The tragic death of 19-year-old Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck has brought renewed attention to allegations of a toxic and misogynistic culture within the British Army. Beck was found dead in her barracks at Larkhill Camp, Wiltshire, on December 15, 2021, following a barracks party. Her inquest revealed disturbing claims of relentless harassment, inappropriate advances, and an environment where female soldiers faced constant objectification and abuse.
Former soldier Tamzin Hort, who has since left the Army, testified about her own experiences, describing an institution where women were frequently subjected to unwanted attention and degrading treatment.
Hort recounted how, as the only woman in her battery, she was regularly targeted by male colleagues, particularly when they had been drinking.
"I was with my partner for three years, but that didn’t stop the attention. If I refused advances, I was branded with sexist slurs," she said.
Women in the Army, she said, were often belittled with degrading names, leading to long-term emotional distress. She shared how, after gaining weight due to personal struggles, she was subjected to daily insults by her training instructor.
"I would go to work every morning and get called fat. My instructor would say, ‘Look at you, you’re fat, are you pregnant?’ You just sit there humiliated. If you’re told something enough times, it gets to you—it makes you feel very low," she explained.
The harassment went beyond verbal abuse. Hort revealed that she started locking her bedroom door at night, fearing that male colleagues knocking late at night might try to enter. She recounted a particularly terrifying incident when, at age 17, she returned to her room to find a sergeant standing outside her door holding a condom.
"You can imagine how scared I was," she said. "This happens to every female, not just in 47 Regiment."
Despite these alarming incidents, she never officially reported them. A previous attempt to seek therapy through Army welfare services had resulted in others finding out, making her feel even more vulnerable.
The inquest revealed that Gunner Beck had also endured persistent harassment from her male colleagues. A superior officer, Bombardier Ryan Mason, had sent her over 4,600 messages in the two months leading up to her death, professing his feelings despite her repeated requests for him to stop.
Beck confided in a WhatsApp message that she felt "genuinely trapped" by Mason’s behavior, describing the immense toll it had taken on her mental health.
"I’m trying to be there for you as a friend, but it completely crossed the line a long time ago. I feel so uncomfortable," she wrote.
Mason, when questioned in court, claimed he "couldn’t remember" if Beck had asked him to back off.
The inquest also heard how Beck was subjected to sexual advances by a sergeant at a work social. After making a formal complaint, she became reluctant to report further incidents, fearing it would harm her reputation.
"She didn’t want to be seen as a serial accuser," her friend Lance Bombardier Jones told the court. "She worried that, as the only female in her unit, people would assume she was just making her way around everyone."
"I haven’t done anything wrong, I know that, but it looks bad on me. I’m so pissed off with this situation now. It would be so different if I was a lad."
An Army service inquiry report released in October 2023 outlined multiple factors that may have contributed to Beck’s death. In addition to the relentless harassment she faced, the report cited:
The strain of a sexual relationship with a married colleague in the weeks before her death.
A recently ended relationship in which there were repeated allegations of unfaithfulness.
An unhealthy approach to alcohol, including episodes of binge drinking.
The findings have intensified scrutiny over the Army’s handling of harassment and the treatment of female personnel. Calls for systemic change have grown louder, with advocates demanding stricter measures to protect women in the armed forces.
Despite multiple testimonies highlighting the mistreatment of female soldiers, the Army has yet to implement widespread reforms. Many servicewomen, past and present, argue that misogyny and harassment remain deeply ingrained within military culture.
For former soldier Tamzin Hort, speaking out about these issues is about more than just seeking justice for herself—it’s about ensuring that future generations of women in the Army do not have to endure the same suffering.
As the inquest into Beck’s death continues, her story serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for change within the military.
