Fear, Admiral

My first reaction: “What a plonker!”

A bloke attended the Llandudno civic Remembrance event dressed up as a Rear Admiral, a senior officer of the Royal Navy. Yet members of the wonderfully named ‘Walter Mitty Hunters Club’ later exposed him as a fraud. His shirt was non-standard (boasting a semi-cutaway collar popular in the early 2000s, but not with the Naval Stores Department), his cuffs came down to his knuckles and he wore particularly distinguished medals to which he was not entitled. A retired naval officer commented to the Daily Telegraph:

“He has no warfare branch badge – surface, submariner or aviator – and it is impossible to imagine someone getting a DSO who was not in a command appointment. He also does not have all the jubilee medals that he should have and his cap badge looks dodgy.”

A retired soldier observed:

 “I never understand why they pretend to be mega-senior officers. Just pretend to be a chef, or something. It just doesn’t make sense.”

My surprise at a) people pretending to be members of the military but aren’t, and b) there are actual groups out there which exist solely for the purposes of exposing these charlatans, was compounded by c), an actual law which prohibits dressing up as military ranks to which one is not authorised- the Uniforms Act (1894). Curiously, between 2012–17, seven people in England and Wales appeared before the Bench, charged with breaching the Act. It seems that our friend in Llandudno is not alone and that there is a whole community of strange folk who like to dress up in order to convince people that they have had dashing, military pasts, when they have actually risked little or nothing for King and country. As well as the amusing aspect of this story, there is also a sad one: real military personnel have been injured and killed in those uniforms, and those who wrongly wear them dishonour those who do.

My latest reaction: “What a disgrace!”

Would you like to know something more shocking than frauds attending cenotaphs and presenting wreaths? People who claim the name of Christ but have never been convicted by His Spirit, regenerated by His grace, and submitted to His holy will. Tares, chaff, nominals, hypocrites, pharisees, blemishes, wolves in sheep’s clothing: call them what you will. They attend our churches, involve themselves in our affairs, sometimes even preaching in our pulpits and heading our organisations. Many enjoy wearing clerical dress and priestly attire, but they should heed the following verses even more carefully than our silly Welsh friend ought to have acquainted himself with the Uniforms Act:

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:22-24