Misfits, Dad's Army Types et al...
Discussion
MarshPhantom said:
Something on The BBC news a few days ago saying was a fairly widespread problem.
I'm not disputing that it may be a "problem" (although, in my personal view, people playing 'dress-up' are to be pitied more than prosecuted, unless they're committing fraud). My observation was based on one large gathering, and there's no way I can possibly have seen every person in the crowds of thousands who attended the NMA Remembrance Service.It was simply the case that, of all those present that I met, anyone wearing another recipient's medals was doing so honestly by wearing them on the right. I turned up quite casually dressed, jeans and a shirt. Many there were in full blazer and slacks mode. I didn't wear a beret (couldn't find mine if I wanted to to be honest), many did. But almost without exception, vets will wear something that identifies their former unit. Other vets will see the badge, and groups form. I've little in common with a 96 year-old D-Day veteran on the face of it, but a tank is a tank, and a minefield is a minefield. Armoured Engineers share a lot of common ground even generations apart. That's the point really. Shared experiences, down the years, and a large group of vets with common ground will necessarily exclude a Walt because they have no first-hand experiences to share.
I think that might be why Walts pick rare and secretive units to wear the beret and medals. Because they're less likely to be seen through and called out on it. Wear a badge from a Corps, and you'll probably need to furnish a list of regiments that you served with. With specific regiments disbanding, reroling, or reforming at various points in their history you'd have to be a proper student of a Corps' history to get it right. Wear a badge from an armoured or infantry regiment? You'd be found out the moment a genuine vet of similar age joined the group because you'd not know details of particular deployments or personalities.
If you're not military yourself, step back and think about YOUR job, and YOUR career. Or even a hobby you have. Someone Walting at being a sparky for instance. You drop into a conversion a moan about regulation changes, and the cost of gaining specific qualifications, and your Walt is suddenly all at sea, very quiet and perhaps even trying to slip away unnoticed. I've sailed. I can talk sailing to a sailor. But only as a crew member on a yacht for a week, and then it was a long time ago. So I have to be up front about it from the start, else the conversation gets away from me and I look like a bit of a dick for even mentioning sailing. See how it works? You can easily talk b
ks to someone who has no knowledge, and especially to someone who WANTS to believe what you say. But as soon as you're put into a situation where others in the group have genuine knowledge you'll flounder. Badly.But like I say. I'd pity a 'costume Walt' more than want to see them prosecuted. Unless they are committing serious acts of fraud, or bringing the military into disrepute. But then there are sufficient genuine veterans willing to dishonour their service as it is. Just because we've got a row of pretty ribbons and shiny gongs doesn't make us nice people. Take each man on his own merit folks...
OzzyR1 said:
Isn't that just the company name, like G4S or Athena?
I don't think the employees stuck that on there to award themselves a new job description...
http://www.landsheriffs.co.uk/I don't think the employees stuck that on there to award themselves a new job description...
yellowjack said:
But like I say. I'd pity a 'costume Walt' more than want to see them prosecuted. Unless they are committing serious acts of fraud, or bringing the military into disrepute. But then there are sufficient genuine veterans willing to dishonour their service as it is.
I disagree.There is a Facebook group called 'The Walter Mitty Hunters Club HQ', who as the title suggest hunt down and publicly shame anyone who pretends to be ex-military. They have tens of thousands of members and get most of their tip-offs from concerned members of the public.
If you read through some of their cases you will quickly realise that Walts are most certainly using their claims of being military to commit fraud of some description. Whether it's to impress and attract women, con people out of money, get a job, promote their business, or any number of other things that by claiming they are medal winners are more open to them.
That, as far as I'm concerned, is fraud.
I've seen someone wearing his dads medals on the right, not a problem apart from...
1, His dad was alive and well
2, He was standing next to his dad at the time.
The walt in question also claimed to have been in the Royal Marines at Suez. He made this boast to someone that actually had been at Suez and had both the scars and medals to prove it.
