Prince Harry's 'hero' marine given frugal compensation for losing arm and leg

London, Sept 17 : Ben McBean, a Royal Marine who was described as a "real hero" by Prince Harry after he lost an arm and leg in Afghanistan, has been given just 161,000 pounds as compensation. In March, twenty one year old McBean was wounded in a horrific landmine blast while on patrol in Afghanistan's Helmand region.

McBean was one of the two seriously injured marines flown back home with Prince Harry after his own secret tour of duty was exposed by a report in Australia, making it too dangerous for him to continue serving, reports The Telegraph.

Prince Harry was so moved by the plight of Marine McBean that he told reporters that his bravery had humbled him.

But the marine has been awarded just 161,000 pounds for his sacrifice, 124,000 pounds less than the 285,000 pounds maximum the Ministry of Defence (MoD) can give to troops maimed on the front line.

Joyce Cockburn, McBean's mother, said: "He is working so hard to recover, but he's going to need expensive help for the rest of his life and he's got his whole life ahead of him still."

"We've got no idea how much that will cost, or how we will afford a specially adapted house for him to live in," said Joyce, and added, "He and all his friends thought the Government would take care of them if anything happened to them out there. All we hope is that the MoD will have another look at what they give the guys who come home in a bad way."

However, a MoD spokesman said that the lump sum pay out is not all service personnel receive, they also get a guaranteed income payment for life.

Marine McBean, from 40 Commando, was five months into his first tour of duty when the hidden Taliban landmine left him fighting for his life on a routine desert patrol.

ANI