August 3, 2022 7.00 pm This story is over 18 months old

Father of dead Lincoln soldier fighting to honour his memory

Derek Hunt has been fighting for two years

The father of a soldier from Lincoln who took his own life, has been fighting for two years to get his name engraved on the Armed Forces Memorial Wall, but the Ministry of Defence has declined the request.

Nathan Hunt joined the army at 16 and for 23 years served in many conflicts, before taking his own life in 2018, whilst still a serving officer.

Nathan Hunt’s father, Derek Hunt, is sure Nathan suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of the scenes he witnessed in combat arenas, and has even written to Prince Harry about Nathan.

Derek said: “One of the traumatic experiences he had in Afghanistan was surviving a 107 rocket hit in a compound.

“Unfortunately for the Afghan national army, who were in the compound at the time, they took the brunt of the injuries.

“Nathan and his mate had to go back and treat the dying, because they took the full force of the attack – so the injuries were quite horrific.”

Derek Hunt says soldiers die in battle, but there are those who died because of battle, and they need to be honoured. | Screenshot: BBC Look North/BBC News Hub

Four others who died by suicide have been included on the Memorial Wall. But the Ministry of Defence say that Nathan’s death was not directly linked to his service.

The MoD made this statement: “Every suicide is a tragedy and deeply felt within the Defence community. Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of those affected.

“Careful consideration is given to each case. The decision not to include someone on the Armed Forces Memorial does not detract from their service.”

Derek says: “Soldiers do die in battle, and I understand, but there’s those that die because of battle, and people need to remember that not all wounds are visible. It will be somewhere where his daughter, when we’ve long gone, can have a place of reflection. It’s not just for me, it’s for all the others who are victims of war.”