Prince Harry saved gay soldier from homophobic attack Moment later Trooper Wharton poked his head out of the tank to "see him having a go." "I could see he wasn't holding back," added Trooper Wharton, who was 21 at the time and has since left the forces. Harry, a Troop Commander in the Blues and Royals, informed a senior officer of what was happening before assuring the soldier that it was "sorted." Trooper Wharton, who was on training in Canada with the Prince at the time of the 2008 incident, said: "I will always be grateful to Harry and I will never forget what happened. Until he went over and dealt with everything I was on track for a battering. Trooper Wharton, who in 2009 became the first homosexual soldier to appear on the front of the Armed Forces magazine, has written about his experiences alongside the young Prince in his new book Out in the Army. He claims that after sharing a tank for several weeks they became friend and Harry discussed his sex life and the fact that he had been told he and his brother Prince William were gay icons. Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy praised his efforts to protect his troops, adding: "The whole country will applaud Prince Harry. Our Forces should reflect the modern-day Britain they fight so hard to defend.