The military failed my son, says mom of soldier discovered useless days after participating in Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral
The mother of an 18-year-old soldier who died in his barracks nine days after taking part in Queen Elizabeth II‘s funeral said the army failed her son.
Trooper Jack Burnell-Williams, from the Household Cavalry, was found hanged in Hyde Park Barracks in London on September 28, 2022. An inquest found that he had not actually intended to kill himself but was ‘plainly under stress’ at work.
His grieving mother Laura Williams, 47, has now said that the Army should have been aware of the ‘obvious failings’ and acted sooner.
‘Jack had a smile that would light up any room,’ she told the BBC, and his ‘cheeky, mischievous and loving’ demeanor ‘made any place a brighter place’.
He had wanted to join the army since he was a child, when he ‘dressed up in camouflage outfits’ and would be out ‘playing in the mud’, his sister Elisha Williams, 28, recalled.
But Mr Burnell-Williams’ ‘cheeky smile faded’ after he joined the Army, Mrs Williams previously said in a statement heard by the inquest.
He joined the Household Cavalry after completing training at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate and then joining the regiment’s own training wing in Windsor.
The Household Cavalry is made up of the two most senior regiments in the British Army – the Household Cavalry Regiment and the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
Trooper Jack Burnell-Williams, 18, (pictured) from the Household Cavalry, was found hanged in Hyde Park Barracks in London on September 28, 2022
Mr Burnell-Williams’ with his mother Laura Williams and his father Daniel Brunell. Mrs Williams said the Army should have been aware of ‘obvious failings’ and acted sooner
Mr Burnell-Williams joined the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, known as the Blues & Royals at Hyde Park Barracks.
They perform ceremonial mounted duties like attending Trooping the Colour, the State Opening of Parliament, jubilee parades and visits by foreign heads of state.
It seemed the formality of the regiment was at odds with what he wanted from the Army. Mrs Williams said: ‘He loved being in the camo stuff, but the twos, he didn’t like at all: the shoes, the tie, he didn’t like that.’
At the inquest, it was heard that the teenager was ‘plainly under stress’ because of the ‘frankly ridiculous hours that members of his troop were expected to work,’ assistant coroner Bernard Richmond KC said.
His mother did not hear from Jack much during his time at the Household Cavalry and when they did ‘he looked absolutely terrible,’ because he had been ‘just kept going and going and going’ on what she called ‘stupid’ back-to-back shifts.
The Queen’s funeral meant that the regiment had to be even busier than usual, Mrs Williams said, describing it as ‘non-stop’.
The coroner said that Mr Burnell-Williams’ death was a misadventure rather than suicide and said his actions were ‘at worst a cry for help and more likely, in my view, an expression of frustration and despair.’
Mr Burnell-Williams had wanted to be in the army since he was a child
The coroner concluded that Mr Burnell-Williams had not wanted to kill himself, saying it was a misadventure rather than a suicide
Mr Burnell-Williams’s actions were ‘at worst a cry for help and more likely, in my view, an expression of frustration and despair,’ the coroner said
Brig Rupert Evetts, commander of the Household Cavalry, apologised after the hearing and said changes had been made. He said: ‘We failed Jack, and we failed you. For that, we are profoundly sorry.’
He added: ‘Jack was just 18 years old, a soldier with tremendous potential and enthusiasm, who showed a real passion for serving his country.
‘There are no words that can adequately express how truly sorry we are for your loss. The Army fully accepts the coroner’s conclusion and the failures identified in the service inquiry report.’
Mrs Williams was pleased by the inquests outcome but was not satisfied that the changes made would prevent future deaths or that they had not been tackled years ago.
His sister Elisha was also relieved that they had accepted wrongdoing but expressed the sad truth that ‘we’re not going to have our Jack back in our lives.’
Brig Evetts has said that his soldiers’ workloads have now been reduced and time on shift properly managed, with reduced guard duty and kit needing to be cleaned less often.
Civilian kit cleaners had been hired to help with the load and there are plans for horse groomers also to be brought in. More than £20million has been invested in the Hyde Park Barracks for improvements to conditions and soldier accommodation.
Mrs Williams also called for the age at which soldiers can join the Household Cavalry to be increased. She was not confident her call to action would be recieved however, saying that the regiment is ‘too stuck in their ways’.
Louise Sandher-Jones, minister for veterans and people, said the army had accepted its failings and that 26 of the 36 recommendations have been implemented, remarking that these changes would be part of Mr Burnell-Williams’ legacy.
