Beyond the personal journey, the book also offers a fascinating insight into the world of military aviation. Liz summarised her experiences with mental health and shared her tips for those who are suffering, and those who know someone else who is suffering. Still to this day I really struggle to see a Union Jack flag without getting overwhelmed with memories. I actually woke up two days later in Basingstoke Intensive Care on an intubation machine and had been taken in by an ambulance crew.

calibre ammo at 100 rounds per minute, and one of two “mini-guns” – innocuously named but deadly, firing 50 rounds a second – protruding from the side of the helicopter. In her astounding career Liz McConaghy completed two deployments to Iraq followed by ten deployments to Helmand province in Afghanistan in support of the enduring Operation Herrick campaign. So, there I was, being encouraged by the teachers to fill in new cast RAF forms and they said, ‘you’ll never make anything of your life if you don’t go to university and get a degree. On her busiest day of operations in 2008, she and her crew flew 14 separate sorties – including one where five British soldiers had been killed at a forward operating base.

My career included two deployments to Iraq and an impressive ten to Helmand, Afghanistan, where I gained a personal and insightful perspective on the harsh realities of war. She helped me unravel why I was feeling the way I was, and was brilliant at aiding me to find and understand myself again.

My ex threw my No1’s and No5’s in a skip when we separated so I’m just relieved that these were in a shoebox and I still have them. I was expecting yet another mediocre aircrew memoir with a few humorous stories, acronyms, and inflated tales of daring deeds. My story takes you from dodging bullets to saving lives, exploring the harsh realities of war, and delving into the challenges of reintegrating into civilian life after leaving the military.But just like anything in your body, the bone you break or whatever, with the right time and methods you can heal, and you can move on and recover. This information and any feedback I provide may be used to inform product decisions and to notify me about product updates. Repeatedly witnessing horrific events, Liz’s mental health began to deteriorate and culminated in an attempt to take her own life in 2020. Long runs were cathartic for me, and it cleared my brain, but at the start of lockdown we couldn’t travel more than five miles and that was detrimental to my mental health.