Prince Harry arrived at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire yesterday on an RAF TriStar jet as his tour to Afghanistan ended after just 10 weeks.
Harry was angry after completing just two and a half months of a four month tour to Helmand Province after an American website - the Drudge Report - revealed the secret that he has been serving in Afghanistan.
A deal was done in Britain between the media, the MoD and the Royal Family to keep his stint in Afghanistan a secret so as not to make Prince Harry, and also the soldiers serving with him, a potential target by the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
But the Americans are still confused as to whose side they are on. If they aren't shooting at British soldiers in Afghanistan they are instead making them potential targets by the Taliban.
But Harry has done himself, and his country, proud and having Royals prepared to lay their life on the line for the country is one of the reasons why support for the Monarchy rarely dips below 75% in Britain.
Prince's flight home with the 'real heroes' who were blown up by landmine
2nd March 2008
Daily Mail
The dream's over: Harry looks glum and holds his head in his hands as he waits for his flight from Afghanistan
Harry was forced to confront the grim reality of war yesterday – on the plane carrying him home.
With him on board the TriStar jet were two soldiers blown up by a landmine – one fighting for his life, the other seriously injured.
"I was a bit shocked," said the Prince, adding that it left him feeling choked.
Impact: Harry looked sombre as he arrived at RAF Brize Norton yesterday
Harry loads the car up with the help of William and his father on his arrival back in the UK
Although he had spent ten weeks fighting in Helmand province, frequently exposed to danger, it was the first time he had witnessed serious frontline casualties at close hand.
"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," he said.
"Those are the heroes, those were guys who had been blown up by a mine that they had no idea about, serving their country, doing a normal patrol."
He added: "It is a bit of a choke in your throat because you know that it's happening.
"There's a lot of time when you are actually in theatre [in the war zone] it isn't even mentioned that much."
At war: Silhouetted against the evening sky, Harry (right) checked the machine guy on his personnel carrier
The unnamed soldiers from 40 Commando were wounded when one stepped on a landmine in Kajaki, Helmand, on Thursday.
Although Harry and 170 other troops flew in to RAF Brize Norton, the aircraft first touched down at Birmingham Airport, so the injured could be rushed to Selly Oak hospital.
Ministry of Defence officials insisted it was a necessary drop-off and was not an attempt to avoid the TV cameras gathered at Brize Norton by defence chiefs keen to capitalise on the favourable public reaction to the young Royal's frontline deployment.
dailymail.co.uk
Harry was angry after completing just two and a half months of a four month tour to Helmand Province after an American website - the Drudge Report - revealed the secret that he has been serving in Afghanistan.
A deal was done in Britain between the media, the MoD and the Royal Family to keep his stint in Afghanistan a secret so as not to make Prince Harry, and also the soldiers serving with him, a potential target by the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
But the Americans are still confused as to whose side they are on. If they aren't shooting at British soldiers in Afghanistan they are instead making them potential targets by the Taliban.
But Harry has done himself, and his country, proud and having Royals prepared to lay their life on the line for the country is one of the reasons why support for the Monarchy rarely dips below 75% in Britain.
Prince's flight home with the 'real heroes' who were blown up by landmine
2nd March 2008
Daily Mail
The dream's over: Harry looks glum and holds his head in his hands as he waits for his flight from Afghanistan
Harry was forced to confront the grim reality of war yesterday – on the plane carrying him home.
With him on board the TriStar jet were two soldiers blown up by a landmine – one fighting for his life, the other seriously injured.
"I was a bit shocked," said the Prince, adding that it left him feeling choked.
Impact: Harry looked sombre as he arrived at RAF Brize Norton yesterday
Harry loads the car up with the help of William and his father on his arrival back in the UK
Although he had spent ten weeks fighting in Helmand province, frequently exposed to danger, it was the first time he had witnessed serious frontline casualties at close hand.
"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," he said.
"Those are the heroes, those were guys who had been blown up by a mine that they had no idea about, serving their country, doing a normal patrol."
He added: "It is a bit of a choke in your throat because you know that it's happening.
"There's a lot of time when you are actually in theatre [in the war zone] it isn't even mentioned that much."
At war: Silhouetted against the evening sky, Harry (right) checked the machine guy on his personnel carrier
The unnamed soldiers from 40 Commando were wounded when one stepped on a landmine in Kajaki, Helmand, on Thursday.
Although Harry and 170 other troops flew in to RAF Brize Norton, the aircraft first touched down at Birmingham Airport, so the injured could be rushed to Selly Oak hospital.
Ministry of Defence officials insisted it was a necessary drop-off and was not an attempt to avoid the TV cameras gathered at Brize Norton by defence chiefs keen to capitalise on the favourable public reaction to the young Royal's frontline deployment.
dailymail.co.uk
