CAPTAIN Noel Chavasse is one of only three men to be awarded the Victoria Cross twice.

His attempts to save as many lives as possible during the First World War saw him brave hails of bullets and bombs as he rushed across no-man’s-land.

He got as close as 25 yards to the German line, single-handedly rescuing and treating dozens of men before dying in 1917 of wounds he had refused to have treated.

A hard legacy to live up to.

But staff at Chavasse VC House, in Colchester, are determined to honour his name as the 100th anniversary of the brave soldier’s death approaches.

The centre has helped wounded, injured and sick veterans in their recovery since 2012.

In that time the nature of the service has changed, with ex-servicemen guided through their psychological trauma as much as their physical injuries.

For Darren Gethin, a former Royal Engineers reservist, the centre is a lifeline.

He lives in Cradley Heath, near Dudley, but often visits Chavasse House to receive support.

He suffered spinal injuries as a result of constant heavy lifting during his service, and was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Street Disorder in 2006.

“I first came here a year and a half ago,” he said.

“I have worked for the past four years with Help for Heroes as a local coordinator before I realised I had issues with myself.

“Chavasse House made me feel welcome, it was the first time I realised there is a place you can come and won’t drown or feel left alone.

“I had asked for help, but didn’t know how to come about it.

“This place has done a world of good for me.

“I have taken part in the Walking with Wounded group, which is funded by Help for Heroes.

“I work on a radio station, Veteran’s Radio Net, and we are trying to push these charities like Help for Heroes.

“Thanks to them I was able to tick something off my bucket list – going to Silverstone last weekend.

“It gave me goosebumps to be able to watch the race.”

Darren, 48, struggles to cope with large crowds and unfamiliar places, recalling missiles thrown at him during his time in Bosnia.

“I have some fond memories and some bad memories of my service,” he said.

“On the one hand it was a once in a life time experience.

“On the other hand it was bad in that it changed my life for the worse.

“I may look okay on the outside, but inside I am crying. I had to admit it to myself.”

Staff insist many veterans do not realise recovery centres such as Chavasse House exist, or that they treat ex-serviceman no matter the injury or disability.

Andy Bracey, from Southend, served with 100 Regiment Royal Artillery, and suffered his injury while on leave.

He was involved in a hit and run motorcycle collision in Maldon and later lost the use of his lower legs.

He also suffers with PTSD as a result of the crash and as a result of what he witnessed while on operations.

Andy, 42, served in Northern Ireland in 1991, Iraq in 2003 and Afghanistan in 2005.

He competed in the 2016 Invictus Games in the wheelchair basketball, earning two silver and two bronze medals.

“For a squaddie to admit he has a problem and he needs help, it is difficult,” he said.

“It has taken me a while to admit I have a problem – after I competed in my first Invictus Games I swallowed my pride and said I need help.

“Physically I have managed to keep myself pretty fit, but with my PTSD I have struggled.

“I was away with Race to Recovery, with the rally cars and crowds I just had a complete meltdown.

“Things were just going wrong, there were lots of people and being in an unfamiliar place did not help.

“I have really suffered with it for about three years.

“After the Invictus Games, my wife noticed and told me to get help - she did not ask, she told me.

“I had heard of Chavasse VC House through the Invictus Games.”

He added: “I believe my PTSD comes mostly from my accident and what I saw while on operations in the army.

“It is always there in the back of my mind, sometimes it jumps forward.

“I would basically deal with it by locking it away.

“I don’t get much sleep – my wife calls me a robot.

“I will often get about four hours a night.

“It doesn’t have to be that way, it is hard but if you need help you can get it here, I would urge people to come and visit.”

Andy has just started visiting the centre and is training hard ahead of competing at this year’s Invictus Games in Toronto.

He hopes to reach the heights of the 2018 Paralympic games in Tokyo.

Steve Schollar, head of recovery, said the focus for Chavasse VC House is reaching as many veterans as possible to let them know the centre exists and is there to help.

The centre helps veterans recover through therapy and a wide range of activities, which present a chance to receive support and mix with other ex-servicemen and women going through similar hardships.

Activities are wide-ranging and involve trips away, including kayaking, cookery, wood turning, music workshops, arts and crafts, skiing and snowboarding, canoeing, yoga and a rifle club.

He said: “Help for Heroes has long been about raising money to support people’s recovery.

“In doing that we have also encouraged people to give more money to other charities.

“It is very important that we feel proud of what we have achieved and honour the legacy of Noel Chavasse.

“We are here to help our heroes, and we view them all as heroes.

“Whether they have been on operations or not they have signed up to do a very dangerous job.

“Our support in Colchester has always been very good.”