I was fighting desperately against a continuing injustice

Major John Perry

Former Royal Artillery Major John Perry spent four years struggling to convince the Ministry of Defence (MoD) that disability pensions awarded to wounded soldiers and their widows should have been tax-free.

Major Perry, 70, told BBC News Online how he was determined to uncover the truth, despite initially being told that he was wrong.

Finally he was told he was owed �58,000 from the Inland Revenue - more than 25 years after leaving the army.

"I feel very, very proud of myself," he said.

Throughout his campaign, he said "tenacity" was his watchword.

Decision deadline

After losing three appeals, the determined grandfather wrote to a lieutenant commander, who in turn took the issue up with Army pension bosses.

Major John Perry: "I felt vindicated"

Finally Major Perry, of Bushey, Hertfordshire, gave the MoD a deadline of the 15 September 1998 - the 49th anniversary of his joining the army - warning that if he had not heard anything by then he would go to the media.

And on the evening of the 14th he had a letter saying he was owed tax back on his pension.

"I felt vindicated and that's not a sum to be sneezed at," he said.

But he did not rest on his laurels, convinced that his fight was not over yet.

"I was fighting desperately against a continuing injustice," he added.

Thanks to his efforts he believes that about 300 people have already received pension payouts.

Economic hardship

"They didn't know who I was though so I didn't receive a word of thanks, although they would have got not less than �30,000 dropping on their doormats," he said.

Major Perry, who joined the army after Sandhurst, served as far afield as Korea and Cyprus and eventually became a Royal Marines commando during his 23-year forces career.

He was invalided out on psychiatric grounds in 1971.

I am still bitter to find that when a pensioner dies the MoD has the habit of dropping the records in the bin

Major Perry

The father-of-two said he was fortunate enough to go straight into a job as a public school bursar.

But he realises that many veterans and their families suffered financial hardship on their return home.

Widows untraced

On Wednesday the MoD said that it had examined the files of more than 23,000 former soldiers and in 1,003 cases pensions had been underpaid.

But Major Perry is certain that more widows are unaware that they could make a claim.

"I am still bitter to find that when a pensioner dies the MoD has the habit of dropping the records in the bin," he said.

"Therefore it cannot identify the widows."

And he believes that it will only be Wednesday's publicity that will prompt people into realising that they are due tax refunds.

"Someone will say Aunt Ethel had a husband with one leg who died in 1968 so she must be due money.

Inquiry call

"Many of those former servicemen who were disabled found it difficult to get a job.

"But money due to their estate is lying unclaimed."

Major Perry, who has been married to his wife Anne for 46 years, is now calling for a Parliamentary inquiry into the mistake.

Under the 1952 Income and Corporation Taxes Act pensions were made tax free if they were granted on account of medical unfitness "attributable" to naval, military or air force service.

But civil servants managing Army pensions failed to take this into account and continued to deduct tax from payments to injured veterans from most of the major conflicts since World War II.