British Defense Chief: Harry May Deploy Again
Related: Prince William To Fight Too
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s Prince Harry returned from his frontline stint in Afghanistan in somber mood after flying home opposite two severely injured soldiers.
“Those were the heroes, those who were guys who had been blown up by a mine they had no idea about,” the 23-year-old prince said after his own deployment was cut short when a media news blackout was broken.
Harry, looking tired and strained after he touched down on Saturday at a Royal Air Force base in central England, had sat opposite two wounded soldiers “who were essentially comatose throughout the flight”.
“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,” Harry said in a pooled despatch for reporters.
In reflective mood, the prince confessed: “I was a bit shocked …it is a bit of a choke in your throat.”
Queen Elizabeth’s grandson, third in line to the throne, was pulled out from the frontline because defense officials feared worldwide coverage of his deployment with the British army could endanger him and his fellow soldiers.
The British media had maintained a voluntary blackout on Harry’s Afghan deployment but that collapsed after Web sites in Australia, Germany and the United States leaked the news.
Harry, who in the past has clashed with paparazzi pursuing him outside London nightclubs, said: “Thanks to all the British media for keeping their mouths shut.”
On his role fighting the Taliban, the prince 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 then that’s just the way it is.
“It’s not nice to drop bombs … but to save lives that’s what happens.”
Harry, bitterly disappointed last year when his deployment to Iraq was cancelled at the last moment amid security fears, said he was extremely keen to return to the frontline in Afghanistan.
“Yeah, I would love to go back out … I want to go out very, very soon,” he said.
“The immediate prospect of Prince Harry going anywhere else is some way off in the future,” Defense Chief Richard Dannatt said.
“It actually is hypothetical for the next 12 to 18 months whether he would or wouldn’t deploy again,” he added.
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I don’t know … I got a feeling this young man’s getting to finally know his own humanity, and the humanity of the “common” people … and realizing they aren’t all that different.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember’d;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.
(From Shakespeare’s Henry V, 1598)
March 1st, 2008 at 5:04 pmA royal with a real set of “Crown Jewels”. Careful, he’s probably reading Churchill during his down time. Hats of to Harry for going over with his mates.
March 1st, 2008 at 5:21 pmI like this guy more each time I read about him - England is lucky to have someone with his potential in line for the throne.
March 1st, 2008 at 5:57 pmNickD;
Granny, 
Charles, and 
William to the Tower to be dealt with, first. 
March 1st, 2008 at 6:09 pmHe’ll have to send
He should pull rank on his superiors and tell them “Sir, I WILL be ordered to redeploy and that’s a Royal order!”
But seriously, I’ve never been to give a shit about subjects popular amongst the Anglophiles, but in my book Harry has earned the Respect that brings about an interest in the Royal History! There have been some great military members in their family tree, but I couldn’t name them off the top of my head… This young Man has found a place in my long term memory though!
You suppose that has a lot to do with the 2 boys mother coming from the common citizens? the other one went to Africa as a humanitarian didn’t he?
March 1st, 2008 at 6:55 pmI was just forming a post relative to what you just said … Yes, William did go to Africa.
I think their Mum tried hard to remind them they were British citizens (PEOPLE) first … and then Royals. She kept them grounded. And IF she was to be taken from them it was good it wasn’t when they were both younger. Her influence was incredibly important. I believe she spent MORE quality time with her sons than most women of royalty do (nannies, governesses and such) … And while they love their Queen Grandmother and understand their “position”, I think they know their humanity and importance in life comes directly from Di.
Having said that, while both boys are striking and strong, I see a bit of a raw and unrefined edge to Harry. Being the “spare” to the “heir” affords him that. Yes, we have all witnessed Harry’s foolishness and poor judgement in his youth. But I don’t think he simply just wanted to go “play soldier”. He seems to have a calling. And, unless I am misreading and mistaken, the kid seems to be of an anti-jihadi mind.
William is a bit more the refined, polished, uppity Prince in waiting … But I think, with times as they are in their country and in the world, perhaps a red-headed, rougher-edged, bloke with a bit of a wild streak and a slight chip on his shoulder might not be more fitting to sit the throne in the future …
March 1st, 2008 at 7:42 pm