Claiming to be an Officer.

Good Morning.

I will pre-warn that this is NOT a walt hunt, rather an attempt to establish the truth so the man in question can get the appropriate help.

I work for a small charity in Portsmouth, and we deal with many "off the street" walk-in clients.
They come with all sorts of stories and backgrounds. We can usually sort the bluffers from the truth tellers, as we need to establish who they are so they can receive the appropriate/correct assitance/funding/direction.

We have been approached by a 29 year old gentleman claiming to be an officer, but the things he is telling us are not adding up, a case of 2 + 2 = 25.

As I said above, i dont want to expose him, i want to help him.

He claims his number starts with a "2" , but with 6 digits, claiming "yeah, they changed them a few years after I joined"
Claims that pre-sandhurst he studied military history at Shrivenham at 17-18 until he was old enough to attend the course
Claims that after Sandhurst commissioning course, he was offererd to stay on "to study military history" for a few months and thats "why theres some confusion over dates"

And a number of other bluffs involving "Them" and other bits. Oh, and goes around with an NI daysack with a Captains slide tacked on.

Not being an officer, i am without the necessary knowledge to call him out completely, but my experience tells me that something is wrong. I have a feeling he is maybe an Ex-Ranker, or Ex-TA, neither of which bar him from getting help from us, we just need to know the truth.

If there is anyone out there that could confirm that what i've posted is guff, or point me down the relevant (official if nessecary) route, it would be most appreciated.

 

Something fishy about the numbers. An officers number used to have 6 digits, a soldiers 8. As an example I was issued my soldier number in 1999 and it started 25 and had 8 digits, when I comissioned in 2005 I was given an Officer number starting 56 and with 6 digits.

I believe the system has recently changed so that everyone joining after a certain date gets an 8 digit number starting 300. Id say your mate has knocked 2 digits off the end of his soldier number (who knows why) , an officer number starting with 2 would put him well above 29 years old.

 

Doesn't sound very likely tbh. Welbeck is the most likely place anyone would study with the military pre Sandhurst at that age and also unlikely that he'd be asked to stay on to further study post-RMAS.

From his age and what he's saying he'd have commissioned roughly the same time I did. My joining number as an OR a couple of years earlier ('97) starts 249 and my commissioned number is 56xxxx so that should give you some idea.

He should appear in the London Gazette, probably 3 times. Firstly when he got his first pip, then on promotion to Lt. and again when he was promoted to Capt.

 

. . . and again when he retired/resigned/dismissed/transferred to reserve/yadda yadda

 

My soldier number started 242 and my occifer number started 49 - and I ain't 29 These numbers are early '70's.

 

Is this man in the Army List for the relevant years? if not, then he is not an Officer.

London Gazette is on line.

 

29 and starts with 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm 60 joined in 71 and number is 242 etc etc etc,
you don't have to be brain of Britain to work this one out.

 

However, he knows enough to have served in some form. So give him a cuddle.

 

Precisley.

I have enough knowledge from my own time to smell that something aint right. And to be honest I dont really care who / what he was exactly, i just need to establish the facts so he can get the appropriate assistance.
I thought something was up, asked my Adjt and some others, who agreed that something was fishy, but they couldn't be sure, so i thought of asking the great font of knowledge that is ARRSE.

### Update###

Denying all queries, refusing to answer as its "sensitive" or "we will see the full picture once we get to know him".

Boss wants to mag - to - grid him, but i think he cleary in need of help, professional or otherwise.

 

What is he after exactly?

 

Shrivenham never taught military history (the clue being the 'S' in RMCS! ), although there was a military history society which he might have been able to attend if he was a pad brat or local ACF (minimum age of students was 18 ).

Ask him what color the boat house was...or the college club!

Although to be honest, I can't remember myself. It was mostly dark, and covered in cheap beer, sick, and radiographers!

 

Hes lying his tits off.

I joined as a soldier in 1995 and number was 2504****
Commissioned in 2003 and Number was 55****

Regtl numbers changed about 2007 (ish) so all officers now have 8 digit numbers.

Your best bet is to ask him his number and/or capbadge so you can get in touch with his Regtl association, if he is ex serving then I am sure they would be keen to help him out, regardless of rank/timeserved. You could even say this is a pre requisite before you can assist him (just a thought)

This doesnt even warrant being fishy, hes making it up and doing a bad job of it. His reasons may be sound but.... in my experience, those that have actually served never lie about rank as they are all, quite rightly, proud of what they earned.

My gut feeling is he has never served.

 

So basically then going on the prevoius intellectual information given he maybe a bloody liar!,therefore NO trust.

 

Add to my last (sorry not quick enough) there is a run of Army Lists on the top floor of Portsmouth Central Library. Take id if you do not have a Portsmouth library card.

 

Shrivenham took complete civilians at least until the early 90s. It is therefore possible for someone to gone to shriv, then to get commissioned. But, as someone else has commented, they specialised on science.