A man suspected of impersonating a Royal Navy admiral has provoked outrage among veterans after laying a wreath at a Remembrance Sunday ceremony in Llandudno, North Wales. Jonathan Carley, 64, wore a Rear Admiral's uniform adorned with 12 medals, including the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) and the Queen's Volunteer Reserves Medal (QVRM), which experts say have never been awarded to the same person.
The Walter Mitty Hunters Club, a group that investigates stolen valour, stated that no records show anyone receiving both honours. Carley claimed to represent the Lord Lieutenant of Clwyd, but both the Lord Lieutenant and the local council said they did not know him and he was not on the guest list.
Further investigations revealed that Carley had attended two previous Remembrance Sunday events in Caernarfon in 2018 and 2019, also wearing the same uniform. Neighbours in Harlech reported that he had boasted about his fabricated military service for years. One neighbour described his actions as 'outrageous' and 'a pack of lies'.
Carley's only mention in the London Gazette lists him as a 2nd Lieutenant on probation with the Combined Cadet Force at Cheltenham College, where he worked as a history teacher. He has also claimed to have studied at Oxford and Harvard. A navy source said they were '99.9 per cent certain' he was a fake, noting that no admiral has ever been awarded the QVRM.
