While it is often said that the British Royal Navy has more admirals than warships, the claim is a misleading simplification. It all depends on how one defines “admirals” and “warships.”

In recent years, the Royal Navy has employed around 40 admirals serving in various capacities. Many of these officers, however, hold non-seagoing, administrative, or international diplomatic positions. Defining the rank of admiral more narrowly, there are roughly 14 officers of the rank of Rear Admiral and above serving in the Navy command.

The Royal Navy is currently operating a fleet of around 17-18 major surface combatants (destroyers and frigates). The number of ships rises to over 70 vessels when fleet submarines, mine countermeasures vessels, patrol ships, and various support vessels are included in the count. So the “more admirals than warships” claim is true only if one defines “admirals” broadly and “warships” rather narrowly.

Regardless of how admiral is defined, the Royal Navy appeared to have an extra at a Remembrance Sunday wreath-laying service on November 9, in Llandudno, in North Wales. Photos taken at the commemoration show a man in a naval officer’s uniform laying a wreath at the Llandudno war memorial before marching away. 

The epaulettes and sleeve lace he wore signified a rear admiral, a two-star position and one of the highest ranks in the Royal Navy.  On his chest, the man wore 12 medals and a MBE. 

Something, however, was not quite right. The man’s uniform was ill-fitting, and he wore a non-regulation shirt.  Sharp-eyed veterans immediately questioned the Distinguished Service Order medal on his chest, which is typically awarded to infantry officers. No serving Royal Navy officer has been awarded the DSO, and it hasn’t been presented for more than three decades. He was also seen to be wearing an Operation Telic medal (Iraq).  No single serviceperson is believed to have been bestowed with both medals.

The “admiral” was a phoney, an imposter. Police arrested Jonathan David Carley, 64, a retired history teacher, of Harlech, Gwynedd. He was charged with wearing a uniform or dress bearing the mark of His Majesty’s forces without permission.

Suffice it to say that Carley was never a Royal Navy admiral.  He was commissioned into the reserves as a 2nd Lt (on Probation), the lowest officer rank, in July 1991.  His reserve commission was terminated just four and a half years later, in February 1995.

This was not the first time that Carley hoisted his admiral’s pennant. The Walter Mitty Hunters Club, which exposes cases of “stolen valour,” found pictures of Carley at two previous remembrance events in 2018 and 2019. On those occasions, he carried a ceremonial sword but was not wearing his DSO.

Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.