GORDON Brown last night stood accused of being responsible for the deaths of up to 60 servicemen and women killed in Iraq and Afghanistan because they had “crap equipment”.

Author Frederick Forsyth, chairman of a Tory military commission, claimed that as Chancellor of the Exchequer Mr Brown “refused and refused and refused” to find enough money to equip Britain's troops properly.

Falkands veteran Simon Weston said a quarter of a century ago the armed forces went into combat knowing their kit would work, but today they could not be sure.

Westcountry forces have repeatedly seen fatalities later linked to a lack of funds or poor equipment, sparking demands from grieving families and coroners for extra funding.

In an outspoken attack, Mr Forsyth laid the blame at Mr Brown's door: “What has angered me is to see fine young men and women coming home in boxes draped in a flag who should never have died at all, but died because they were required to go in the line of fire with crap equipment.”

He said it was known much of the equipment was “obsolete”, including inappropriate planes or Land Rovers.

“They need not have died. If you add them all together you are looking at 50-60 men. That angers me because we have the money in this country,” he added.

“We have seen 10 years of the most unbelievable frittering away of billions on schemes that never work by a Chancellor who repeatedly refused and refused and refused to recognise, with two vicious wars going on, we needed extra funds.

“He provided the funds for his personal favoured projects, but they didn't include the armed forces.

“There is a responsibility here, there is a blame here and there ought to be a guilt here, which they don't feel.”

Mr Forsyth was speaking at the launch of his commission's interim report into restoring the military covenant, which the Conservatives claim has been broken.

It warned the covenant between government, society and the armed forces was “under serious and unprecedented strain”, because of complaints over issues ranging from accommodation, healthcare and leave to military overstretch.

The commission – whose recommendations, due in September, will not be binding on Tory leader David Cameron – proposed the military covenant should be set down in writing in the doctrine of the Army, Royal Navy and RAF, providing a clear indication of what personnel can expect in return for their service.

Mr Forsyth said the treatment of servicemen and women was “inadequate” in virtually every respect, but added that the issue of kit was paramount, as it made the difference between life and death.

The quality of equipment was also criticised by Mr Weston, who suffered severe burns during the Falkands conflict 26 years ago. He said that during his service in the late 1970s and early 1980s, equipment was “the best they could be when we had them – it wasn't debatable”. Now troops have been “misled all the time when they say it is fine”.

The commission has been asked to work out how to pay for their recommendations, many of which could cost large sums to implement.

However, Mr Forsyth suggested much of the cash could be found by cutting waste at the Ministry of Defence.

A four-yearly defence review should be conducted by the MoD to ensure the tasks the military are given are matched by the resources available, he said.

Armed forces minister Bob Ainsworth said the Government was already working to “improve the help we give to our people, their families and veterans”.