A former Royal Marines recruit is suing the Ministry of Defence for £236,000 after claiming he suffered permanent injury during a notorious Dartmoor training exercise.
Charlie Gould, now 29, collapsed from overheating during a five-hour loaded march, or “yomp,” on Exercise Hunter’s Moon in June 2020, just three months after joining the Marines. The multi-day drill, undertaken in week ten of basic training, involves several heavily laden marches combined with navigation and survival tasks.
Gould alleges he developed exertional heat stroke during the march and that delays in medical treatment left him with long-term injury, forcing him to abandon his military career. His lawyers argue that instructors failed to provide adequate training on heat-related risks and allowed him to continue despite clear signs of illness.
In High Court filings, his barrister Jonathan Dingle said the MoD “negligently exposed the claimant to a foreseeable risk of personal injury” by failing to act quickly when Gould collapsed and by leaving him to recover in a vehicle rather than transporting him to medical care located 30 minutes away. Blood tests the following day showed elevated creatine kinase levels, indicating muscle damage, and he spent five days in hospital.
Gould claims he has since suffered lasting effects of exertional heat injury, alongside anxiety and adjustment disorder.
The MoD is contesting the claim. In its defence, government lawyers insist the yomp formed part of essential, realistic commando training and argue that Gould was properly assessed, monitored and treated. They dispute that conditions were unusually hot, noting temperatures of around 14°C, and maintain that he experienced heat exhaustion, not heat stroke.
MoD lawyer Annie Brookes said the response to his collapse was “appropriate and in accordance with clinical and operational standards,” adding that Gould was moved to a cool recovery area and rehydrated on site.
The case is ongoing.
