New details providing context to Prince Harry’s revelation he killed 25 Taliban fighters during his tours of duty in Afghanistan have come to light.
In an extract of his leaked memoir Spare published by Yahoo, the Duke of Sussex, 38, paints a picture of a reality in which he and his colleagues did what they believed necessary for the good of humanity.
Harry said: ‘I was part of six missions that ended in the taking of human life, and they were all deemed justified… I deemed them the same.’
He walked away from his time in the military with a clean conscience and only one regret: that the job was not finished.
‘I had questions and qualms about the war, but none of these was moral. I still believed in the mission, and the only shots I thought twice about were the ones I hadn’t taken.’
Prince Harry pictured making early morning pre-flight checks in the cockpit of a helicopter
Prince Harry pictured alongside an Apache helicopter on October 31, 2012. He revealed in his memoir all of the kills were caught on video, which was later played back and analysed
In the new extract, Harry, who was known as Captain Wales during his service, also detailed how every kill was caught on camera and reviewed extensively after each mission on a plasma television mounted to a wall in a gun tape room.
‘Every kill was on video,’ he said. ‘The Apache saw all. The camera in its nose recorded all. So, after every mission, there would be a careful review of that video.’
Squadron commanders would scour the footage to ensure none of the soldiers had made a mistake, misfired, or misjudged something in the heat of the moment.
Harry claims it was a time all soldiers dreaded, that he was haunted by the fear of ever harming a civilian.
The prince’s frank admissions have also made it dangerous for westerners who remained in Kabul. Animal charity boss Pen Farthing revealed on Friday night he’s been forced to flee the city over fears of reprisal attacks.
Harry pictured during his second tour of duty at Camp Bastion, southern Afghanistan, in 2012
Prince Harry in Helmand province Southern Afghanistan in 2008
His revelations marked the first time Harry specified the number of insurgents he personally killed during his time in Afghanistan, where he went in both 2007-8 and 2012 and flew an Apache attack helicopter during his second tour.
In the memoir, Harry acknowledged that many of his fellow soldiers would not be able to say precisely how many people they killed during the war.
But he said he made it a priority to keep tally from the moment he arrived, to keep himself accountable and to keep his conscience clear.
The prince was first deployed to Helmand province as a forward air controller in 2007, but his first tour of duty was cut short when an Australian magazine broke a media embargo by mistake.
He returned in 2012 with the Ministry of Defence publicising his second deployment on the understanding that the media would allow him to get on with the job at hand.
Harry sitting in an armoured vehicle in Helmand province in February 2008
After he learnt to fly Apache helicopters, Harry was deployed to Camp Bastion in southern Afghanistan in 2012 where he stayed for 20 weeks.
During his 2012 tour, Harry helped provide helicopter support to the International Security Assistance Force and Afghan forces operating throughout Helmand province.
Based out of Camp Bastion, 662 Squadron Army Air Corps, to which he belonged, flew more than a hundred deliberate missions over 2,500 flying hours, providing surveillance, deterrence and, when required, close combat attack capabilities as well as escort duties for other aircraft.
Captain Wales qualified as a co-pilot gunner in February 2012.
He was posted to 3 Regiment Army Air Corps, part of 16 Air Assault Brigade, to gain further flying experience and to operate the Apache on a number of exercises before deploying to Afghanistan in September 2012.
Harry trained to fly in the front seat as the mission or aircraft commander but the majority of the time operated the Apache’s sights, sensors and weapons systems.
Upon his return to the UK, he was hailed by his colleagues and superiors as being ‘on top of his game’ during the tour.
He was given no special treatment and worked, ate and slept in the same basic conditions as the other pilots. It was, in his own words, ‘as normal as it’s going to get. I’m one of the guys, I don’t get treated any differently’.
The revelation of how many enemy combatants he killed could escalate fears for his personal safety as Prince Harry has been long-regarded as a terrorist target due to his royal status and military links.
Prince Harry on patrol in the deserted town of Garmsir, southern Afghanistan, in 2008 on the left, and during his deployment in 2012 on the right
It comes amid an ongoing legal battle with the Home Office not to provide full police protection for Harry and his family when visiting the UK.
The Taliban have already taunted Harry and described him as a ‘big mouth loser’ for his revelation.
In the summer of 2021, the Taliban took control of Afghanistan with a lightning offensive that swept across the country in a matter of weeks, overthrowing the Western-backed government that was installed by the US, UK and their allies.
Leaders of the government fled the country as Western coalition forces pulled out, culminating in the collapse of the Afghan military and the Taliban capturing Kabul on August 15, 2021.
Despite promising a more progressive regime than when they were last in power in 2001, the Taliban have eroded the rights of women and minority groups in the country, most recently banning women from attending university – a move that drew fierce condemnation from the international community.
The Duke of Sussex pictured in Helmand province during his first tour of duty in 2008
Harry also faced criticism from military veterans and MPs in the UK over the content of the upcoming book.
Former UK national security adviser Lord Darroch told Sky News: ‘I would have advised him against the kind of detail he goes into. I understand and appreciate how he has justified to himself what he was doing, but personally I wouldn’t have gone there.’
Former British Army colonel Richard Kemp said that the Duke of Sussex’s writing amounts to a ‘betrayal of the people he fought alongside’.
Former Royal Marine Ben McBean, who Harry hailed as a ‘hero’ after he lost an arm and a leg in a bomb blast during the war, urged the duke to ‘shut up’.
Mr McBean tweeted: ‘Love you #PrinceHarry but you need to shut up! Makes you wonder the people he’s hanging around with. If it was good people somebody by now would have told him to stop.’