THE military provides serving members with a brotherhood and new family. Clocking out of the military and into civvy street can be one of the most daunting things for a soldier or sailor. Suddenly your brothers and the banter are no more. Some struggle with the transition and there are various charities that offer lifelong support to service personnel and military veterans. Others take the skills and discipline they learnt while serving and make a success of their lives. This is the story of one such individual, Louis Tinsley, a former Special Boat Service soldier and co-founder of the successful technical clothing range, ThruDark. Louis drives a late old-style Defender 90 pick-up and it serves as his daily. This is what Louis had to say about soldiering, Land Rovers and life after the military when I caught up with him recently.
Who is Louis Tinsley?
I am a former Special Forces – in the Special Boat Service – operative. I left the military five years ago to start a clothing company, so I basically went from door kicking to fabric pulling. I grew up in the Lake District. Mum and Dad separated when I was