Prince Harry hails real heroes of Afghanistan

[Snowden]

Prince Harry hails real heroes of Afghanistan


Last Updated: 12:01am GMT 02/03/2008


The lack of a smile said it all. Head bowed and still dressed in dusty desert combat clothing, the young Prince cut a forlorn*figure as he descended the steps of the aircraft after landing at RAF Brize Norton late yesterday morning.

While many of the other 170 servicemen and women might have cheered as the RAF Tristar touched down, Cornet Wales - who craved the anonymity that came with serving in Afghanistan - was left to ponder what might have been.

Watch: Prince Harry is "humbled" by the bravery of British soldiers

Just 48 hours earlier Prince Harry was having the "happiest time of his life" serving as an Army officer on operations close to the former Taliban stronghold of Musa Qala.


During his 10 weeks in Helmand, where 7,800 British troops are based, the 23-year-old Prince had called in air strikes and taken part in combat missions against the Taliban while serving on the front line.


But Prince Harry, who was met on his return by the Prince of Wales and his brother, Prince William, could barely hide his disappointment at having to leave his fellow soldiers behind.

He insisted he was no hero when he spoke minutes after stepping off the plane, and said he felt "humbled" by the bravery of the men with whom he had served.

In a sombre interview, the Prince then disclosed that he had travelled back with two seriously injured servicemen who had been wounded in a mine blast.

"There were two injured guys who came back on the plane with us who were essentially comatose the whole way," he said. "One had lost two limbs - a left arm and a right leg - and another guy who was saved by his mate's body being in the way but took shrapnel to the neck. Both out cold throughout the flight."

The injured men in the RAF Tristar were members of the Royal Marines 40 Commando. Both were wounded on Thursday in the Kajaki area of northern Helmand. One marine stepped on a mine, which blew off his arm and leg, and the other was hit by shrapnel in the same blast.

"Those are the heroes," Harry said. "Guys who had been blown up by a mine that they had no idea about, serving their country, doing a normal patrol. I was a bit shocked.


"It is a bit of a choke in your throat because you know that it's happening. A lot of time when you are actually in theatre it isn't even mentioned that much."

On fighting the Taliban, he said: "You do what you have to do, what's necessary to save your own guys. If you need to drop a bomb, worst-case scenario, then you will, but that's just the way it is. It's not nice to drop bombs. But to save lives, that's what happens."

Prince Harry said he had achieved what he set out to do and that was to lead men in battle. "As far as I'm concerned, it was mission successful because the main crux of it was to lead a troop," he said.

Describing his feelings at seeing his tour cut short because of unexpected publicity, he said: "I didn't see it coming, it's a shame. Angry would be the wrong word to use but I am slightly disappointed. I thought I could see it through to the end and come back with our guys and the colonel himself.


Duty done: Prince Harry posing with his battle group in Helmand

"But I'm back here now and I suppose deep down inside it's quite nice. I'm looking forward to having a bath. But I would like to have stayed back with the guys."

Harry's immediate future in the Army is unclear. He will be allowed to go on leave for about three weeks before returning to his unit to continue his regimental duties. General Sir Richard Dannatt, the Chief of the General Staff, has said it is unlikely that the young officer will return to a war zone for another 12 to 18 months.

Gen Dannatt, who described the Prince as a "red-blooded young man" and an "enthusiastic" officer, accepted that he would be disappointed at having to return.

The general added that after his leave, Prince Harry would return to his unit, the Blues and Royals, and continue developing his career as a young officer. A request to return to Helmand with his regiment later this year has already been turned down.

Gen Dannatt added that the Prince would be promoted from cornet to lieutenant on April 12. It has emerged that he came third out of a class of 18 students when he was training to become a forward air *controller.

Prince Charles, who described his son's homecoming as an "immense blessing", acknowledged his son's disappointment at his premature return. He went on: "I feel particular frustration that he was removed unexpectedly early, because he had been looking forward to coming back with the rest of his regiment. It's obviously a great relief as far as I'm concerned to see him home in one piece.


"We don't often appreciate what the people in the Armed Forces are doing, putting up with impossible conditions, being shot at or rocketed at and goodness knows what.

"The fact they do this with incredible humour and dedication is extraordinary. With Harry's own plane coming back just now, they had to stop and drop off three badly wounded people who had been blown up by mines. It brings home just how hazardous it is - and also people who are being wounded and injured all the time whom we don't hear about." Prince Harry has revealed that his brother is eager to follow in his footsteps. Prince William is learning to fly with the RAF. If he completes a fast-track four-month pilot's course he will trained on the Squirrel helicopter.

Prince Harry added: "He'd love to [serve in Afghanistan]. Whether it's on the ground or 15,000ft up, bombs strapped to the wings, I'm not entirely sure what the plans are. But I know he would love to come out here."

Claiming that his brother was "jealous" of his deployment to Helmand, the Prince Harry added: "I've had chats to him and he loves to know what's going on out here."

Prince William - who helped his brother load his bags into a car at Brize Norton before heading off for a family reunion at Prince Charles's Highgrove home - will also spend several months serving on a warship with the Royal Navy. He could take part in operations such as anti-narcotics patrols.




http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2008/03/02/noindex/nharry102.xml&CMP=EMC-expat2008

[Woodmonkey]

I'm beginning to think that he really does want to be a real military man. I'm impressed.

[Anth]

And this is why him and his brother better get into that throne ASAP rather than his grandmother or dad.

[Snowden]

Yes; it's really time for the youngsters who understand and can cope with the world as it is to take charge. Both these young men seem to know what's happening in the world and perhaps they will have the strength to cope with it properly.

Prince William would be better as king, I believe, than would his father. And the queen is great in and with the ceremonies of royalty, but she has never tried to rule, or so it appears from here. It's what I hear.