Entries with Surname (Title)s starting with 'F'

Kevin Fleming is a Merchant Marine Officer who attended a Merchant Navy Memorial Day in Adelaide in September 2018, photographs of him were recorded on a Facebook page

He is wearing:

Merchant Navy Meritorious Service

Merchant Navy Service Cross

Merchant Navy commendation

Korea Peace Ambassador

Executives of the Maritime Association of Australia, advise that they follow Australian Government and Returned Services League (RSL) protocols in relation to the wearing of medals.

Fleming has no genuine medals and all he is wearing are non authorised Commemorative Medals. Protocol dictates that if they are to be worn, they must be worn on the right breast.

Perhaps the Australian Merchant Navy Association could publish a notice to all members regarding medals protocol.

We welcome Kevin Fleming aboard and wish him a good voyage on the good ship ANZMI.

Case notes:

How do you know when a wannabe is lying?   Usually when they can’t even tell you basic information on their service in the Australian Defence Force.

Meet David FLOOD from Katherine in the Northern Territory.   Here we see a gonged-up David FLOOD relaxing with a hard-earned beer after participating in an ANZAC Day Ceremony.   Nothing wrong with that, unless you are a complete fraud and didn’t earn any of the Medals and Awards shown in the photograph.

We first became alerted to FLOOD when this photograph was sent to us and it was noted that while he wears the Australian Active Service Medal (AASM), he does not wear any campaign medal which might be expected.

We did some checking and found no records of FLOOD ever having served in the ADF.   WE contacted him and asked if he could explain this apparent anomaly but after numerous emails we were still left in the dark until we received an email apologising for his actions.

It is an offence to wear medals and awards you are not entitled too.   This is a simple case of a wannabe, fraudster who was happy to have everyone believe he was a returned serviceman.   But not just an ex-serviceman, but rather, he portrayed himself as being just that little bit special.

Directorate of Special Forces?   Oh, why can’t these wannabes just be a plain old cook, a rifleman or a tanky?   No, it is always ‘Special Forces’ because they believe their stories of daring-do cannot be checked.   

David FLOOD is a fraud, he is committing offences against the Defence Act Defence Act 1903, where he is in breach of Part VII Sections 80A and 80B, which state there is a maximum penalty of $3,300 fine and six months imprisonment or both for:

80A. Falsely representing to be returned soldier, sailor or airman
80B. Improper use of service decorations

DEFENCE ACT 1903 - SECT 80A

Falsely representing to be returned soldier, sailor or airman

(1) A person is guilty of an offence if:

(a) the person represents himself or herself to be a returned soldier, sailor or airman; and

(b) the representation is false.

Penalty: 30 penalty units or imprisonment for 6 months, or both.

(2) For the purposes of this section:

(a) returned soldier means a person who has served abroad during any war as a member of any Military Force raised in Australia or in any other part of the British Empire, or as a member of the Military Forces of any Ally of Great Britain;

(b) returned sailor means a person who has served abroad during any war as a member of any Naval Force raised in Australia or in any other part of the British Empire, or as a member of the Naval Forces of any Ally of Great Britain; and

(c) returned airman means a person who has served abroad during any war as a member of any Air Force, air service or flying corps raised in Australia or in any other part of the British Empire or as a member of the air forces of any Ally of Great Britain

DEFENCE ACT 1903 - SECT 80B

Improper use of service decorations

(1) A person is guilty of an offence if:

(a) the person wears a service decoration; and

(b) the person is not the person on whom the decoration was conferred.

Penalty: 30 penalty units or imprisonment for 6 months, or both.

(2) Where the person upon whom a service decoration was conferred has died, it is not an offence against subsection (1) for a member of the family of that person to wear the service decoration if the member of the family does not represent himself as being the person upon whom the decoration was conferred.

Note: The defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matter in subsection (2). See subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code.

(3) It is not an offence against subsection (1) for a person to wear a service decoration in the course of a dramatic or other visual representation (including such a representation to be televised) or in the making of a cinematograph film.

Note: The defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matter in subsection (3). See subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code.

(4) A person shall not falsely represent himself as being the person upon whom a service decoration has been conferred.

Penalty: 30 penalty units or imprisonment for 6 months, or both.

(5) A person shall not deface or destroy, by melting or otherwise, a service decoration.

Penalty: 60 penalty units or imprisonment for 12 months, or both.

Welcome to the real-world David Flood. 

Christopher Leslie Ford is the epitome of the reason we exist. He claims to be a returned Veteran and he is not. He wears six Defence Medals he did not earn.  He wears numerous badges he did not earn. He has marched on ANZAC Day as if he were a genuine Veteran.  He has dressed  in Army uniform portraying himself as a much decorated Special Air Service  (SASR) Warrant Officer Class Two.

