Range home revives traumatic memories (From Western Telegraph)

Range home revives traumatic memories

10:57am Saturday 12th January 2008

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The sound of tanks firing is usually little more than a nuisance for residents living near to Castlemartin Range, but for one former soldier it revives traumatic memories of being bombed in Bosnia.

Lee Fry, who had been homeless, has described Pembrokeshire County Council's decision to house him next to the range as a "sick joke".

But the authority says it is only a temporary measure because he had been living in bed and breakfast accommodation.

Mr Fry, who is 34, says he is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and the sound of firing had reawakened painful memories of being bombed in Bosnia.

The former Royal Welch Fusilier is appealing to the county council to move him from his bungalow near the range.

"I shudder whenever the exercises start," he said.

"It is just like being in Bosnia again when we were under fire all the time from the rebels, not knowing if we would survive the night's patrol."

Lee was only 19 when he served with the UN peace-keeping force in Bosnia.

He was discharged from the Army in 1993 after only three years but says he is still suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

He admits that when he applied to Pembrokeshire County Council for a house he asked for a rural location, but didn't expect to be placed next to a firing range.

The council says it has been assisting Mr Fry to find a home.

"Pembrokeshire County Council appreciates his predicament and, together with Pembrokeshire Care Society (PATH), Shelter, and PRISM (the Mid and West Wales Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service), we have been working with Mr Fry for the last three years," said a spokesman.

"We are pleased that Mr Fry has recently started to bid for available properties, and we anticipate that because he is in Gold Band, with additional homeless priority, that he will be re-housed in the near future."

Council housing and housing association properties in Pembrokeshire are allocated through the scheme ChoiceHomes@ Pembrokeshire.

The scheme replaced the old points' system and is designed to enable people looking for housing to search for a home of their choice.

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