Stolen Valour

Michael John Joyce served with RAAF Number 1 Operational Support Unit in Vung Tau Vietnam for 91 days from 16 April 1970 until 15 July 1970 as a Cook. Here is a photograph of Joyce:

Notice that Joyce is wearing four medals these are:

Australian Active Service Medal
Vietnam Medal
Australian Defence Medal
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal (RVCM) - NOT ENTITLED

Joyce has made the mistake of being a cheat involved with the media and had his photograph published in a newspaper. As a result of his need for media fame it has been established that Joyce is not entitled to wear the RVCM because he did not meet the criteria of 181 days service in Vietnam and was not evacuated to Australia as a Battle Casualty. He served for 91 days only.

Here is the offending medal

Here is the official criterion for being awarded the medal.

Here is what Joyce said about the matter:

Dear xxx,
Yes i did not spend the required time in Vietnam And as you know there has at times been eligibility question I was Medivaced home. And subsequently was awarded The medal in question, this would be shown in the appropriate Records that are available to the public. I have previously Discussed this with fellow veterans, and the consensus was That if it was officially awarded then that would be that.

Yours Truly
Mick Joyce.

Wearing the medal on the basis of a consensus of fellow veterans was insufficient authority to attach the medal to his rack.

Like Joyce, most of those caught wearing this medal say "It was issued to them" In most cases that is baloney and it has been purchased by the wearer. Joyce wears four medals, he is entitled to three.

Returned Veterans will not tolerate those who cheat with medals. Being a returned veteran is a status hard won and the awards they receive are sacrosanct.

Herbert Alec Mason, President of a Victorian RSL Sub Branch, was another non battle casualty from Vietnam, who falsely claimed that he was issued with the VCM.

www.anzmi.net/index.php/cheats-thieves/medal-cheats/638-mason 

We thank the genuine veterans and the many others throughout Australia, who through their diligence and observation are striving to preserve our medals protocols and heritage.

Joyce is welcomed to the website for being a medal cheat.

Matthew James INIESTA

Before November 2019 this person used the name Matthew James SARDON.

He is a recidivist liar and wannabe. Please see here:

www.anzmi.net/index.php/cheats-thieves/medal-cheats/679-sardon

As can be found in the above reference, his original name was Matthew John SARDON. Who has lived in Perth and Melbourne.

UPDATE DECEMBER 2019: Matthew James SARDON

Our forever watchful friends, advise that SARDON has adopted a new name.

He is now Matthew James INIESTA.

SARDON aka INIESTA is a recidivist conman, who uses false military documents for fraudulent monetary and emotional gain.

Any person now checking the name INIESTA will be referred to SARDON, where all that we know of him is listed.

SARDON aka INIESTA has created his own predicament by falsely claiming to have served as a Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) corporal and used falsified documents to "prove" his claims.

We hope that SARDON aka INIESTA realizes the hurt he has caused, and ceases to be a fraud and a wannabe. Should he choose to do so, we will be happy to publish his apology.

In the meantime beware of SARDON aka INIESTA.

******

Matthew James SARDON - UPDATE JULY 2019


Matthew James Sardon is a recidivist liar and wannabe who has moved from Western Australia to now reside Edithvale, Melbourne Victoria.

Sardon still has the guile of a snake and the morals of an ally cat, he strikes wherever he can find a vulnerable target. He then extols his disgraceful lies about his less than auspicious military service as described in our original exposure.

A soldier's record is now referred to as his PMKeys file. Each soldier is allocated a unique PMKeys number that identifies him throughout his career. Sardon has created a false PMKeys military document falsely and unscrupulously reflecting exceptional accomplishments as an elite Special Air Services Regiment (SASR) Corporal.

Here are excerpts from the fake document:

Once again we offer a warning, that although Sardon is debonair, handsome and claims to be a war damaged veteran, he is nothing like that. In reality he is a failed soldier, a wannabe, valour thief and medals cheat, whose intentions are dishonest and immoral.

As long as Sardon spreads is vile false persona, we will record his movements and his actions.

****

Mathew Sardon enlisted in the Australian Regular Army on the 1 June, 2012. Following initial training, he was posted to 4 Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery as an observer

Sardon is a classic military imposter. He is a wannabee, valour thief and medal cheat.

He is also a failed soldier who never deployed outside Australia during his 2 years and 8 months in the ARA. He subsequently transferred to the Australian Army part time Reserves, (ARes), where his services were terminated in June 2016.

Yet, to look at his impressive rack of medals, anyone would naturally conclude that he is/was a highly decorated member of the Australian Defence Force, who has been deployed on dangerous war like service.

In the below photographs, Sardon wears the following medals -;

1. Australian Active Service Medal with two clasps - Afghanistan and Iraq.
2. Afghanistan Medal
3. Iraq Medal.
4. Australian Defence Medal.
5. NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Medal. Operation Slipper, Afghanistan.

Above his medals he is wearing the -;

6. Australian Infantry Combat Badge. (ICB)
7. The Australian Returned from Active Service Badge. (RASB)

Sardon is not entitled to wear any of the medals or the two badges mentioned above.

