Mark Hone Posted 13 April , 2004 Share Posted 13 April , 2004 Mention on another thread of the recently-discovered ANZAC who may or may not be a genuine veteran got me thinking about whether there were a lot of men who invented or radically exaggerated their military service after the Great War. Nowadays you often hear about individuals who claim to be former members of the SAS, Paras and in the US, Navy SEALS. Martin Middlebrook mentions in his classic book on Arnhem meeting phoney WWII airborne veterans at remembrance commemorations. Have Pals encountered this phenomenon in connection with the Great War? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevenbec Posted 13 April , 2004 Share Posted 13 April , 2004 Mate, There is now a group both in Australia and the US who bust blokes who claim to have served in Vietnam. I have meet some of them, as many were old mates of mine on Anzac day's who check out any new blokes joining in the marches. I have seen a few mug's doing a runner after being so busted. S.B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markinbelfast Posted 13 April , 2004 Share Posted 13 April , 2004 I've had three MM's to Canadians pass through my hands to other collectors...none of these men were entitled to them!! seems they decided to award themselves the medals! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 3RAR Posted 13 April , 2004 Share Posted 13 April , 2004 As S.B. posted-a lot of "phonies" or wannabes are exposed by a group who investigate "shonky" cases. Even by talking to someone you can often pick up mistakes they make in telling of their experiences or units they were "in"(however this would be hard to do these days with the remaining WW1 veterans being living icons-and their experiences occuring some 90 years ago). With regard to the discovery of this "new Anzac", I can understand to a degree his keeping quiet about his war service but as I wrote above, W.W.1 veterans in Australia are revered (and quite rightly) by the nation therefore why wait until now to "come out of the woodwork". It might have been perceived by the individual as a personal thing to deny participating in the war but over the past few decades the plaudits given to Great War participants would have (in my opinion) changed this viewpoint. It will be interesting to see how this case turns out as apparantly there are no service records regarding this man's claim. This is puzzling given the fact that Australian records should be more available than British ones (we werent Blitzed). If, as has been claimed the man served under a false name-now that he has gone public, surely that can be easily checked out? Also, as has been mentioned on a previous thread, if there are no records of verification, on what basis did he recently receive the decoration from the French Government given to all W.W.1 Veterans? The plot thickens.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 13 April , 2004 Share Posted 13 April , 2004 In my college fraternity house there was a plaque to Harold Pulliam a naval ensign killed in 1919. A few years ago I decided to research him & ran across his brother Keilling Gaines Pulliam who was a flyer in WW1, French CDG, shot down over London while training with RAF etc. Well there was no raid that night, turns out he never flew in combat. My article on him was in our US WFA magazine & is on WFA web site. http://westernfrontassociation.com/thegrea...viduals/kgp.htm Well the link does not work, go to WFA site then educational resources then individuals & personalities, you will find story there, what a liar he was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted 13 April , 2004 Share Posted 13 April , 2004 Hello Mr Guthrie A surprisingly good article Its amazing what people will believe when its presented to them in newsprint. By the way, the reason the link does not work is because there is a gap between the end of front and the beginning of association (numb skull), well I suppose thats what you get when you allow hillbillies near technology Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Carter Posted 13 April , 2004 Share Posted 13 April , 2004 Hi Mark I thought you might be interested in a Birmingham soldier of the Royal Warwicks (Benacre St, Balsall Heath) whose entry in the 'National Roll of the Great War' is quite impressive. I wonder if he wrote the entry himself? Bourne W H. He was called up from the Reserve and drafted to the Western Front in August 1914. In this theatre of war he took part in the Battles of Mons, the Marne, the Aisne, La Bassee, Ypres, Neuve Chapelle, Levantie, Festubert, Loos, Armientieres, the Somme and Vimy Ridge, and also heavy fighting at Dixmude. He was wounded in action on sixteen different occasions, and was admitted to hospital each time. He received his last wound at