To feel sorry for the fake admiral

[MajesticWhine]

It seems to be a victimless crime and I don’t think he was doing anyone any harm. Given the amount of crimes such as shoplifting that go unpunished AIBU to think this man should be let off with a caution?

‘Fake admiral’ charged after Remembrance memorial
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/4d56e1d99d56fda6

@travellinglighter

Yes if the medals are earned- no issue ( tho didn’t Charles crash a boat - maybe that was a different Windsor)

The issue is the laughable rows of ‘unearned medals’ . Surely many who legitimately earned medals are insulted ?
Yes I know the Windsor swag is made up nonsense but it’s the effect of the ropes and medals that the Windsors are after . Similar to someone else who wears them unearned

Yeah that’s fine, I was more responding to the question of whether he had caused harm or not. People in that position potentially can, but in this instance, I don’t think he did.

@MajesticWhine It seems to be a victimless crime and I don’t think he was doing anyone any harm.

How is it a victimless crime? It is highly disrespectful to people who have served in the armed forces.

Given the amount of crimes such as shoplifting that go unpunished

What bonkers logic is this?

I would prefer to live in a society in which shoplifting is also punished. I would disagree with your view that both this man and shoplifting should be unpunished.

I think there is deception though, of a different sort

I suppose when you put it like that @OneFunBrickNewt I do sort of agree.
I wonder how the royals feel about having to wear all that faff at those events. I wonder if they feel like fraudsters.

Thing is there are medals and then there are medals....🤔

There are umpteen medals (and associated ribbons) that can be legitimately worn by those who have never seen combat, maybe never even served in the military...Princess Anne has been awarded a fair number of those (e.g. King Charles III Coronation Medal) so like it or not she gets to wear them.

Now OTOH you have decorations for participating in military campaigns (e.g. the South Atlantic medal which A M W is entitled to wear) and/or gallantry medals...I don't think Princess Anne has ever worn any of those or would ever claim she should.

Absolutely this! That’s the whole point!

It’s not like he has dressed up in a Batman costume or the costume of any fictional character; he has deluded himself and others in to believing that he is worthy of displaying medals that are awarded on the back of considerable bravery and personal risk. It’s massively disrespectful.

The same delusion, arrogance and sense of entitlement that led him to do this, explains all of the above. People come to believe their own lives.

I disagree. If someone pretended to be a surgeon or a police officer there could be extremely serious ramifications.

If this dickhead took himself off to a theatre of war and tried to stroll onto the deck of a warship, that would be a completely different kettle of fish.

Nobody gets arrested for going to a fancy dress party as a police officer, surgeon or naval officer. I don’t see how saluting a memorial will cause harm to anybody.

The guys a Walt and should be appropriately charged, hopefully a significant fine and confiscation of anything in relation to it. Whether you believe it to be a criminal offence or no, the law states it is, and therefore your opinion does not count.

The people who say it is nothing, likely have no idea about my colleagues and millions of others that sacrificed not only there time but ultimately their lives for you to have your freedom of speech you have today.

In respect to the Royal Family, the majority in Honoury positions have served, and their medals are appropriate. They are not wearing medals to campaigns they did not deploy under.

All my medals have the Queen on them from time in the Navy, the latest will have the King, if you do any role that supports the public service you can earn certain awards, hence the police/fire service etc also have medals such as the coronation medal. The Royal Family by nature of birth serve the Monarch, those that step away e.g. Harry will not earn those awards next.

Did he dress up.in a royal navy admirals uniform or an SS generals uniform?
Did he respectfully lay a wreath or did he kick wreaths and pee on the memorial?

There is a difference between what you or others think, and actual facts.

Being from a Sandhurst candidate type background will always advantage careers in the forces. The requirements to get into Sandhurst are rigorous and by nature favor both the privately educated and those from families where public service is an expectation, because it's an officer training academy.
So yes being a royal is likely to give you all the background training to be successful at selection.

I know nothing about the rest but Prince William joined up as Flight Lieutenant William Wales as a co-pilot with the RAF's Search and Rescue force. All trainee pilots start as co-pilots.

In 2012, he was promoted to fully operational search and rescue captain, allowing him to command missions which he is known to have done well at.

He then served as a full-time pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance, again initially as a co-pilot while he got his civilian certification to fly hefty Sea Kings.
Again standard for a transferring pilot The biggest difference between him and any other pilot is he rightly donated his earned salary back to the NHS.

The man was a proper co-pilot in training, and then a proper helicopter pilot, not some sort of 'dummy' role because he happened to be next in line.
Your emphasis and assumptions are simply wrong.
Don't let your dislike of what family he got born into blight your relationship with the truth of his capabilities as a helicopter pilot.

Perhaps gallantry medals and military rank badges should only be available to purchase with evidence of entitlement?
Anyone can put a police uniform but the metal constabulary and badge numbers need evidence as far as I'm aware. Why not make it the same?

@Elleherd

I did not know he donated his earned salary back to the NHS, that's very interesting

The difference is that the RF do not wear gallantry or campaign medals unless personally earned.

No doubt when Reform and Garridge get in, the gammons will be making military service compulsory so we can all have a soldier suit or sailor suit.

Sadly, many Veterans sell medals as they need the money more. I'm sure awards like the Queens Police Medal are probably the same.

@Elleherd

The man was a proper co-pilot in training, and then a proper helicopter pilot

Agree with a lot if that post, so sorry to be picky but the co-pilots union gets really bent out of shape (quite rightly) at any hints of them not being proper pilots until they change seats

All pilots on a two pilot type usually do the same initial training and have to pass the recurrent bi-annual and annual checkrides to the exactly same standard.

Often the only effective difference between the two roles is who signs some of the paperwork and who is in charge of the whole operation in the eyes of the lawyers.

Sorry to diverge from the thread.

Disrespecting someone isn’t a crime. It maybe distasteful but not criminal.

“Stolen Valour” which is very disrespectful is a crime in this regard

No. My dad was in the Army and so was my husband. I don't feel sorry for him. He knew what he was doing

There’s no such thing as stolen valour in the UK. It is not a crime. It is simply disrespectful behaviour.

It's such a weird thing to do. It almost feels like it's related to Munchausen syndrome in the way that he is playing a role that encourages other around him to treat him in a particular, special, attentive way. Absolutely cannot be right in the head. Is it possible that he even buys in to his own fantasy? I feel like he must or he surely couldn't be so blatantly disrespectful.

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/featured/king-charles-iii-commando.html

Gives a good account of King Charles III's extension military service with the Royal Navy as well as his previous RAF training and subsequent army training as well as his royal patronage. He has every right to wear his medals with pride as do all the other British Royals who have completed military training and served in His Majesty's Armed Forces.

Please do some research (Google makes it easy) before you insult our veterans.

Correct, hence the inverted commas. Most people understand the term stolen valour.

He has breached the Uniforms Act 1894 in multiple sections.

If it was not a crime then he would not have been charged with one by the Crown Prosecution Service, would he?