Falklands left me scarred for life

Apr 2 2007 By Paul Bradley, Birmingham Mail

AS a combat veteran with nearly two decades' service in the Navy, Doug Page was no stranger to life under fire when he was sent out to the Falklands in 1982.

But Mr Page, from Wednesbury, was left so badly shaken by his experiences in uniform that he would be damaged for the rest of his life.

His ship, the aircraft carrier Hermes, was one of the top targets for Argentinian rockets and guns throughout the war.

But although they were under constant attack - including one occasion when the nearby container ship Atlantic Conveyor was sunk by a missile intended for the Hermes - Mr Page stayed calm throughout the operation.

He said: "If you want to know the truth, it was absolutely boring. Being attacked is just 99 minutes of boredom and one minute of terror."

After seemingly taking the Falklands war in his stride, Mr Page served in the Navy until 1986.

But it was then that the problems started. He had a nervous breakdown while on duty, which was later blamed on post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from his traumatic experiences of death and destruction.

Mr Page was forced to leave the Navy, where he had worked as a technical manager leading a team of sailors. He is still on pills and sees a psychiatrist regularly.