Falkland Islanders would still buy scandal-ravaged Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor a pint, a veteran on the islands has suggested. Gary Clement MBE, 70, who served as a Royal Marine during the Falklands War in 1982 said when asked about the former prince: “I’m sure that islanders would probably consider him a veteran, as they do all veterans. And, to be honest with you, most veterans here, if people know in the pub, for instance, they’ll buy you a pint of beer, and I’m sure that they would buy him a pint of beer.”
Mr Clement, who lived in Kent and Cornwall before moving to the British overseas territory in 1991, added: “What the rest of his life is about, I’m sure that there’s an awful lot of bad veterans as well.” Andrew served as a sub-lieutenant and Sea King helicopter pilot in the Royal Navy aboard HMS Invincible during the invasion of the Falklands.
The late Queen Elizabeth II’s son flew front-line missions, acting as a decoy for Exocet missiles.
“He’s a veteran, and islanders treat veterans very, very well,” Mr Clement said.
However, another veteran, David Cummins, 68, who is from Dublin but nevertheless served in the Royal Navy during the conflict, on HMS Antelope and the Valiant submarine, was of a different view at The Victory pub in Stanley. He said: “I’m afraid he knew what Epstein was, and anybody that knew what Epstein was, and maintained a relationship with Epstein, then, I’m afraid they don’t get my sympathy, and they get what they deserve.”
Chris Anderson, also 68, originally from Eastbourne, who was on the quarter deck of HMS Sheffield when it was hit by an Argentine missile, said: “I see it as all gossip; we don’t really know the facts.”
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He added: “I think he just has to stand up for himself and speak out.
“But he’s not going to do that, because that’s not the way they operate.”
Andrew was arrested last month at his new home on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk and released under investigation on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Police held him in custody for 11 hours. He has previously denied any wrongdoing.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
