A good question and something I did want to ask my Grandad before he died but was too scared too. He admitted to killing some Japanese soldiers who were unarmed and in cold blood……after seeing what the Japanese had done to his captured friends. Always wondered how he felt, as I don’t think he was remorseful
Interesting question Stroller. The whole military training is geared towards making people do something which is unnatural - ie. to stay at a field of slaughter knowing that you will have to kill, or be killed, where the sensible thing for anyone to do would be to distance themselves from the situation as quick as possible. They are asked to kill people, not because they have anything personally against the person they are trying to kill, but because of the uniform they are wearing and the flag they are serving under. In a sense you have to dehumanize the enemy - because you couldn't encourage them to do this by telling them the enemy was full of people just like themselves ie. with wives, brothers, sisters and children. The enemy has to be converted into something of less worth or this madness couldn't go on. So they have to believe that they are the ''goodies'' and the others are the ''baddies'' even though the so called ''goodies'', in this case, were the invadors of someone elses country.
I know the situation Staines - my father served on a firing squad in the British Army whilst serving in North Africa gainst Rommel. The victim was stood behind a white sheet so that they couldn't see him - they didn't know if he was German or Arab or whatever - they were just following orders and that is their excuse for everything.
It’s a weird one for me, and whereas your Dad was “following orders”, my Gramps basically murdered another human being or beings in cold blood……for vengeance. The story goes that when fighting against the Japanese in Burma, two of his friends had been captured and later found, brutally tortured and killed, by my Gramps and his squad. A few days later they came across some Japanese soldiers, relaxing and bathing in the jungle, naked and helpless……he could easily have captured them I guess but instead shot them all dead. Dunno how I feel about it all, he told me this very matter of fact, with no real emotion or apparent remorse. I always loved him and admired him for what he did out there and can understand to some degree the reasons why…….however when it comes to it…..it’s still cold bloodied murder.
Harry is becoming a bigger tool by the day. Those that served with him will be completely bewildered by his comments about kills. It's not the done thing in the British army and has put more of a target on his back, along with others past and present in the military. Anyone who knows anything about this stuff knows that no one talks publicly about who and how many they've killed or even, in some cases, which regiment they served in. The bloke is a complete twat with zero self awareness.
I'd say that it's because he is self aware that he wants to unburden himself about killing Taliban. I've heard radio phone-in calls this morning from people who served with him in Afghanistan supporting him and his comments, particularly about how they had to de-humanise the enemy. Why would this endanger others in the military any more than stuff like the Andy McNab books? I don't believe for a minute that this is how he views his actions, but didn't the RAF count their 'kills' in WW2?
The whole leaks are just sensationalism. I took drugs, smoked pot, I fought with my brother, I killed Afghans, I lost my virginity in a field behind a pub to an older horsey woman who treated me like a stallion, I asked my Father not to marry a "wicked step mum", I used a clairvoyant to try and talk to my mum, I heard about the queen's death from bbc.... plus a load of he said, she said accusations. It is all rather pathetic and attention seeking...and just completely out of control ...and sad tbh
Not sure he's thought this through. It's well documented where he lives and now he's upset the Taliban and it's followers. He really is a silly so and so.
Lads that served with him understand what he's saying. I haven't heard one of them support him for saying it in public. Our armed forces have moved on from the days of WW2 when RAF "kills" were counted, mainly for reasons of moral. Obviously anyone who opposes the Royal Family will lap up all this dirt that Harry is raking up. Inconsistencies are already being pointed out in some of his accounts and I suspect he will live to regret all this.
Would be interested in what @Steelmonkey has to say about the subject…..him being someone who’s actually been there and done it.