Death of a Soldier: A Mother’s Story

On 12 May 2009 Lieutenant Mark Evison of 1st Battalion Welsh Guards died after being shot in the shoulder while leading a patrol in Helmand Province. Mark was hailed a hero and one of the best of his generation of young officers, now his grave is one of the many in identical ordered rows in a military cemetery. In Death of a Soldier, Mark's mother Margaret writes about her experience, from the moment she heard that Mark was injured, his death and the terrible sense of loss that followed, to finally arriving at some understanding and acceptance of his death. She tells us about Mark and includes his diary from Afghanistan, with its powerful account of the platoon's time there. She describes her growing awareness of the sacrifices we expect of our young soldiers and their families, and also the attitude of the establishment.