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

that's a silly comparison, sorry! If you impersonate a police officer then there are all manner of things you could do by exploiting the uniform and the public's belief that you're in the force. It really isn't harmless cosplay - unlike putting on an 'admiral's' uniform and getting found out really quickly. Similarly, fake medics have caused a lot of harm. What harm is being caused by pretending to be a retired veteran? It's tacky and I understand why many people are offended, but it is not going to HURT anyone.

How do you know he’s sad and/or unwell? He may have other motives eg personal gain,seek special treatment?. Reportedly a teacher from Cheltenham college

On what legal grounds?!? This is a ridiculous overreaction! Surely you can look past his offensive cosplay and see that he's really troubled? Be the bigger person and ignore it.

Oh, of course it’s different. He’s not going to be arranging deployment to nuclear submarines, is he?

If your wearing someone elses medals they go on the other side.

And now that I think about it even ex military aren't allow to wear uniform. Harry and Andrew had civilian suits at the Queens funeral.

True story - many years ago the RAF yacht club (real organisation) was struggling for members. I am a sailor but I’ve never been in the RAF, however my mum and Dad both were. In order to fully
benefit from the Yacht clubs facilities and discounts etc - including very cheap accommodation in a rather nice club house on the Hamble - you needed an RAF number. My Dads number 4109173 - is indelibly printed on my brain even though he left the force in 1956!! So I told this to the registration bloke and he wrote it on the form, in the full knowledge that it was my dads number not
mine. When I signed in and out I did so with his number and my dads name Bill, with their full knowledge. So technically I suppose I was impersonating a military person!
niw ask me about the time I was asked to represent and wear the name badge of Sir Robin Knox Johnston at a reception at the British Ambassadors residence in Havannah !!! - strange true story for another time.

seems ironic he gets arrested whilst members of royal family swank around dressed as faux admirals colonels etc adorned with medals they’ve done bugger all for…

@glomofnit not the best response, love. Have another think about it 🍿

So you don't understand hoarding. Fair enough. Her son clearly understood enough and knows he isn't a butterfly race 2nd place winner.

Does she know you're on here telling others about her mental health condition and home, and trying to conflate it with stolen valor Walter Mitty's parading around publicly?

She has collected categories for lives she isn't living. She knows this and isn't pretending anything. They represent something in life to her brain, but aren't meant to imply a thing to others, unlike the Walter Mitty chap.

She doesn't think or pretend she's a grand 19th C estate owner, because she has acquired 20 soup tureens. She doesn't think or pretend she has created Hygge or Stil in her cluttered home, because she has collected and kept every IKEA magazine.
She hasn't acquired and kept the out of date food because she believes it forms a feast.
She doesn't think or pretend her son has won sporting events because she has collected medals and trophies for him.

She has her own MH issues, but it is unfair and not the actions of a 'friend', allowed into her home, private life and disorder, to conflate her private HD behavior or her son's acceptance or possible own HD, with this individual publicly passing himself as someone he is not, let alone doing it publicly.

Agree it won't hurt anyone but it is an aspect of MI. He is a harmless old duffer who has already been publicly shamed.

This has been addressed already in the thread. Many of the royal family have in fact served and earned their medals.

No, I don't feel in the least sorry for him. Absolutely disgusted that he should present himself as any kind of veteran, let alone a recipient of the DSO, which is only one step down from a VC. He should be put on community service cleaning out sewers.

They have to come down hard on him. If it looked like you could easily trick your way into military glory, respect and acceptance then nobody would want to go to the bother of killing people and risking their lives to actually win those medals for real.

It’s the misrepresentation. It’s offensive and he’s impersonating being ex-military. Knowing that medals will confer a status and respect. Him wearing a DSO implies he’s undertaken a valourous act. It implies he’s seeking status and or approbation

I don’t know the guy at all but agree with this. This type of deception is rarely a one-off.

Most likely there is a pattern of behaviour aimed at making the person appear more important than they are, usually for nefarious reasons. From Psychology Today;

• Advanced (deception) usually done by psychopaths and sociopaths. These deceptions are rather advanced in nature as they have practiced successfully on many others prior to the current deception. They are also highly skilled in reading body language and are quick to add their own minimization, rationalization, and justification in order to put their victim at ease.

So @MajesticWhine YABU to feel sorry for him. He knew what he was doing.

A friend of mine was ripped off financially and emotionally by someone who was claiming all sorts of military experience.

Someone who goes to such lengths to deceive and falsely impress others will not restrict such dishonest behaviour to “harmless” impersonation of accomplished military personnel; and others on this thread have already stated that they’ve come across him in real life and know of other instances of his strange and deceitful behaviour.

I think the issue is he didn't simply rock up as a pretend former serviceman to stand at the back of the parade..if he'd done that there would probably have been a shrugging of shoulders.

According to some reports he basically barged into proceedings at the last minute, blew off queries about his status from one official by claiming to be representing the (?) Lord Lieutenant and so blagged his way into the wreath laying ceremony...

He may well have MI issues but given it appears he has previous for this maybe it's time someone at least gave him a bit of a talking to.

This isn't the first incident, he's been to a couple more services wearing the same or similar uniforms previously. He's deliberately going to the services, knowing he's not on the guest list and putting himself into the spotlight. Yes, there's clearly a psychological reason behind it. Maybe he's someone who failed to get into the military? Or someone who feels they're inadequate? I don't know. Impersonating military personnel, and wearing military uniform is an insult to those who've served. It also opens up to the possibility of other fraud. He's supposed to have degrees, taught at private schools, gone to prestigious universities - all of which may be untrue!

If he had simply worn the uniform in the crowd and hadn't pushed his way into the ceremony, claiming to represent the Lord Lieutenant's office, I would have a lot more sympathy. As it is, he has quite rightly been charged with wearing the uniform without authority. If he is convicted, the penalty is a fine of up to £1,000.

We don't know if he is unwell as some on this thread have suggested. If he is, that is likely to be a mitigating factor, reducing the level of penalty.

And FFS why are we excusing so much bad behaviour these days on the grounds that the person involved may have mental health issues? Where does it stop?
People need to take responsibility for their actions.

YABU. He impersonated a military officer. That's a crime. He knew exactly what he was doing.

It's not a victimless crime though.
It has genuinely angered and upset a lot of people.

I think he is over of those people who has an inflated sense of self importance and needs to have his ego massaged by others. A regular state school teacher doesn't command that level of prestige anymore so he worked at a private school instead.
The taking up of voluntary positions at a boat club, so that he gets fawned over. It all points to someone who craves power and respect.
At the last domestic violence conference that I attended they singled out men like this as having a much higher likelihood of being an abuser.
The classic, pillar of society type, eg scout master, priest, sports coach, anyone seeking a position of power really.
He put himself at the very forefront of that parade, ahead of others who had the right to be there legitimately. They stood there humbly, whilst he stole their valour and the respect that was theirs. That isn't victimless.

I'm pretty sure Royals in the army are given preferential treatment and have additional security that the men at the bottom of the hierarchy never get.

Andrew and Harry were not down in the trenches, they were co-pilots with the emphasis on "co".

Neither seem intelligent enough to pilot a helicopter/plane on their own and I seriously doubt either would have had the opportunity to do so if they were not royals.

I genuinely think they were just indulging in a more elaborate type of cos-playing than this retired teacher.