The  photograph was taken at the Huskisson Returned Services League (RSL) Club in the Jervis Bay area of  New South Wales on ANZAC Day 2011.  A major Royal Australian Navy unit and the Defence Parachute Training School are all located in this area. At the

RSL Ford was quickly approached  by RSL members and he was seen scurrying off.  Here is a report of that encounter from  erudite members of the Huskisson RSL.

"Another was primarily dressed in Army uniform 2A for a SASR WO2, but

with the fol anomalies; brown T-shirt visible under shirt, no infantry

red sash, Regt lanyard on right/incorrect shoulder, WW2 medals over

right breast pocket, and over the left breast pocket a combination of

current ADF medals & ribbon bars for same incl unit citations; & SASR

para wings & beret.

It is understood that the person described wearing uniform is / maybe,

Chris Ford.

It is also understood that he has claimed to have served in 3RAR & SASR

in the MEAO.

This person was particularly apparent to all ADF pers present at the RSL

luncheon for his unusual and inappropriate form of dress. He was

questioned by two members of PTS after which he left the RSL function.

SGT XXX has since questioned current SASR pers

WRT this person who have no knowledge of a Chris Ford in SASR.

It is apparent that this person is illegally presenting himself as an

SASR mbr with operational experience, wearing uniforms and awards to

which he is / may not be entitled".

Ford is a pitiful man with a history of "fleecing" money from vulnerable people. He fakes Defence caused Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as part of his method of operation.

He also claims to have been shot through the left shoulder during his "war service" .  We guarantee he has no Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) file where such matters as PTSD and war caused injuries are dealt with.

At various times he has claimed to have served in the following locations:

Rwanda

East Timor

Cambodia

Iraq

Afghanistan

Somalia

Swanbourne (Barracks of Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) )

Townsville

Canungra

The medals and badges he wears on his left breast in the  photographs are:

Infantry Combat Badge

Australian Active Service Medal  

AfghanistanMedal

IraqMedal

Australian Service Medal

Australian Defence Medal

United Nations Special Service Medal

On his right breast he wears:

Medals purporting to be those of a direct relative

Unit Citation for Gallantry

Meritorious Unit Citation

Army Individual Readiness Notification Badge (Steyr Rifle)

On his right sleeve:

SASR Parachute wings

He also wears a Lanyard on the wrong shoulder.

On his left sleeve

Skill at Arms Badge 'S'  (Indicating he is a qualified Sniper).

All of the medals and badges are fake and for wearing them he can be charged by State Police under the Defence Act 1903 Part VII Sections 80A and 80B

80A.    Falsely representing to be returned soldier 

80B.    Improper use of service decorations  

His fake PTSD allows him to bludge on those who take him in and provide him with the necessities of life. 

This man is the enemy of all those in the Veteran and ex Service community.  He is the worst kind of malingering, lying, fraudulent wannabe and excuse  for a human being.

If you see him report him to us and we will ensure that establishments in his area are appraised of his presence

We are probably the only organisation in  Australian and New Zealand to proudly welcome him  to be featured  a star performer on a web site.

Andrew James Forsdike was born on the 20 April, 1949. He enlisted in the Australian Regular Army in June, 1966, and for ten months from May 1968 to March, 1969, he served in the former Republic of South Vietnam. His records indicate that he was a Temporary Bombadier, Royal Regiment of Australia Artillery. – 12 Field Regiment.

Forsdike wears an Order of Australia Medal and a Commendation for Bravery, (recognition for his actions at a road accident in NSW) both of these, he has earned and we congratulate him. He should be satisfied with his lot. It is a pity when a person who has been "through the mill" and has a rack of medals to be proud of, becomes recalcitrant and insists on adding awards that have not been properly bestowed on him.

Here is a list of all the medals and badges that he wears:

Order of Australia Medal
Commendation for Bravery
Australian Active Service Medal
Vietnam Medal
Australian Defence Medal
Centenary Medal
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Medal with Palm (RVGC) - NOT ENTITLED
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Infantry Combat Badge - NOT ENTITLED

Notice he wears the RVGC with Palm which is the second from the right of his rack of medals and the Infantry Combat Badge (ICB) above his medals

When asked about the RVCG and the ICB, Forsdike responded as follows inter alia -;

