SEVENTEEN

From: HER MAJESTY'S ARMED SERVICES
To: MRS SIOBHAN CLEARY
Date: 16 June 1971

Dear Mrs Cleary,

We regret to inform you that your son, Private Francis Cleary, has suffered a nervous breakdown while seconded for active duty with the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce inside the United Kingdom.

Private Cleary is a good soldier but has been under a great deal of stress in recent months and collapsed in his barracks earlier this month. He has been hospitalized for his nervous exhaustion, but psychiatric experts who have studied his case believe he needs further treatment before a decision can be made about his future with the Armed Services.

Private Cleary has thus been transferred to a specialist psychiatric facility for this further treatment. Unfortunately, due to the sensitive nature of his work, we are unable to give you details of his location with UNIT. However, we would like to take this opportunity to assure you that he is getting the best treatment available and we hope he will soon be able to receive visits from yourself and other members of his family.

We hope this telegram has not come as too much of a shock to you. We also urge you not to divulge the contents of this telegram to anyone else, for reasons of national and - indeed - global security.