Retired Rear Admiral Was Really a History Teacher

An ill-fitting uniform and an implausible set of medals exposed a man who had been posing as a Royal Navy rear admiral for years, according to the Telegraph. Jonathan Carley, 65, a former history teacher, was fined £500 (about $650) on Monday after admitting in a UK court that he wore a Royal Navy uniform without authorization at a Remembrance Sunday ceremony in Llandudno, North Wales, the BBC reported.

Following the ceremony, police searched Carley’s clifftop home and discovered a pristine admiral’s uniform, a collection of medals, and a ceremonial sword. Investigators found no evidence that Carley had ever held the senior naval rank he displayed at public events.

Doubts first arose during Llandudno’s 2024 Remembrance parade, when veterans noticed Carley carrying an oversized sword and wearing a Distinguished Service Order (DSO), a highly rare decoration. One retired rear admiral later said the combination of medals was an immediate red flag. Carley was also wearing a medal reserved exclusively for military reservists, which has never been awarded to someone holding a DSO.

When Carley returned for the 2025 ceremony, veterans were prepared. Chief Petty Officer Terry Stewart stepped out of the parade to challenge him, later telling the BBC he was convinced the well-presented “admiral” was an impostor. Carley was arrested on Nov. 14 and later charged under a 19th-century law that prohibits the unauthorized wearing of military uniforms. He is the eighth person in the past decade to be prosecuted under the statute. The UK has no equivalent law addressing the wearing of fake medals.

During a police interview, Carley said he had been seeking “belonging and affirmation.” Residents in North Wales said he had appeared at public events in admiral’s attire since at least 2018, including delivering a speech—while carrying his sword—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 North Wales Police. Sentencing Carley on Monday, District Judge Gwyn Jones said his actions “totally disrespect the memories of all those who have fallen and cause a great deal of pain to their families.”

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