Founding Patron: Ash Alexander-Cooper

In a regular military career spanning 22 years, former operations specialist and Tommy Club Founding Patron Ash Alexander-Cooper OBE became one of the most experienced British Army Officers of his generation.

Former opterations specialist Ash Alexander-Cooper a Founding Patron of the Tommy Club

Having joined the Gurkhas in 1995, Ash went on to spend almost seven years deployed operationally in Northern Ireland, the Balkans, the Middle East and Central Asia. His love of the military, what it has to offer individuals and what it can teach wider society and future generations is clear to see.

This attitude is brilliantly reflected in the office of his Hampshire home - which coincidentally is situated on a former Gurkha barracks. The room displays an array of military memorabilia items, each of which holds a story and a deep history.

Included is a signed photo of George VI who visited the Gurkha base in 1949, a watercolour 1755 of Gurkhas (then Gorkhas) in Dehradun, India, a signed photo of Queen Elizabeth II who visited the same base in 1990, and a specially engraved lump of lapis lazuli given to him as a gift from his Afghan partners as a thank you for his four years of service in the country.

And such items have played a central role in Ash’s own military history.

The former Colonel’s familial connections to the military are deeply rooted – albeit not well known. Ash’s grandfather, Flt Lt EC ‘Eddie’ Preedy, was a navigator of Lancaster Bombers and a wide range of other aircraft during the Second World War. He signed up some time in the early 1940s before joining 617 Squadron - the legendary Dam Busters - after the ‘bouncing bomb’ mission, otherwise known as Operation Chastise.

Flt Lt EC 'Eddie' Preedy.

He didn’t really talk about it. It wasn’t until I was well into my military service, and he was dying with cancer that we actually started having quite detailed conversations about service, the military. and leadership.

Whilst not much of his grandfather’s military history is known to him, Ash nevertheless carried a piece of it with him during his own service years - Eddie’s original St Christopher pendant. The Patron Saint of travelling, St Christopher is a symbol of protection for service personnel and is often carried during active operations.

Even the most sceptical would be hard pressed to disagree with the sentiment. Having been shot twice, blown up, survived a helicopter crash and been in countless close calls which saw his friends and fellow service personnel lose their lives before his eyes, Ash and his penchant for keeping the item close at hand clearly had its merits.

"I attached it to my dog tags , and for all my dangerous operations I had it with me. If it kept him safe, then I thought it would for me as well."

“It did its job.” He added humbly.

Since leaving the military, Ash carved numerous new career paths for himself. He is now a public speaker, a leading advisor in leadership, resilience, and change management as well as a prominent campaigner of mental health support.

However, he fully recognises that, despite the horrors he experienced and the many close calls, he is fortunate compared to many of his fellow veterans who now face daily mental or physical health challenges following their service.

“It [his service experiences] obviously has impacted me and I am aware of the losses, but I am extremely lucky that it has not taken too much of a toll.”

“But I know that it could happen at any time. My understanding is that trauma is cumulative. Nobody knows what their trigger, or what their threshold, may be.”

“That’s why I’m now so passionate about helping others - because I’ve seen the challenges they face and whilst I’m okay now, who’s to say that I won’t also need support in the years to come?”

Ash in Afghanistan

It’s for this reason Ash leapt at the chance to become a Tommy Club Founding Patron when the project was established last year, having been involved in the Tommy since its inception for the anniversary of the end of the Second World War in 2018.

“There is an incredible cohort of people who have served over the past 20 years or so, who by and large may be fine now. But if we don’t plan now for the support that they might need, then we risk storing up challenges for the future.

“We need to maintain wellness, rather than treat illness - and one of the best ways to do that is through meaningful and rewarding employment.

“That’s what the Tommy Club and its thousands of champions can provide. It recognises the stories of the past, and has them serve as inspiration when supporting the veterans of today and for generations to come.”