Jamaican-born Necola Hall served in the British Army for more than nine years, and is a veteran of the Second Gulf War.
After being turned down by the Army on two occasions, her dogged tenacity and will to succeed eventually led to her acceptance into the Adjutant General Corps. The recollections of her experiences in the military and of her tour of duty in war-torn Iraq make for an inspiring read.
Originally from St Thomas in Jamaica, she emigrated to the United Kingdom in 2002, aged 25, in search of better opportunities and prospects. She tells of the sacrifice of leaving her new husband behind; the emotions of separation, and her joy of being reunited with him in the UK.
Necola reflects on the challenges she faced growing up in Jamaica. Her family’s impoverished circumstances meant school attendance was inconsistent, and this was to negatively impact her in adulthood. Despite her setbacks, she always possessed an unflinching determination to succeed in all her endeavours.
Her early experiences and the unrelenting challenges of military life would take their toll, however. A miscarriage, illness, depression and being diagnosed as severely dyslexic all led to her self-confidence in tatters and her career in the Army under threat.
I Was a Soldier is the story of one woman’s life-changing journey from poverty in Jamaica to triumph over illness, and to the service of Queen and country.
Necola Hall was medically discharged from the British Army in 2013, and is married with three children. She is also a born-again Christian.
Get more information about Necola’s book.
[…] is not true at all. Women are 2.5% more likely to have PTSD than men, and although some of them are soldiers or veterans as well, the majority of those women are living with or have experienced some type of […]