ARmy Rumour SErvice

The webpage http://walt-watch.50webs.com/shortt.htm was pulled because the ISP received the following;

This is an initial courtesy email to make you aware of legal action that is being taken against forums in the UK (including www.Arrse.com) and Ireland and one personal website in the United States of America. . Through out the thread correspondents have quoted as facts defamatory remarks made anonymously in the forums mentioned and have added their own defamatory remarks as you will note. Repeating a defamatory article or post without checking the absolute veracity of the remarks is in itself a defamation. A person from the Arrse forum identifying himself as 'gas,gas,gas' has continually defamed the International Bodyguard Association and myself in that forum. This person has reproduced our copyright photographs of myself from various IBA sites in Europe and USA added defamatory remarks such as walt representing on the 'arrse' site as Walt(er) mitty. These Photos of me (one) is from a medal presentation by the Defnce Ministry in the Balkan Region, (two) from a ceremony at Budapest Castle, Hungary and (three) from a reception at The House of Lords (British Parliament)
As the person defamed by this I ask an urgent and immediate review of the contents of this page. www.walt-watch.50webs.com/shortt.htm
The correct course of action is to remove this site and its' defamatory postings.
Many of the correspondents have been identified and will be contacted individually.These include an individual XXXX XXXXX of San Diego, California. Mr XXXXX has authored a page of defamation and malicious falsehood. He has linked this page hosted by you to his defamatory website made entries on his pages directing people to your site and to his postings on the Arrse website.. Mr XXXX is now the subject of an action by myself and my legal representatives.

My XXXXXs at this stage.

Originally Posted by Gas Gas Gas

The webpage http://walt-watch.50webs.com/shortt.htm was pulled because the ISP received the following;

This is an initial courtesy email to make you aware of legal action that is being taken against forums in the UK (including www.Arrse.com) and Ireland and one personal website in the United States of America. . Through out the thread correspondents have quoted as facts defamatory remarks made anonymously in the forums mentioned and have added their own defamatory remarks as you will note. Repeating a defamatory article or post without checking the absolute veracity of the remarks is in itself a defamation. A person from the Arrse forum identifying himself as 'gas,gas,gas' has continually defamed the International Bodyguard Association and myself in that forum. This person has reproduced our copyright photographs of myself from various IBA sites in Europe and USA added defamatory remarks such as walt representing on the 'arrse' site as Walt(er) mitty. These Photos of me (one) is from a medal presentation by the Defnce Ministry in the Balkan Region, (two) from a ceremony at Budapest Castle, Hungary and (three) from a reception at The House of Lords (British Parliament)
As the person defamed by this I ask an urgent and immediate review of the contents of this page. www.walt-watch.50webs.com/shortt.htm
The correct course of action is to remove this site and its' defamatory postings.
Many of the correspondents have been identified and will be contacted individually.These include an individual XXXX XXXXX of San Diego, California. Mr XXXXX has authored a page of defamation and malicious falsehood. He has linked this page hosted by you to his defamatory website made entries on his pages directing people to your site and to his postings on the Arrse website.. Mr XXXX is now the subject of an action by myself and my legal representatives.

My XXXXXs at this stage.

Although this "courtesy mail" seems to be no more than a bit of shroud waving it does highlight the possible problems that could be faced by contributors to threads.
On balance, from what I have read on this site, it would be difficult to prove any defamation without raking through a lot of (apparently) unflattering history.

I've gone over my page at http://byronik.com/cqb.html and, as far as I can tell, I've followed his instructions to the letter. But now he's telling the world that individual XXXX XXXXX of San Diego, California is subject to legal action.

I wouldn't worry about it. In any court worth its' salt he'd be laughed out when one or two of the more checkable facts about his past are queried. I suspect that he knows how expensive it could get - for him - and is merely barking.

I think he is banking on the "legal" threat to get ISPs to bin the "offending" websites. ISPs would rather "bottle it" than investigate the case on it merits.

From you updated webpage; did the supporting documentation he supplied add up?

....The correct course of action is to remove this site and its' defamatory postings.....

The "defamatory postings" consisted of a collage of photographs, namely three into one. Not one unkind word was written. The only text identified the individual pictures as the Baron Castleshort.

Originally Posted by Gas Gas Gas

did the supporting documentation he supplied add up?

It depends what you mean by add up. The attachments seem to be irrelevant to any of the queries raised in ARRSE and yet the Baron has asked me not to disseminate them in any shape or form, so I'll endeavour to be circumspect.

There are letters and certificates from 1980 to 2008 heaping high praise on Mr. James Shortt and thanking him for having given various lectures and sundry training to members of the US Air Force, the US special forces, 21 SAS, Her Majesty's Household Guards at Pirbright, the State Special Security Agency of Mongolia and the UK Cabinet Office's Departmental Security Unit.

The Latvian police awarded him the Security Police Silver badge, presumably in recognition of providing their personnel with quality training through the auspices of the International Bodyguard Association.

In every case, he is referred to as "Jim Short," "Mr. James G. Shortt," "Mr. J. Short," "J Short Esq." or "Baron Castleshort": never with any military rank whatsoever, even when his civilian name appears on a list of other lecturers whose names are prefaced with "Maj" "Capt" or "SSgt."

The only evidence that he ever served in H.M. armed forces is on page 79 of Mars & Minerva of July 1994, where an acknowledgment for the use of an illustration out of one of Shortt's books states that "he served with" B Sqn. 21 SAS.

A typewritten note (undated) purporting to be an extract from 21 SAS part two orders states that James Shortt was attached to B and HQ Sqns for a brief period whilst he carried out research for one of his books.

A page of a European passport verifies that the holder is also known as Baron Shortt of Castleshort. But the Passport Office will probably list any aliases on that page. And I don't think any of us suggested that he didn't purchase his title fair and square.

I've never expressed any malice towards the Baron and I always remembered him with the greatest respect until I happened to find the photo of him wearing that orange skirt.

It's reasonable to assume that somebody who holds an aristocratic title and dresses so eccentrically doesn't expect to pass unnoticed. And surely ridicule is fair comment.

With regard to his "supporting documentation";

There are letters and certificates from 1980 to 2008 heaping high praise on Mr. James Shortt and thanking him for having given various lectures and sundry training to members of the US Air Force, the US special forces, 21 SAS, Her Majesty's Household Guards at Pirbright, the State Special Security Agency of Mongolia and the UK Cabinet Office's Departmental Security Unit.

I don't think anyone has questioned his skills at martial arts.

A typewritten note (undated) purporting to be an extract from 21 SAS part two orders states that James Shortt was attached to B and HQ Sqns for a brief period whilst he carried out research for one of his books.

Surely being "attached" to do some research is very different from being actually badged as one of THEM?

The areas of doubt and puzzlement remain:

*His actual "badged" service with various UK SF viz SAS Para wings and SBS badge.
*His title of Baron Castleshort.
*His dress sense.
*His involvement with the LoF and the Royal Galloglas Guard.

I trust he is not planning to use IBA funds to pay for his own legal costs. As far as I can see the IBA have not been "defamed" in any way. Having a DG that who lays himself open to public ridicule is a hazard.

I will see if I can tempt a friendly learn'd friend to go through all the Castleshort posts to see what she thinks. I'll just have to hope she is on a quiet period at work otherwise getting her to wade through at least 35 webpages of Shortt related posts will be a challenge.