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Hard-hitting images of veterans's suffering to be projected on White Cliffs of Dover on Somme anniversary.

Hard-hitting images of the suffering of soldiers will be projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover for the Somme anniversary.

The images both illustrate the time of the First World War battle and the plight of modern servicemen and women suffering from conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

One depicts a soldier in a mortuary as a number of traumatised veterans commit suicide.

Stark - image portraying the suffering of soldiers after war.
Stark - image portraying the suffering of soldiers after war.

They will be shown from dusk tonight to dawn tomorrow , the exact 100th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme.

This is all for the launch of the new Veterans’ Lottery on Friday, organised by the Veterans’ Foundation and its patron, Iraq veteran Hannah Campbell for British veterans in need.

The night’s showings start with tributes to the Somme soldiers followed by Ms Campbell projecting a series of stark images showing the current plight of thousands of armed forces veterans in the UK.

The images projected with be still pictures with captions and film.

The Somme projections highlights key moments of the 144-day battle in 1916, which claimed 19,240 British lives in the first 24 hours.

There will also be pictures of family members who have served in the military over the last century.

The role of the Veterans’ Lottery is to provide funding for projects fighting homelessness, poverty, metal health problems, physical disability as well as supporting children who have lost parents while serving in the British forces.

Veterans' Foundation patron Hannah Campbell.
Veterans' Foundation patron Hannah Campbell.

Ms Cambell herself lost a leg when a mortar bomb hit a building she was guarding in Basra, Iraq, in 2007.

She has rebuilt her life but still suffers from PTSD.

Millions saw the effects of her condition for themselves when she suffered a PTSD attack on television early this year.

A thunderstorm triggered a trauma attack on her when she competed in the Channel 4 show The Island with Bear Grylls.

It brought back for her the horrors of Iraq and was the most public trauma ever seen in a veteran.

Ms Campbell, who had been a Corporal with 19 Tank Transporter Squadron, said: “It seems fitting that whilst we remember and respect those who gave so much for our country we also recognise the thousands of veterans that need help and support once they make the transition to civilian life.

“That’s what the projection on the White Cliffs of Dover is all about.”

Ms Campbell said that servicemen and women can suffer for life after returning from war and aims to raised £1 million in a year through Veterans’ Lottery.

The Battle of the Somme, which went on until November 18, 1916, was the biggest of the First World War on the Western Front.

More than 1 million men were wounded or killed, making it one of the worst battles in human history. Every family in this country had lost a father, son or brother.

The first day, July 1, was the bloodiest in the history of the British Army which suffered around 57,470 casualties.

The battle began with a bombardment of German trenches and was fought on either side of the River Somme in northern France.

BLOB. People can sign up to play Veterans’ Lottery via the website veteransfoundation.org.uk.

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