A war hero who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan is believed to have become the 29th member of his regiment to die by suicide, the Daily Mail can reveal.
Lance Corporal Andrew Borthwick, 41, who had served with the Rifles Regiment, was found dead at his home last month.
The former soldier, who was married with two children, is one of at least 29 members of the Rifles Regiment who have taken their own lives since 2013, according to a veterans’ group that collates suicide figures.
Many of those who died by suicide had fought in either Iraq or Afghanistan and were suffering from mental health conditions such as PTSD and depression.
Others developed substance abuse issues after serving in war zones where many of their friends were killed or wounded.
The dead soldiers and veterans are part of a group of at least 600 serving military personnel and veterans known to have died by suicide since 2017. The Rifles saw heavy fighting in both Iraq and Afghanistan and sustained more casualties than any other regiment.
A total of 66 soldiers were killed in both conflicts, and 344 were injured, according to official figures.
Lance Corporal Andrew Borthwick, 41, who had served with the Rifles Regiment, was found dead at his home last month
Captain Gary Case, who died from suicide in 2019
Amongst those who died is Captain Gary Case, who took his own life in 2019 just weeks after being awarded an MBE by the Queen for more than 28 years of service in the Army.
The reasons behind his death remain a mystery but former colleagues revealed that he was exposed to the horrors of the Bosnian War and narrowly escaped death during an attack in Iraq.
Lance Corporal Borthwick, from Reading, known as ‘Borth’ to his friends, escaped death in 2009 after being shot through the chest in a Taliban ambush in southern Afghanistan.
After being wounded, he took cover with the rest of his section, turned to his close friend and colleague Brett Campbell, and said ‘man down’. When Brett asked who, LCpl Borthwick answered ‘me’.
He underwent emergency surgery, which involved having part of his lung removed.
LCpl Borthwick refused the offer of a medical discharge with a war pension and worked to regain his fitness, returning to Afghanistan in 2013.
In 2020, he was part of a team from the Rifles Regiment that raised money for Combat Stress by box jumping the height of Mount Everest.
Details of the veteran’s death were revealed by former colleagues on Facebook.
Rifles veteran Cpl Ricky Fergusson, who lost both legs and an eye in Afghanistan and was awarded the Military Cross, wrote: ‘I’m sad and heartbroken to say that we lost another Rifleman, a soldier, and a good friend on Sunday, November 23rd, to suicide.
‘He was a top bloke, funny, always laughing, and would always be there for his mates if needed.
‘Unfortunately, for many reasons, some unknown, things got too much, and he wanted out. Please, when you are feeling lower than low, thinking that life is too much and you want out, then please pick up the phone.’
Many of those who died by suicide had fought in either Iraq or Afghanistan and were suffering from mental health conditions such as PTSD and depression
Brett Campbell, who was with LCpl Borthwick when he was shot in Afghanistan, added: ‘The man survived what should have taken his life when we were ambushed in Sangin, Afghanistan.
‘Even after taking a round through his lung, he carried on serving with the same grit and heart he always had.
‘I will never forget the moment we took cover. Face to face, calm as ever, he said, ‘man down.’ I asked who, and he looked straight at me and said, ‘it is me.’ That will stay with me forever.
‘Borth was given a second chance once, but life became too heavy in the end. I wish he had known how much he meant to the lads, the impact he had on all of us, not only in the platoon but in the regiment, and how much he is missed.’
Former Army Warrant Officer Jim Wilde campaigns for better mental health support for veterans and has been collating figures surrounding ex military-personnel suicides since 2017.
Wilde stated: ‘There is clearly a problem with the number of suicides in the Rifles, as the figures clearly show.
‘We have told the MoD and the government about this, but we have been ignored and in the meantime the death toll from suicide continues to mount.’
General Sir Patrick Sanders, 55, one of the most senior commanders in the Army and a former Rifles officer, revealed earlier in 2021 that he had contemplated suicide after a violent tour and urged soldiers and veterans to seek help.
He said: ‘I found myself obsessing about experiences, dwelling on photographs, video clips, and letters, replaying in my mind what happened in a dark and obsessive way.
‘These thoughts took me to a dark place. When I caught myself at two in the morning with a bottle of wine or whisky next to me, I realised that I needed help.’
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: ‘Any death by suicide is a tragedy that is felt across our community, and we are determined to provide those experiencing mental health challenges with the support they need.
‘This includes deploying expert mental health professionals to the front line and ensuring briefing on the support and treatment available is offered to every serviceman and woman both before and after deployment.
‘We are also investing £25million each year into Op COURAGE, so veterans in England can continue to access specialist NHS mental health and wellbeing services, and £50million into the VALOUR programme to improve veterans’ access to essential care.’
- For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit samaritans.org
