Caution - serious thread drift!....However,
TTN - over the years Ihave encountered chaps with some 'interesting' medals including some displaying self-purchased commemorative trinkets. Some people take great offence at these; for the most part I believe that they are harmless old fogeys who want to show what they did in their years Serving.
However, there is a collection of 'walts' that big themselves up with real campaign medals/clasps. If I have a few minutes, I read
www.anzmi.net - an Australasian group who expose wannabees - and these wannabees are invariably guys in their 60s who have claimed to have been SF in 'Nam. Some succesfully manage to get veteran's benefits as well.
There's also a few ex UK guys who claim dark deads on behalf of HMG; of course Arrse has a veritable
Pantheon of walts. Last night I watched - albeit briefly - 'the Battle of Arnhem' where a group of teens had to live and fight like the Paras. This included mixing it with re-enactment walts, including SS paras. Hmmmmmm. Wouldn't let them around my kids.
PS Simion Bryant is a top bloke, by the way (thread back on track!)