A set of books that bring together the moving stories of every Special Air Service and Long Range Desert group casualty of the Second World War has raised £100,000 for Combat Stress, the UK’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health.
After 13 years of research, the author, who writes under the anonymous name of Ex-Lance-corporal X, published The SAS and LRDG Roll of Honour 1941-47 in 2016. The set of three books celebrate the extraordinary and often unreported bravery of 374 casualties during the Second World War.
Following the success of the first print run, which raised £30,000, Ex-Lance-corporal X produced a second imprint run in 2018 raising an additional £70,000 for Combat Stress.
Robert Marsh, Director Income Generation at Combat Stress said;
“We’re so grateful to Ex-Lance-corporal X for choosing to support Combat Stress through the sale of these books.
“Each year we receive 2,000 referrals from veterans dealing with issues like anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Without amazing fundraisers, we wouldn’t be able to continue to provide this life changing treatment.
“I’d like to thank Ex-Lance-corporal X for raising such an incredible amount for the charity.”
There are still a few copies of the box set still available to purchase from the dedicated project website here.
Notes to editors:
Combat Stress is the UK’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health.
For almost a century we’ve helped former servicemen and women deal with issues like anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Over the past five years (2012 to 2017) we have seen an average of more than 2,000 referrals each year. Demand for our services continues to grow – we have seen a 143% increase in referrals from ten years ago.
On average it takes 12 years after leaving the military for veterans to contact Combat Stress for help, by which time their condition is often highly complex. However, veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts are coming to Combat Stress much sooner (three and four years respectively).
To help veterans rebuild their lives, we provide a range of free services:
- Short-stay clinical treatment at our treatment centres
- A specialist Intensive Treatment Programme – delivered at our treatment centres
- Community Teams – providing treatment and practical support to veterans. Last year our regional community teams undertook almost 5,400 face-to-face appointments
- Outpatients – assessment by psychiatrists and psychologists – at our treatment centres and in the community – enables us to diagnose, define and deliver the treatment veterans require
- Occupational therapy – delivered at our treatment centres and in the community, we use meaningful and creative activity to encourage hope, wellbeing and recovery
- Peer Support Service – Led by veterans for veterans, it’s the first UK-wide service of its kind for those with mental health problems. The service enables them to share their experiences, receive support and socialise with others with similar experiences.
- Substance Misuse Case Management Service – helping veterans to access the services for their drug and alcohol problems so their mental health issues can be addressed
- Our 24-hour Helpline is there for veterans, serving personnel and their families (0800 138 1619)
Useful links
Our website: combatstress.org.uk
On Twitter: @CombatStress
On Facebook: facebook.com/CombatStress
On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/combat-stress
