Under the Bearskin: A junior officer’s story of war and madness

Mark Evans (Author) Like many boys who don't want to be train drivers or astronauts, Mark grew up wanting to be a soldier. After a standard schooling involving rugby, football, girls and all manner of detentions he left Oxfordshire for University College London to study archaeology. Discovering a lack of real-life Indiana Jones moments, Mark eventually fulfilled his boyhood ambition and was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards in 2004.From Nigeria to Canada, Belize to Buckingham Palace, Mark had a diverse and fulfilling career, seeing active service in both Iraq and Afghanistan.On his return from Afghanistan Mark was diagnosed with PTSD and subsequently left the army in 2010 after reaching the rank of Captain. His experiences have led him to work with Help for Heroes and Combat Stress to raise awareness for those affected by recent conflicts. After a turbulent couple of years dealing with the aftermath of war Mark is now happily settled in South West London with his girlfriend.