AN Iraq veteran who served with fusilier Gordon Gentle and was later injured by a roadside bomb in Basra has told how he went from protecting the Queen to sleeping on a park bench after leaving the army.

Former Corporal Joe Walker, who also served in Northern Ireland and Afghanistan with the Royal Highland Fusiliers, spoke out as a damning report into the plight faced by combat veterans when they return to normal life is published by the The Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen's Families Association (SAFFA).

The charity said that three quarters of working age veterans suffer from long-term physical or mental health conditions, while more than half do not have enough money for essential items.

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The study also found that most are left jobless when they return to civilian life, while some have faced homelessness, and has called for greater support from government and the armed forces for its veterans.

Ex-Cpl Walker, 39, said he sought help from the charity after becoming homeless and struggling to cope with the demands of normal life after 20 years in uniform.

He was injured just two weeks after Pvt Gentle was killed in a similar roadside attack, but returned to duty and went on to became the Queen’s Pony Major, a prestigious ceremonial role.

However, his life fell apart when the army. He said: "There was no structure to me leaving the army and going to civvie street and if it hadn't been for SAFFA I would still be on the streets.

"I had no idea how to go about getting a home and was just told to go to the council. The jobcentre even asked me if I'd been in prison because I didn't have a work history for 20 years.

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"I went from living in army accommodation to being homeless and as I didn’t have a partner, I was put in a housing shelter for a month where nobody understood veterans and what I had been through."

He added: "The majority of soldiers I know faced the same difficulties, and all of them struggle to deal with the demons they suffer from after seeing combat.

"The army just doesn't give you the tools to deal with them, and the social support networks close at 5pm. We need more than that."

The SAFFA report has called for welfare screening of potentially vulnerable servicemen and women to be put in place before they leave the forces, and said that Government should also fund a mentoring scheme to support vulnerable veterans for at least their first year as a civilian.

It also warned the Ministry of Defence to improve its discharge processes to ensure that the service records of veterans are shared with the appropriate health and welfare professionals, or see more veterans falling through the cracks.

Air Vice-Marshal David Murray, SSAFA chief executive, said: “Our research has identified a cohort of veterans living in pretty desperate circumstances, often through no fault of their own. These men and women are not fulfilling their potential in civilian life; their plight is too easily ignored.

“Disappointingly, something that comes across loud and clear from our report is that many of the veterans helped by SSAFA do not feel valued. They have served our country – sometimes suffered for our country – and yet they feel forgotten.

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“SSAFA knows that the transition period is a pivotal time for those taking their first steps back into wider society. We must identify vulnerable service leavers before they walk out of the barracks for the last time.”

A spokesman for the MOD said: “We are absolutely focused on supporting working age veterans. That is why we’ve developed specific schemes to deliver career guidance, and to help find housing and expert healthcare.

"Just last week we allocated £14m in bank fines to military charities to help those most in need. But we know that there is more to do and we will study the report.”