How To Check Out A Military Walter Mitty.

[Engineer1]

Depending on the charity is it possible the rank comes with the role? I seem to remember we has CCF officers who hadn't been in the forces, when I was at school. Also being cadets dome of the uniform was a mix and match of old and new soldier 95 and earlier.

So it could be legit but honorary and linked to the charity.

[Bill]

Ayahuasca said:

Some cunning questions might help:


1) Say you have heard a military phrase but can't remember the missing word: "Dash, down,-------------, sights, observe, fire." Anybody who went through basic training in the 80's will know the missing word.

I know and I was only in the cadets

[zakelwe]

Ask to look in his old kit bag. If he's not packed up his troubles in there you know he is a sham.

Andy

[No Cara van Man]

Easy. Some simple tests:

Get him to make a rollie
Ask if hes nailed Vera Lynn outside the Naafi
Tell him it's 'twofers' night in the pub to see if he knocks enough drink to stun an elephant
Ask him about the golden rivet

Forget all this rubbish about guns and stuff.

[JuniorD]

Used to stack shelves in your local Sainsbury store?

Clearly he's spent too much time with Captain Birdseye.

[andy_s]

Ask him if he knows Alfie Rake.

If he doesn't, he's a bluffing .

[andy400]

Sorry if I've missed anything significant, don't have time to read the whole thread.

When does he claim to have left the service?

With a couple of facts/claims I could look him up fairly easily.

[Ordinary_Chap]

Ayahuasca said:

3) Ask him how you salute a superior officer when you are not wearing a hat

Shoot I was ni for quite a while and I don't know the answer to that one!

[Odie]

The royal marines use a rank system similar to the army and as such a RM Captain is not equal to a RN Captain

iirc a RN Captain = RM LT Colonel/Colonel
RM Captain = RN LT Commander/Commander

A traditional posted (ie to a ship) RN captain runs a ships company with his commanders running specific areas of the ships company and the LT's micromanaging.
A RM captain would run a Platoon with a Colonel running the company.

You can see they are different levels.

Hes a walt plain and simple.

Heres a simple test, tell him you met a guy in the pub and he said he was a 'joss' in the RN and you wanted to know what he meant. He should know as the 'Joss' delegates from the captain the looking after of the marines on a ship, Joss = Master at Arms, Master at Arms being in charge of ships discipline (stand up meeting without coffee etc) and security (ie the organisation of the marines if security was required when in dock) etc.

[andy400]

Odie said:

The royal marines use a rank system similar to the army and as such a RM Captain is not equal to a RN Captain

iirc a RN Captain = RM LT Colonel/Colonel
RM Captain = RN LT Commander/Commander

A traditional posted (ie to a ship) RN captain runs a ships company with his commanders running specific areas of the ships company and the LT's micromanaging.
A RM captain would run a Platoon with a Colonel running the company.

You can see they are different levels.

Hes a walt plain and simple.

Heres a simple test, tell him you met a guy in the pub and he said he was a 'joss' in the RN and you wanted to know what he meant. He should know as the 'Joss' delegates from the captain the looking after of the marines on a ship, Joss = Master at Arms, Master at Arms being in charge of ships discipline (stand up meeting without coffee etc) and security (ie the organisation of the marines if security was required when in dock) etc.

Only a st Lieutenant will be micromanaging....

[Nicholas Blair]

If i'm down the boozer, I'll watch out for him....

[BliarOut]

No Cara van Man said:

Easy. Some simple tests:

Get him to make a rollie
Ask if hes nailed Vera Lynn outside the Naafi
Tell him it's 'twofers' night in the pub to see if he knocks enough drink to stun an elephant
Ask him about the golden rivet

Forget all this rubbish about guns and stuff.

Pfft, I can roll a rollie while driving and I'm not even military

I could be special forces with a skill like that.

[Castrol Craig]

No Cara van Man said:

Oh, and some pilfered Iraqi money

it wasnt only me then!!

[BruceV8]

It is possible that he's ex RM and now OC of a Sea Cadet Corps unit. In which case, he shouldn't really be larging it in the pub in uniform.

Its also possible that is he a walting fantasist walt, in which case he should be humanely destroyed.

[Soovy]

alfa pint said:

If he's genuinely navy, his service no will start C zero three followed by 4 more numbers and end with a letter.

A marine officer's no is the same but starts with N.

Hope this helps.

Sensational.

[Dog Star]

Badgerboy said:

Failing that, pin him to the wall and demand to know the colour of the boathouse at Hereford.

I think you'll find it's "Hearford"

[Ayahuasca]

JuniorD said:

Used to stack blankets in your local stores?

(EFA)

Is he No Cara Van Man?

[Lurking Lawyer]

Odie said:

The royal marines use a rank system similar to the army and as such a RM Captain is not equal to a RN Captain

iirc a RN Captain = RM LT Colonel/Colonel
RM Captain = RN LT Commander/Commander

A RM captain would run a Platoon with a Colonel running the company.

Isn't RM Captain the same as an Army Captain, in which case it's the equivalent of an RN Lieutenant? Lieutenant Commander is equivalent to Major and Commander is equivalent to Lieutenant Colonel.

And I think a company is generally commanded by a Major? Lieutenant Colonel would generally be a battalion commander (or equivalent). At least from vague recollection of conversations with a friend who used to be an infantry officer, anyway!

If the character the OP is talking about is purporting to wear medals or service ribbons on his uniform, that can be a criminal offence.....

[Deerfoot]

Lurking Lawyer said:

Isn't RM Captain the same as an Army Captain, in which case it's the equivalent of an RN Lieutenant? Lieutenant Commander is equivalent to Major and Commander is equivalent to Lieutenant Colonel.

[bobthemonkey]

ninja-lewis said:

Ask someone on Arrse or maybe Rum Ration.

This; the walt hunting skills of ARRSE are legendary. They can make PH look decidedly amateur sometimes!