Whe asked his service number the walt claimed he couldn't remember it!
The genuine Royal Marine called across to an ex-submariner to ask his service number, Jack the Submariner didn't even hesitate or pause, just rattled of his service number between picking up his tot and necking it. The real Royal Marine then pointed out that he had 20yrs on the walt and he didn't recall seeing any prams on the beach so the walt was full of st and to fk off.
1, His dad was alive and well
2, He was standing next to his dad at the time.
The walt in question also claimed to have been in the Royal Marines at Suez. He made this boast to someone that actually had been at Suez and had both the scars and medals to prove it.
Whe asked his service number the walt claimed he couldn't remember it!
The genuine Royal Marine called across to an ex-submariner to ask his service number, Jack the Submariner didn't even hesitate or pause, just rattled of his service number between picking up his tot and necking it. The real Royal Marine then pointed out that he had 20yrs on the walt and he didn't recall seeing any prams on the beach so the walt was full of s
t and to fk off.
AW111 said:
Yellowjack dealing with an inconsiderate pedestrian yesterday :
Dude. That's NOT funny. I mean - I'd NEVER consider doing that to a vulnerable pedestrian. Gimme a shoulder holster and a pistol, though, and putting a tight three-round group through the back window of errant BMWs might become a hobby real quick like...
...anyone know a dodgy boozer where I can buy a shooter? No questions asked?
What about the Walts who were actually in the military? Over the years I've encountered many an ex soldier who has massively bigged up their service record. Human door stops who claimed to have led charges. And certainly at one time the whole TA appeared to be one massive Walt club.
They always seemed a bit thick as well. In the CCF in the 80s it was quite common to get some camouflaged turd claiming to have been at Goose Green and then not knowing any of the details when quizzed by a bunch of kids. You'd find them in the TA claiming to have been in combat and on shooting ranges telling wild tales to boarding school kids who were extremely well versed in spotting fantasist adults and their lies such as 'I'm married' or 'I don't want to bum you, honest'. Boarding schools in the 80s were absolutely riddled with predatory men and the military walts really were embarrassingly amateur in their assumptions that just because their target was a kid they'd believe anything.
And still, many years on, it's not exactly uncommon to find some tt in a pub claiming to have lead the charge into Basra when they were in fact sitting in the NAAFI somewhere like Swindon, having a wk over the drummer from Hanson.
They always seemed a bit thick as well. In the CCF in the 80s it was quite common to get some camouflaged turd claiming to have been at Goose Green and then not knowing any of the details when quizzed by a bunch of kids. You'd find them in the TA claiming to have been in combat and on shooting ranges telling wild tales to boarding school kids who were extremely well versed in spotting fantasist adults and their lies such as 'I'm married' or 'I don't want to bum you, honest'. Boarding schools in the 80s were absolutely riddled with predatory men and the military walts really were embarrassingly amateur in their assumptions that just because their target was a kid they'd believe anything.
And still, many years on, it's not exactly uncommon to find some t
t in a pub claiming to have lead the charge into Basra when they were in fact sitting in the NAAFI somewhere like Swindon, having a wk over the drummer from Hanson. DonkeyApple said:
And still, many years on, it's not exactly uncommon to find some tt in a pub claiming to have lead the charge into Basra when they were in fact sitting in the NAAFI somewhere like Swindon, having a wk over the drummer from Hanson.
t in a pub claiming to have lead the charge into Basra when they were in fact sitting in the NAAFI somewhere like Swindon, having a wk over the drummer from Hanson. 
What were Hanson doing in Swindon...?
schmunk said:
DonkeyApple said:
And still, many years on, it's not exactly uncommon to find some tt in a pub claiming to have lead the charge into Basra when they were in fact sitting in the NAAFI somewhere like Swindon, having a wk over the drummer from Hanson.
t in a pub claiming to have lead the charge into Basra when they were in fact sitting in the NAAFI somewhere like Swindon, having a wk over the drummer from Hanson. What were Hanson doing in Swindon...?
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