Goodday xxxxx

firstly let me say that there are a lot of very jealous Vietnam Veterans out there. Especially with me having the OAM the Commendation for Brave Conduct the Centenary of Federation Medal the ICB and ACB and the Gilmore Medal you can check these on its an Honour web site.
The ICB, I have had numerous people asking why I was wearing the ICB, especially in my unit, as I was the only one awarded it for my actions at Coral, I also have the ACB, thats (sic) why I currently have a request in the Central Army records asking for a copy of the recommendation my Co put in to Army HQ in Saigon on the 13th may 1968 asking that I be awarded the ICB, the incedent (sic) no (sic) is 7819615 this was awarded to me in 1971 just before I left the Army, and its (sic) on my discharge Certificate.
I did apply to the Australian Gov asking about the Cross of Gallantry , I worked for the NSW Police for the last 15 years, and because I wore a uniform I asked my friends in the Commonwealth Police was it illegal to wear this ribbon on my uniform , they said that there is no law saying it is illegal to wear a foreign award . on your uniform, and they also stated that the RSL cannot tell you what or wear (Sic) you can wear an award, it can only give guide lines. I also wrote to the minister for defence years ago when I said that all Australian troops who came under the command of the US MACV were entitled to it, he gave me a whole lot of crap, so I wrote to the US government who said that our Minister was playing with words. By her saying that Australian troops were never under the operational Command of the US Government, this we have proved to be wrong. I am not popular with 102 bty as I made a mistake by saying there (sic) officers did not do there (sic) job at Coral, when in actual fact I repeated some thing that was said to me, when I should not have, as there (sic) officers were all very brave men, and did there (sic) jobs well.

Andy

Make your own judgement about Forsdike's mention on "lots of jealous Vietnam veterans". His OAM, Commendation for Bravery and the Centenary Medal are all officially listed, however we have no idea what the "Gilmore Medal" may be.

If, as he states, the ICB is listed on his Discharge Certificate and it was issued to him in 1971, then it is either a false claim or a mistake, that can, and should be rectified. Forsdike claims a recommendation for the ICB was forwarded to Army HQs Saigon by his unit on 13th May 1968. The ICB did not exist in 1968. It was early 1970 when the then Director of Infantry, Colonel David Thompson and the Chief of General Staff Sir Thomas Daly discussed and instigated the badge.

Here is what was written by Colonel David Thompson about the instigation of the ICB:

"In early 1970 I was sent for by the CGS. During our discussion I suggested that it was time for the Infantry Corps to have an Infantry Combat Badge to be worn by Infantrymen who had served overseas in operations.

The CGS agreed with enthusiasm and told me to design a suitable badge for Australia".

It is inconceivable that his Artillery unit took action to award him a non existent ICB on the same day as his actions at Fire Support Base Coral on 13th May 1968.

Here is part of the official instructions regarding the ICB:

1. Who is entitled to wear the ICB?

Members of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps who, in an infantry posting as part of an Infantry Battalion were deployed for, at least, 90 days to an operational area and subsequently awarded the Infantry Combat Badge.

If, as Forsdike claims he, or ill advised superior officers and public servants, finagled an approval to wear the ICB, it was wrongly awarded and must be rescinded. Alternatively, Forsdike could simply not wear it.

Forsdike is oblivious to Defence, RSL and general protocols. He should however, be aware of the Defence Act 1903 Part VII section 80B Improper use of Service decorations. Many fraudsters and wannabes have been dealt with by courts relating to this legislation . An Australian Federal Police Officer named Kelly Wingkee Luk was dealt with by Federal Police for fudging medals entitlement -;

mail.anzmi.net/index.php/cheats-thieves/valour-thieves/71-luk

Simply put, Forsdike is "Medal Hungry" and appears to have spent most of his life chasing medals.

'In March 2017 he had a family member take a case to the Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal (AAT). He was seeking a Military Medal (MM) or Medal of Gallantry (MG) (these are prestigious war time bravery medals) for his participation at Fire Support Base Coral, east of Lai Khe, Binh Duong Province, South Vietnam in the early morning of 13th May 1968.

It is somewhat, audacious and vainglorious to instigate legal action to have oneself awarded a bravery medal and it is indicative of his narcissistic need to collect awards.

Forsdike claimed he did not get a bravery medal because of maladministration by his unit at the time, however the Tribunal found there was no maladministration, and although Forsdike did honourable service it was not of a standard to warrant an MM or MG. See 25 pages here:

2017_DHAAT_009_Ford on behalf of Forsdike – Decision Report

"The Tribunal finds that Bombardier Forsdike’s actions on 12/13 May 1968 at FSB Coral were undeniably brave but do not meet the threshold for a gallantry award. This finding does not in any way diminish the contribution Bombardier Forsdike made to his Regiment during his service in Vietnam.

On 15 February 2016, the Director General Personnel – Army (DGPers-A) provided a response to the Tribunal that, in the absence of maladministration or a failure in due process, the original decisions of the ‘decision-makers of the time’ be upheld and no further recognition be given to Lance Bombardier Forsdike. No review of the merits of the application was conducted"

Medals, awards and badges are presented by our Federal Government for defence service or for exemplary public service to our nation. If we were to follow Forsdike's ideas and actions, where medals are completely unregulated and no one can tell him what to wear, imagine what would happen if "medal hungry" wannabes throughout Australia were allowed free reign. The value and status of defence service and our medals system would be destroyed.

