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

I feel sorry for the victims of actual crime

I totally agree. I have memories of the CO and Padre coming onto our street when the men were in in the Falklands. The kids all stopped and watched to see which house, praying it wasn't yours, whilst simultaneously knowing it would be a friends parent not coming home.

Hijacking a thread to push another agenda is awful and I wholeheartedly agree with your last sentence.

Those who know, know, don't they 💕 Let's hope a particular poster has a shred of common sense left and stops now.

It's stolen valour. My husband served in the military for nearly 30 years, been on many operations and earned his medals. Walter mitties like this guy deserve punishment

He served in the Falklands I think

He did, during the campaign itself.

Nothing honorary about his South Atlantic medal, it is completely legit (and FWIW I think he also got a Mention in Despatches).

Thank you. People can run him down if they want but I'd like them to stick to the facts.

Untreated syphilis can cause delusions of grandeur.

He does deserve to be charged because he is wilfully taking prominence and stealing the significance of the ceremonies from those who have put themselves in danger and do deserve the thanks. Also, where will it end if we are OK with people impersonating others? It’s not just a one off either, apparently he’s been doing this for years so he obviously won’t stop unless there is some kind of intervention.

He obviously bought the medals online. He could have got away with it if he only had a few medals. I know someone who pretends to be a pilot and he actually told me his company once gave him a medal for landing a plane on a breezy day in America. I just keep remembering the plotline of Deirdre in Coronation street years ago. Totally deluded as I know a pilot who has landed planes in all sorts of weather and not even got a thank you from the company. He keeps the neighbours amused as he tells us we would be lucky to be flown by him as he is a top pilot.

YABU. He's either a delusional fantasist or a total charlatan. It is not ok to dress up and pretend to be a decorated war hero, particularly not on Remembrance Sunday! It takes the absolute piss and is an insult to those who served.

Just because more serious crimes take place, it doesn’t mean we don’t punish other incidents. Hopefully he’ll think twice before doing it again.

Remembrance Sunday is not an opportunity for cosplay.

I like the notion of stolen valour; it feels like a very apt description of what has occurred. The thing which gets me is that the medals were earnt by real servicemen or women who, for reasons unknown, had to part with them, and I imagine each parting tells a story -I can't imagine medals are passed on lightly, as anybody's first choice.

While nobody is directly harmed by his actions, as proponents of the idea of the 'victimless crime' suggest, I think the 'crime' lies in the amount of offense it's caused, and that is considerable and entirely valid.

@madaboutpurple

I know someone who pretends to be a pilot

Oh heck there are a few of those around and they often find it hard to stop digging when they are caught out, which aviation being a small world they often are, it's really quite bizarre.

I know of an incident at a dinner table many years back where one individual started to claim to have been a Red Arrows pilot...all got messy very quickly when the real, genuine, ex-Reds pilot sat the same table spoke up.

My DB is very good at letting people think he went to private school and that he was an officer in the army. In fact he went to the same boring comp as me. His military service extends to a couple of years in the territorials.

He does it because he wishes he was posher than he actually is. It's long standing insecurity.

We dont yet know if the remembrance day man is just sad and pathetic or if this is part of a broader fraud.

Do you really not understand the point re Andrew Windsor ?

He was using sex trafficked girls , pledging allegiance to Epstein and god knows what else.
THAT is hurt and abuse . The Windsors knew about this and still made him an honorary Vice Admiral. That act alone was deeply disrespectful to the country.
Much more so than someone wearing bought medals .

Run him down ???

Ok . I see what this is and who you are

Fergie here.

@Ukisgaslit

Do you really not understand the point re Andrew Windsor ?

I understand the point you keep trying to make.

FWUW A M W reputation as an unpleasant individual was known across the forces decades ago, even before he met Epstein.

All that doesn't mean he was walting or wearing decorations he was not entitled to wear, which is what this thread is about.

No. The point is far wider than that .

However with the situation you and your husband have found yourselves in I understand your not wanting to engage with the wider issue.

Motte: he's pitiful and we should feel sorry for him.
Bailey: it's a victimless crime and he should be let off with a caution.

YABU OP

Why are you still persisting on this thread? Enough posters have told you how disrespectful you are. Do you not have a job of any kind? Perhaps a spell of honest military service would do you the world of good.

And we see you. Get a life.

This is the reason in don’t feel sorry for him or any other imposter. They don’t just stop at one thing, it’s a life full of lies and deception.

Enough posters = a handful of Andrew defenders

We can draw our own conclusions based on that alone .