Falkland Islands veterans 'fear being caught up in a witch-hunt' of troops who served during previous wars

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Veterans from the Falkland Islands fear being caught up in a witch-hunt of troops who served during previous wars, a senior Tory revealed yesterday.

Julian Lewis, chair of the defence select committee, said troops who served in the Battle of San Carlos in May 1982 were concerned they could face trial for killings decades later.

They had raised their concerns at a dinner last week following the quizzing of Northern Ireland veterans about incidents decades ago - although they have not been investigated themselves.

Falklands veterans have expressed concern that they may face claims by ambulance-chasing lawyers following legal actions against those who served in the Gulf and Afghanistan

His comments came as he quizzed the defence secretary about legacy investigations into veterans in their 60s and 70s who served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.

The Mail has previously revealed how veterans of the Iraq War and the 13-year war in Afghanistan have been hounded by ‘ambulance-chasing’ lawyers.

Gavin Williamson said the Government needed to look at other approaches to current plans to deal with killings during the Troubles so troops are given ‘maximum protection’.

Under a consultation document published earlier this month ministers proposed a five-year unit which would look into killings by both soldiers and terrorists.

He also said that ministers needed to review the issue of service personnel involved in ‘many conflicts’ and whether they should be given combat immunity.

Mr Lewis said that last Friday he had attended an annual dinner of San Carlos battle veterans.

He said: ‘They were saying to me what is going to be next, are Falklands veterans going to be put on trial for deaths that occurred in the course of that campaign?’

Julian Lewis of the Defence select committee said former soldiers told him of their concerns during the annual dinner of those who were involved in the battle for San Carlos

Mr Williamson said: ‘I think though we do have to look at the issue and it is a slightly broader issue of actually service personnel who have been involved as the chairman rightly touched upon the many conflicts, whether Mau Mau rebellion going through operation Banner in Northern Ireland and there is a slightly bigger issue that we do need to start looking at in terms of make sure that the issues of combat immunity are properly addressed.’

He said the government needed to look at other options.

He said: ‘I do think we need to look at alternative approaches.

‘When service personnel ... are deployed by the British government how can we give them maximum protection?’

In his second select committee appearance before getting the job last November, he said service personnel had a ‘very dark cloud hanging over them’.

He said: ‘We continue to have an issue here in the UK in terms of service personnel who continue to have this very dark cloud hanging over them.

‘I think it would be wrong if I didn’t want to try and work to find a solution to deal with that.’

He acknowledged that veterans who served in Northern Ireland are under a ‘great amount of stress and a great amount of worry’.

Earlier this month veterans reacted with fury after the Prime Minister pushed ahead with proposals to deal with the toxic legacy of the Troubles - without giving troops an amnesty.

Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley launched a public consultation which excluded a chapter that would have limited investigations on hundreds of veterans, many now in their 60s and 70s.

The issue had earlier caused a Cabinet row with some ministers concerned it would trigger a ‘witch-hunt’.

But the Government went ahead with the plans following pressure from Sinn Fein.

Hundreds of elderly veterans now face the prospect of being quizzed about their actions four decades ago.

Under the proposals, as soon as a legacy unit is set up to look at all past killings, it will have five years to investigate incidents.

Northern Ireland sources say that means veterans won’t be facing probes for years to come. But veterans have expressed their fury at the decision.