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Please be aware that this story contains details about suicide. If you are affected by this topic, and want some advice, please go to Talking About Suicide | Help For Heroes
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A grieving family from Wirral are calling on the government to take immediate steps to improve support for people leaving the armed forces. David Cowling, 31, took his own life in December last year, after struggling to cope with the transition to civilian life.
His stepfather Keith Christian, and mum Pauline Allen, hope their family’s tragedy will help to bring about improvements to the transition process for former servicemen and women.
David joined the Mercian regiment at the age of 17. He served for 13 years and was a PT instructor and a driver. He did two tours of Afghanistan and spent time in Kenya as part of the UN peacekeeping force. He left the army two years ago, so he could spend more time with – and be closer to – his two young children.
Unfortunately, he struggled to find permanent employment, which caused his mental health to spiral down.
There needs to be more support available through the government and Ministry of Defence for people who have served."
RAF veteran and David Cowling's step-father
Keith, who served himself in the RAF for seven years, said, “He didn’t know who to turn to, or who he could count on. We also think he was suffering from PTSD – he often said there were things he’d seen that he couldn’t get out of his head.
“There needs to be more support available through the government and Ministry of Defence for people who have served – in terms of finding employment and support for mental health. They shouldn’t be left to scrabble around to try to get help if they need it.”
Keith and David had talked previously about taking on a charity motorbike challenge, and Keith decided to complete this in memory of David, and to support Help for Heroes. Chris Lamb, who is a former member of the RAF Military Police, offered to join Keith when he heard about the challenge.
They set off from The Tap which is on The Wirral, with the intention of driving non-stop from the Wirral up to Scotland, completing the North Coast 500 route and then journeying back. Due to storms and roadworks, the trip took them 41 hours, which they completed without sleeping. To date they have raised over £1,700 for the Charity in memory of David.
Keith added, “David would do anything for anyone, and he was known by his colleagues as someone who could boost the morale of other people if they were down. But he got no support from the army when he needed it. This has got to change. Suicide among people who served is a problem, and it’s got to be talked about.”
Sasha Misra, Head of Policy and Public Affairs for Help for Heroes said, “Too many veterans are left to fight for the support they need. In the UK, there are vital gaps in care provision for veterans and their families. We’re calling on the Government and wider society to do more to support the brave men and women who give so much to protect us.”