Estaires in December, 1917. he was invalided home after two months in hospital and discharged as medically unfit for further service. With the aid of some excellent research material compiled by Forum member Rob Williams there is no mention of a W H Bourne in the Birmingham Daily Post casualty lists. There is, however, a W Bourne who was listed as wounded on three occasions. Regards Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmsk212 Posted 13 April , 2004 Share Posted 13 April , 2004 I have a 14-15 Star with an unoriginal looking naming to a Captain H J C Tighe who doesn't seem to have existed in real life. Maybe I have just missed him or maybe he was an ordinary oik who liked the idea of having the rank of Captain to impress his mates. I would be really interested in finding out more about him. Any ideas? Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 13 April , 2004 Share Posted 13 April , 2004 Low tech hillbilly indeed! Have tried to fix it but it won't come up, frustrating to be so inept. An old pal is the Laurel County prosecutor. Think he could find some good stuff on you Andy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 13 April , 2004 Share Posted 13 April , 2004 Steve, I can't find such a person either. If you take his first initial 'H,' this must be followed by a vowel - so HA, HE, HI, HO, HU and HY (just in case!). Enter those into the 1901 census followed by a * plus TIGHE and you only get a few names: Harold Harry Henry Herbert Hubert Hugh Hy Now enter those names in the FreeBMD register - and there is just one person who comes close: Henry James Tighe born (and died as a baby) in West Ham in 1893. Tighe just seems a strange name to choose..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 13 April , 2004 Share Posted 13 April , 2004 Hi Mark I thought you might be interested in a Birmingham soldier of the Royal Warwicks (Benacre St, Balsall Heath) whose entry in the 'National Roll of the Great War' is quite impressive. I wonder if he wrote the entry himself? Bourne W H. He was called up from the Reserve and drafted to the Western Front in August 1914. In this theatre of war he took part in the Battles of Mons, the Marne, the Aisne, La Bassee, Ypres, Neuve Chapelle, Levantie, Festubert, Loos, Armientieres, the Somme and Vimy Ridge, and also heavy fighting at Dixmude. He was wounded in action on sixteen different occasions, and was admitted to hospital each time. He received his last wound at Estaires in December, 1917. he was invalided home after two months in hospital and discharged as medically unfit for further service. With the aid of some excellent research material compiled by Forum member Rob Williams there is no mention of a W H Bourne in the Birmingham Daily Post casualty lists. There is, however, a W Bourne who was listed as wounded on three occasions. Regards Terry I think we are talking about 2 types of person here: 1. The soldier who exaggerates his service. 2. The person who never served at all but claims to have done so. In my job as a Personal Manager, I have come across several of the latter but the former is harder to prove - not that it particularly concerns us. With British WW1 soldiers there is one issue that we need to take heed of - the Home Service soldier whose service record was destroyed. There is officially no proof that they served. Unfortunately their contribution is forgotten. I have occasionally come across a rogue 14 or 14/15 Star with a pair, but who knows when they added along the chain - the veteran themselves or a medal dealer/collector with plentiful access to single Stars Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 13 April , 2004 Share Posted 13 April , 2004 I have a deserter from a Scottish Regt. who was wounded, treated in Ballymena and sent to the Scottish Command Convalescent Depot in Randalstown. He' fell in' with some local girls and went AWOL. Believe it or not, they told the court when they were caught hiding him that he had claimed to be a 'secret agent' receiving £3000 a year from the Government etc. A great court case which is now in the hands of Jock Bruce who has been most helpful. I was glad to put this one his way! Does this count as a 'fake veteran' - this guy was a veteran but he was a fake spy ... well I don't know that for certain. Yet. Jock - any news? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jock Bruce Posted 14 April , 2004 Share Posted 14 April , 2004 Des, afraid I haven't even touched it yet - currently passing through UK between Belguim and Denmark - may come to rest by the end of the month! Jock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 14 April , 2004 Share Posted 14 April , 2004 I'll hear from you then .. all the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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