Veterans and families slam ‘ultimate insult’ from president

FURIOUS relatives of British troops killed in Afghanistan have railed against Donald Trump for diminishing their sacrifice by claiming Nato allies "stayed a little back" from the front line.

- BY CONOR WILSON

They demanded Sir Keir Starmer stand up to the US president over the “ultimate insult”.

Some 457 brave British servicemen and women lost their lives in the allied campaign in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on the US.

They included Oliver Dicketts, whose dad Robert said of Trump’s words: “What a bloody cheek!”

Prince Harry, who undertook two frontline tours to Afghanistan, said British troops killed in the conflict “deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect”.

The UK’s death toll in Afghanistan was the highest of any country other than the US. In addition, an estimated 2,000 British military and civilian personnel were wounded in action.

Oliver, 27, was killed on operations with the Parachute Regiment in 2006 when the RAF Nimrod plane he was travelling in crashed near Kandahar.

Dad Robert, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, said: “I think the government should point out the loss of life by British troops and how much they were involved in frontline operations.

“[Trump] is entirely wrong. Not just about British forces, a lot of other Nato forces suffered losses as well and were in frontline positions.

“His lack of knowledge of history generally is appalling and some of the statements he makes beggar belief.”

Diane Dernie, whose son Ben Parkinson suffered life-changing injuries in Afghanistan, demanded Sir Keir Starmer confront Trump over his comments.

Her son Ben had both legs amputated, suffered a twisted spine and severe brain damage and is still undergoing major surgeries almost two decades after his Army Land Rover struck a mine near Musa Qala in 2006. Diane from Doncaster, South Yorks, said the Prime Minister “has got to stand up for his own armed forces, and he’s got to absolutely refute what Donald Trump said”.