Troopers on the particular forces base in Hereford are being investigated over racist memes together with one of many Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s marriage ceremony.
Royal Navy Police have been known as in final week after footage from a WhatsApp group displaying derogatory and racist pictures and video have been leaked.
Not less than three troopers belonging to the Army Air Corps (AAC) are understood to be the main target of the service police inquiry.
Two pictures and a screengrab from a video have been leaked to the Day by day Mail. One was a mocked-up {photograph} from Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s marriage ceremony. The brand new picture had superimposed the top of a black man on that of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
One other doctored picture confirmed a black man’s forearm with the outline “truck drivers’ suntan competitors winner”.
A picture taken from a video of a unadorned and aged Afro-Caribbean girl was additionally shared by the group.
No date has been given for the way lengthy the Particular Investigations Department, a discrete component of the Royal Navy Police, will take to conclude its work. Ought to misconduct be confirmed, disciplinary motion, together with discharge from the forces, may very well be taken.
‘We’re conscious of offensive feedback’
The AAC unit at Hereford is answerable for working most of the helicopters that assist Britain’s particular forces items based mostly there and elsewhere across the UK.
The AAC at Hereford flies Dauphin 2 helicopters primarily within the counter-terrorism function, for which the plane are painted in civilian livery in order to not appeal to consideration if deployed to the scene of terrorist assaults.
A army supply advised the Mail: “The photographs and captions being shared within the group have been moronic. They don’t realise how offensive this kind of materials is to black troops.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesman stated: “There isn’t a place within the Armed Forces for any type of racist view or behaviour. Any exercise which falls in need of the excessive requirements of the Armed Forces is unacceptable.
“We’re conscious of offensive feedback and pictures posted by service personnel on a WhatsApp group. These are being investigated by the Army so it will be inappropriate to remark additional presently.”
