Veterans awarded for artwork revealing trauma of war

A group of veterans have been awarded by the National Army Museum for their powerful artwork revealing the impact of war on their mental health.

The museum in London held an awards ceremony on Saturday in which it awarded four veterans cash prizes from £250 to £50 for their artwork created during their recovery from trauma.

• 1st prize (£250) was awarded to Stuart Phillips for PTSD FM
• 2nd prize (£150) to Martin Dunkin for Metamorphosis
• 3rd prize (£50) to Gary Bennett for Cloud Dispersal
• Director’s Choice award (£50) to Bob Anderson for My Road to Recovery

The artwork features in the museum’s new exhibition, organised by Combat Stress, called Reflections. It represents the trauma of war and inspires hope that the trauma can be overcome.

In total, there are 19 paintings and poetry from former servicemen who were deployed to conflicts including Northern Ireland, the Falklands War, Iraq and Afghanistan. All of them were treated by Combat Stress for depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

National Army Museum (NAM) Director General Justin Maciejewski and NAM Development Trust Trustee Michael Watson judged the paintings and poetry.

Janice Lobban, Senior Art Psychotherapist at Combat Stress, said: “We’re delighted that the National Army Museum is hosting the exhibition. We hope veterans will be inspired by it and be encouraged that life can be rebuilt despite the impact of trauma.”

The free exhibition is on until 30 October. It marks the first of what will become an annual event in a new partnership between Combat Stress and the National Army Museum. Find out more about the exhibition.