ANZMI strives to protect Australian and New Zealand protocols and heritage, We will report any person wearing defence medals or badges that they have not earned, or have been wrongly issued.

We asked Forsdike to remove the RVCG and the ICB from his left breast, he chose to not do so, and said

"I have no intension (sic) of supplying you with any of my documents. I have spoken to my son who was a public prosecutor for the NSW police and is (sic) now still works in a legal capacity. He has advised me not to respond to these alligations you have made and he said that if he sees or hears any more on this issue, and he finds out who is behind it he will then take the matter further.

Forsdike claims that he has been awarded the ICB and the Australian Combat Badge. (ACB)

You can be awarded one or the other. Not both. Below is the set criteria for the award of the ACB.

Army Standing Instruction (Personnel), Part 11, Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
ARMY COMBAT BADGE
ELIGIBILITY

3.5. To be eligible to be issued the ACB, a member must have:

a. Either: (1) been force assigned to a combat team for a period of either a continuous or an aggregate of 90 days satisfactory service, or
(2) been physically deployed in the same geographical location as a Combat Team and have a primary role to directly support that Combat Team for a period of either a continuous or an aggregate of 90 days satisfactory service;
b. and:
(1) been serving on a warlike operations
(2) not have been previously issued the ICB or ACB

We have no alternative other than to give him space on this web site, where he can enjoy the award of being a medals cheat. Unfortunately we do not present recipients of this award with ANZMI tactile trinkets, however am sure that if we did, Forsdike would add it to his rack.

At Goondiwindi,  Queensland,  on ANZAC Day 2018,  Kenneth Franks stood out like a sore thumb.  He appeared to be a former Australian Special Air Service Regiment  soldier (SASR),  of exceptional service and experience. 

A prominent indicator that he was a "crook",   was the "bash" in his SAS Beret.  SAS are very particular about their beret and Franks’ "bash" does not pass muster.

Here is an example of a genuine SAS beret "bash".

Franks also wears ten false medals, two badges and a tie pin.

The medals he wears would be  indicative of a hard slog on operational deployments,  even for an SASR Soldier.

1. Australian Active Service Medal (AASM) 2 clasps.
2. International Force in East Timor Medal. (INTERFET)
3. Iraq Medal.
4. Afghanistan Medal.
5. Defence Long Service Medal. (DLSM)
6. Australian Defence Medal. (ADM)
7. Unknown.  Probably North Atlantic Treaty Organization or United Nations.
8. United Nations Transitional Assistance East Timor medal.  (UNTAET)
9. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation International Security Assistance Force Medal.
10. United States Bronze Star.

The problem for Franks is that all of the medals are false.  He has not been awarded one of them.

The only true decoration is the ring in his left ear.

He is also wearing two badges that commemorate the service of a genuine SASR Sergeant who lost his life in action in Afghanistan.  The SASR fraternity is not happy with Mr. Kenneth Franks.

He had spruiked lies to numerous people in Goondiwindi.  He stated that he was -;
"an SAS fellow and had been deployed everywhere", but then he said "it was all secret".  He also said that he had "taught a recent SAS Victoria Cross winner how to shoot a rifle".

ANZMI were alerted to Franks the day after ANZAC Day 2018,  and followed events until he had a visit from the local Police on 13 June 2018,  when he was arrested and charged.  Here are his visitors -;

Be assured that these "visitors" are ready willing and able to visit any who steal the honour from Returned Veteran communities in Australia and New Zealand.

Police also found a cache of weapons at his house which reportedly included a minigun, a fifty calibre sniper rifle,  and ten pistols.

Franks was arraigned before a Magistrate and fined $1,000 for falsely representing himself to be a returned soldier,  and also for improper use of service decorations.  – Australian Defence Act 1903 - Sections 80A and 80B.

Probably his greatest achievement is being an ultimate cheat,  liar and wannabe, who, when questioned by a genuine veteran,  stated that he was "honouring the service of a friend".  ANZMI is certain that he was honouring himself,  rather than a non existent friend. 

Franks is given a prominent place on this website, where, instead of "honouring the service of his friend", he can dishonour himself at leisure.

Welcome Kenneth Franks aka Ellis.  You are a fraud who was caught out by genuine veterans on ANZAC Day 2018 at Goondiwindi, Queensland.

ANZMI acknowledge the great support of the Queensland State Police Force. and the local Magistrates Court in dealing with a military imposter who stole the valour of returned Australian Defence Force personnel.

In addition to the $1000 fine, Franks will receive a “life sentence” on this website for his sins.