An ex-serviceman is joining forces with a Holocaust survivor to raise awareness of the trauma of war in a major exhibition in the Westcountry.

John McDermott, of Countess Wear, Exeter, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following 28 years in the Royal Navy.

The 53-year-old artist, who produces battle-inspired artwork to help military charities like Combat Stress, hopes to raise awareness of the condition through the event in the city.

John said: "The things I have seen were life-changing — my experiences will stay with me forever. I was very unwell when I came out of the services and the support wasn't there.

"I felt extremely isolated and I went through hell. With PTSD, you think you are going to die three or four times a day — you have panic attacks and night terrors."

John is one of the few westerners to witness the aftermath of the killing fields in Cambodia as a UN military observer. He held his first major exhibition and auction of 17 paintings in the Falklands in 2007. The event was opened by Prince Edward and money raised went towards service charities.

John is putting together the exhibition, which will be held at Exeter Castle next month, with Raya Herzig, a child survivor of the German concentration camps who is now living in Exeter.

He said: "I still have days where I struggle — there is no magic cure for PTSD, but it has to be managed.

"But PTSD doesn't just affect ex-servicemen, it can happen to anyone who has suffered trauma. This is why we are doing this exhibition. The aim is to raise public awareness of the condition and to de-stigmatise it. A lot of people don't understand it.

"Through our paintings, we want to show the survival of human spirit. We hope people come along, and that the exhibition is memorable."

John has also set up a website for sufferers of PTSD, called www.aftermathptsd.co.uk, and he hopes it will be a portal for those seeking help with the condition.

"The website is a place where people can find out about PTSD and what help is available — we want to be a one-stop shop for the dedicated charities out there," he said.

The Aftermath exhibition takes place between Friday, June 25 and Sunday, July 4. Entry is free and a percentage of funds raised from the sale of the paintings will go to PTSD charities. For information, visit www.aftermathptsd.co.uk.