Retired Rear Admiral Was Really a History Teacher

An ill-fitting uniform and "a combination of medals that no serviceman has ever won" helped bring down a man who'd been passing himself off as a Royal Navy rear admiral for years, per the Telegraph. Former history teacher Jonathan Carley, 65, was fined £500 ($650) on Monday after admitting in a UK court that he wore a Royal Navy uniform without permission at a Remembrance Sunday ceremony in Llandudno, north Wales, reports the BBC. Police later found an immaculate admiral's uniform, medals, and a ceremonial sword at his clifftop home, but no record that he had ever held the senior rank he displayed at public events.

Suspicion first flared at Llandudno's 2024 Remembrance parade, where veterans noticed Carley's oversized sword and a Distinguished Service Order (DSO) among his medals—an award so rare one retired rear admiral called it an "easy spot." He also wore a medal exclusive to military reservists, never awarded to anyone holding a DSO. When Carley reappeared at the 2025 ceremony, veterans were ready: Chief Petty Officer Terry Stewart left the parade to confront him, later telling the BBC he was convinced the neatly turned-out "admiral" was a fake. Arrested Nov. 14, Carley was prosecuted under a 19th-century law banning the unauthorized wearing of military dress, becoming just the eighth person in a decade to face court over the offense. There is no equivalent UK law covering fake medals.

In a police interview, Carley said he had been seeking "belonging and affirmation." Locals in north Wales say Carley had been turning up at events in admiral's dress since at least 2018, even giving a speech—sword and all—at a Battle of Rorke's Drift memorial where he praised military re-enactors. "Stolen valor is a serious offense and a profound insult to the Armed Forces community," said Chief Inspector Trystan Bevan of the North Wales Police. Speaking Monday, District Judge Gwyn Jones said Carley's actions "totally disrespect the memories of all those persons who have fallen and causes a great deal of pain to families."