Prince Harry's comments on killing the Taliban gave his mentor an "uneasy feeling".
Steve Jones recalled training the young Duke of Sussex, and expressed his regret that Harry, 39, has pulled back from his military role.
Jones has written about his experiences in 'Apache at War: Flying the World’s Deadliest Attack Helicopter in Combat'.
This is a memoir assembled from over 700,000 words of diary entries, including his time training Prince Harry.
Prince Harry wrote about the Taliban in his memoir Spare
PA
After going to Afghanistan as an infantryman in 2008, the Duke of Sussex trained as a pilot and returned as an Apache gunner in 2012 at the age of 27.
Speaking about the Duke of Sussex’s trajectory since he left the Army, Jones added: “I do feel disappointed.
“I feel gutted he’s not at the head of the military as he used to be. I’m grateful to have met him and flown with him. I think he has done his bit for his country. We can never take that away from him. He’s done an Apache course. He’ll always be one of us.”
Jones also said he was disappointed by Harry’s detailing in Spare that he had killed 25 Taliban fighters.
Prince Harry photographed in Afghanistan in 2012
PA
The duke wrote: “Every kill was on video. The Apache saw all. The camera in its nose recorded all. So, after every mission, there would be a careful review of that video.
“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.”
Jones continued: “It’s not what we’re about. We’re not here to say, ‘I did this, I did that.’ It’s not a game. These are real people. They’ve got families. I wouldn’t have made any comment. I get a very uneasy feeling for anybody who says 'I killed 10'. It’s not what should be said, at all.
“But [Harry] did have a successful tour. It’s a shame he didn’t hang around to do more but I guess he ticked that box and scratched that itch and moved on. I would say he’s stepped backwards in a way, from the way he was to [how he is] now.”
Prince Harry was a member of the British Army for 10 years
PA
However, Jones expressed many positive memories about the duke, adding: “I remember the first time [Harry and I] met, in a briefing, it felt like he was briefing me.
“I was distracted, thinking ‘this is the third-in-line to the throne’.
“Then I thought ‘actually, he’s just another student. He doesn’t get any favours from me. If anything, he’s going to have to try harder.’
“I’ve had people say he only passed because of who he is. Nothing could be further from the truth.
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Prince Harry released Spare in January 2023PA“He definitely played hard, but he would work hard as well. He was a good student, but he tried to be a bit of a joker a few times and you’d have to slap him back down.”
Jones continued to tell The Telegraph: “I think when Harry was around the military he could relax a bit. There was no fear of someone taking photos and telling the press what he was doing.
“He was relaxed enough to have a chat. He wouldn’t open up to me because I was the instructor, the sergeant major, and he was him, but we had mutual respect.
“He tended to concentrate on the smaller things, sometimes to the detriment of the bigger picture.”
