to Canada and the US for training before heading to Basra.
His brother Cliff, a forklift truck driver, said the soldier, who had tried to kill himself twice before, ordered a DVD about joining up from the MoD when he was 18.
"He watched it over and over again. He was a proud, patriotic soldier. We think he jumped from the building at 5am, which is roll-call time in the Army."
Combat Stress, the leading charity specialising in the care of war veterans' mental health, is caring for 4,000 ex-service men and women.
A spokesman said, on average, it took a soldier more than 14 years to approach the charity for help and that about 60 per cent suffered from PTSD.
Reader views (10)
Was shocked to read about this, i was in germany with Andy, we both got out the same time in 2006, we exchanged numbers but i lost my phone. He was a great bloke. RIP mate
- Lee, London, 27/07/2009 11:46
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The best way to care for soldiers is of coruse to bring them ALL home, NOW! The walking wounded need to be cared for fully on return (of course!), but we cannot begin to heal until we collectively admit that the Western presence in Afghanistan is a huge mistake-- our military support of one group of drug-smuggling warlords against another will just leave more and more young lives being tragically wasted.
- David, London, 25/07/2009 22:39
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The last thing we wanted was to talk about this we would love to keep it private but the simple truth is there maybe someone else who has a brother or maybe a son that maybe going through the same as what Andrew was and this could help them because that’s all we can take from this very bad thing that has happened
i will tell you how much help he got when he was home. he went to get a flat from the council but was refused as he was not a resident of southwark for more than 5 years because he was fighting for his country in another
how can we do this to these people who put there life’s on the line for ours
- Clifford Watson, London, 25/07/2009 11:35
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RIP my little brother
- Clifford Watson, London, 25/07/2009 10:46
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Andy was a fine friend and workmate and a true team player. You will be greatly missed Brother but NEVER FORGOTTEN ! A true Englishman with a heart of gold. I will miss his big smile and cheeky laugh ! R.I.P. Andy , Lest We Forget !
- Workmate, Mitcham, ENGLAND, 24/07/2009 21:14
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The article doesn't make it clear - did he seek help from the Army, or from civilian mental health services? Did anyone approach them? (I'd be surprised if not - just wondering why it wasn't made clear).
All experiences change people. That is a simple fact. The lady's son could never come back to her from Army, or any other life without having been changed one way or another by his experiences, good and bad, and how he managed to cope with them.
"We think he jumped from the building at 5am, which is roll-call time in the Army." Although a poignant thought from a close family member, it should be remembered that the old expression, "The darkest hour is just before dawn" was coined for good reason. That is when people are normally at their lowest ebb mentally.
- Rogan, Irving, 24/07/2009 19:25
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RIP Andy, You were a great great bloke and you will be soarly missed by so many but dont worry, we will see you again in our thoughts and smile when we do - Thanks for the memories, rest in peace.
- An Old Pal, Old Kent Road, 24/07/2009 17:08
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this is because all the military hospital and institutions have been closed down there is nobody to give them the care and support they need just push them to the main stream
we should open up military hospital services NOW
- Terry Chambers, London, 24/07/2009 15:28
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Unless the Ministry of Defence gets its act together and quickly then the public will have to brace itself for a long string of stories like this one resulting from soldiers with PTSD returning from combat in Afghanistan. And getting its act together means offering specialised medical support to every soldier and emphatically not relying on their presenting to the NHS which has neither the capacity or specialised knowledge to deal with this. Lives lost in combat can be unavoidable but lives lost by suicide after returning from a war zone are inexcusable.
- Peter Haldane, London, 24/07/2009 13:58
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This is tragic and MUST be properly investigated to determine what went wrong. Soldiers returning from war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan deserve the very best possible care we can give them to help them to come to terms with, and overcome, physical and mental problems brought about by their experiences.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 24/07/2009 13:45
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