Officials are investigating whether a man who attended a Remembrance Sunday event dressed as a Royal Navy officer was a fake.
The alleged imposter, named as 64-year-old Jonathan David Carley, sparked outrage after he was seen laying a wreath at Sunday’s ceremony in Llandudno, north Wales.
He has faced a backlash from veterans who have branded him a real-life “Walter Mitty“, while the Ministry of Defence warned impersonating a naval officer could be a criminal offence.
Here’s what we know so far.
Military ‘imposter’
Photos taken at the commemoration show a man in a naval officer’s uniform saluting the Llandudno war memorial before marching away.
He was seen wearing 12 medals and an MBE as he walked in formation with a colleague dressed in khaki.
The epaulettes and sleeve lace he was wearing signify a Rear Admiral, a two-star position and one of the highest rank in the Royal Navy.
Among the medals he wearing was the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), one of the highest gallantry awards given for highly successful command and leadership during active operations.
Only a handful of military personnel have been awarded a DSO since 1979.
He was also seen with the Queen’s Volunteer Reserves Medal, which is given to reservists.
What was the reaction?
Llandudno Town Council, which organised the ceremony, said no Rear Admirals had been due to attend.
Greg Robbins, chair of the council’s civic sub-committee, said: “The man was challenged by the parade marshal, but stated that he was of a certain rank, and that he was representing the Lord Lieutenant’s office.
“The parade marshal was left with little choice but to accommodate him in the wreath-laying ceremony.”
But the Lord Lieutenant of Clywd, Harry Fetherstonhaugh, told The Sun: “I’ve never seen him in my life.”
The Walter Mitty Hunters Club, an online group which unmasks military imposters, found nobody had ever worn all the medals on display.
Who is the alleged ‘Walter Mitty’?
Named as Jonathan David Carley, 64, the alleged fake has claimed to have studied at Oxford and Harvard before teaching at Eton.
He is named in the London Gazette, the official record for military listing, as a 2nd lieutenant on probation with the combined cadet force Cheltenham College.
A spokesperson for Cheltenham College confirmed to The Sun that he taught history and politics there in 1988 before moving to the prestigious Shiplake College outside Henley-on-Thames.
The Sun reports that an Eton magazine article described Carley as having “an exhaustive and encyclopaedic memory”, as well as “sardonic and self-deprecating wit”.
He also reportedly attended Remembrance Sunday parades in his hometown of Caernarfon in 2018 and 2019 alongside veterans and local officials.
He is seen carrying a ceremonial sword while standing next to dignitaries.
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When confronted by The Sun at his home in Harlech, he said: “I have no desire to speak to you, with all respect.”
What have the military said?
A Royal Navy spokesperson said: “Impersonating a Naval officer is insulting to anyone connected to the service and could be considered a criminal offence.
“Nothing should detract from the poignancy of Remembrance Sunday, which can be a sombre time for members of the Royal Navy family and an opportunity for people in communities across the United Kingdom to pay their respects to people who have served or are serving their country.”
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