I Was a Soldier: Survival Against the Odds: My Autobiography

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. This volume compiles recollections of her experiences in the military and of her tour of duty in war-torn Iraq. In the volume, the author 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.