UK Veteran Went From Diana's Pallbearer to Tossed Aside

Hero soldier who carried Princess Diana's coffin says Ministry of Defence 'tossed him aside' after he lost a leg and left the Army
Daily Mail
By SAM TONKIN FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 03:39 EST, 30 August 2015

Ex-Welsh Guardsman Phil Bartlett hit out at treatment after leaving Army
He says he was 'tossed aside' after losing a leg following 20 years service
Mr Bartlett, 41, was one of pallbearers at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997
But after being discharged he hit financial trouble and attempted suicide
Do you know any of the other pallbearers? Call 02036151861 or email sam.tonkin@mailonline.co.uk

Earlier this month it emerged that NHS delays are leaving badly wounded Afghanistan veterans wheelchair-bound because many are having to wait months for prosthetic legs that actually fit properly.

Proud moment: Phil Bartlett, 41, (circled) carried the grief of a nation on his shoulders as pallbearer at Princess Diana's funeral. But he said the Ministry of Defence then 'tossed him aside' after he left the Army

A former soldier who carried the grief of a nation on his shoulders as pallbearer at Princess Diana's funeral says the Ministry of Defence then 'tossed him aside' after he lost a leg and left the Army.

Phil Bartlett, 41, an ex-Welsh Guardsman, hit out at David Cameron for the way he has been treated since being medically discharged following 20 years of service in Afghanistan, Iraq and Northern Ireland.

He told of how his life went into a downward spiral after leaving the Army, leading to him attempting suicide, and accused the government of 'tossing him aside like a toy'.

Mr Bartlett told Lauren Veevers and Emily Nash at The Sun on Sunday how he went from proudly carrying Diana's coffin to suffering post-traumatic stress disorder and being left jobless, divorced and living in a one-bedroom council house.

Speaking on the eve of the 18th anniversary of the Princess of Wales' death, he said: 'It was such an honour to carry her coffin.
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