Serving Army Reservists from Lancashire recount experiences for Armed Forces Day

Doctor Ron Siddle - a consultant psychologist based in Kendal in South Cumbria, was stationed in 2007 in a field hospital in Afghanistan treating fellow soldiers and carrying out assessments on their mental health.

Ron even met his wife Lynn as an Army Reservist and, only two days after their wedding, she was called to Iraq.

He signed up to the Army Reserve when he was a cadet nurse in 1977 and joined the Infantry. When qualified as a nurse he joined a Field Ambulance unit where his main roles were collecting and resuscitating casualties.

Later he moved to serve within field hospitals and he served in the medical services of the army reserve, while training in psychology.

Ron said: “During my time as a reserve I became qualified as a mountain leader, did a squash coaching course, learnt to sail and picked up so many transferable skills. I was supported by the Trust to serve, they do a lot for us veterans.

“My three months in Afghanistan are memorable for so many reasons and it’ll always stay with me.”

Similarly, assistant psychologist Daniel Petho usually carries out mental health assessments on mental health wards at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital, but is also training to become an officer after joining the Army Reserve Officers Training Corp in 2012 at the age of 19.

He said: “I’m now a Lance Corporal in the Queen’s Own Yeomanry cavalry regiment and a few years back went to Croatia near the Bosnian border, training alongside the Croatian army in armoured vehicles.

"It’s wonderful that we’re supported at LSCft and the Trust is Veteran Aware and mark Armed Forces Day, it means an awful lot.”

It was recently confirmed that LSCft remains a Veteran Aware Trust, following a one year review of the status.

Chief Executive Caroline Donovan spoke of her pride of the achievement: “I am delighted that we continue to support the Armed Forces Covenant and improve experiences of care for the Armed Forces Community.”