He has purchased the entire lot to fraudulently represent himself to others that he is the real deal, a returned veteran with an impressive Australian Defence Force career. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In the below exchange, Sardon infers that he is deployed on warlike service with United States Marines. It seems that this imposter will resort to any means available to maintain a façade to others about his false military service.

We have statements that Sardon did not complete one bush training exercise during his limited regular Army service, due to his unsuitability to Army life.

Not everyone is suited to the harsh realities of Australian Defence Force service, and ANZMI is not critical of Sardon’s inability to carry out his allotted field duties.

However, ANZMI is critical of Sardon’s poor decisions to embellish his service and create a false military history to gain benefits and undeserved recognition, by stealing the valour of others who have “done the hard yards”

Due to his dishonest and illegal behaviour, Mathew Sardon has now gained deserved recognition on this site.

Sardon has committed offences under the Defence Act 1903, Sections 80A and 80B.
(Falsely representing himself to be a returned soldier and improper use of service decorations.).

ANZMI will continue to ferret out these imposters for as long as they offend, and for as long as we have the support of the Australian and New Zealand veteran community and the general public.

Rysdale Update December, 2019.

Alex Rysdale from Picton New South Wales is a complete nutter and a fraud. Following his exposure on the ANZMI site years ago, as a complete military imposter, liar and false pretender, he now claims that he has suddenly found proof of his Australian military service. Well that certainly took some time. Usually, you just send an email to the Department of Defence and you receive an answer within days. The alternative is producing your Discharge Certificate when requested like all genuine servicemen and women do. No problems – Service proven.

But no, not our jungle fighting machine hero Rysdale. It took him years to discover his records. (Most imposters state that their records are hidden by the Government due to the dark secret missions they were ordered to carry out.) .

Anyway, below is a text dated 7 December, 2019, that he entered on the Picton Anzac Day Committee Face Book page.. Rysdale was a member of this committee until it was discovered that all his statements about his service with Special Air Service (SAS) in the deep steamy jungles of Vietnam were absolute rubbish and a figment of his imagination.

He must have impressed his family, friends and new fiancee, but certainly did not impress genuine Australian Defence Force veterans in Picton who reported him to ANZMI.


Alex Rysdale‎ to Picton Anzac Day Committee
7 December 2019 at 16:49 ·
My name is Alex Rysdale and I bet you won't read this in the Wollondilly Advertiser. I have been vilified and disgraced, my family subjected to all sorts of torment and I have been refused job opportunities. This rag that is called a paper and one that should print the truth has allowed a young reporter, (Name deleted by ANZMI) to be sucked in by an organisation that is in itself based on lies and deceit. This so-called organisation is called ANZMI. They claim to be the guardian angels of the Australian Defence Force and name and shame military imposters by publishing details and in a lot of cases total lies about actual Veterans or strongly worded criticism for very minor infringements. They also claim never to have made a mistake, never caused a suicide or severe mental health in ACTUAL VETERANS. Well, I am here to tell everyone that these faceless nameless men are nothing but cowards and are too scared to publish themselves or their real names let alone the truth. How can anyone believe anything that comes from them if they themselves are too ashamed to stand up and be counted. They say they are all Veterans, if so then prove it as you have asked so many others to do!!!. The Wollondilly Advertiser printed a retraction of my story, believing instead the cowards of ANZMI.

After a long and arduous journey and thanks to a great DVA Advocate I now have THE PROOF OF MY SERVICE.
I am happy to show this to (Name deleted by ANZMI) at any time. I do however think it a real shame that a reporter would not investigate the allegations and the people who make them before destroying peoples lives.

Rysdale is responsible for his own demise. He has told so many lies to people that he has lost sight of reality. There is no record of Rysdale ever serving in the Australian Defence Force. None.

Rysdale has been invited to send all his new found service information to ANZMI. However he has declined to provide -;
1. His service number.
2. When he served.
3. What SAS Unit he served with.
4. Where he served.
5. His Date of Discharge.
6. His overseas active service postings.

We hope that this is the last that we hear of Rysdale. If you know Rysdale, ask to view his Discharge Certificate or Certificate of Australian Army Service. He will no doubt tell you it is all hush hush and he cannot further comment.

Please send his responses to enquiries@anzmi.net We look forward to your responses.

*****

It seems that a lot of military imposters exposed on the ANZMI website are pursuing their one moment of glory in their lifetime. Something to impress their immediate family, fiancées, close friends and the wider community in general.

Alex Rysdale, born about 1951 of Tahmoor (near Picton) NSW, is typical of this type of imposter.

Rysdale is a disgrace and an embarrassment to the veteran community. He should hang his head in shame. He is a low life individual who has stolen the valour of all those brave men, who fought and died in the Vietnam War. He insinuates that he was a member of Special Forces, "in a Squad of six."

He is an outright liar without honour or integrity.

Rysdale gave an in-depth interview to an unsuspecting Journalist from the Wollondilly Advertiser, about his heroic deeds as a Special Forces operative in the Australian Army, whilst he was fighting in the jungles of South Vietnam in 1969.

The below story was published on the 6 November, 2017 in that newspaper and also in the Campbelltown Macarthur Advertiser, shortly after.

Everything stated by Rysdale that appears in bold italics in this article is a lie. He has never served.


WOLLONDILLY
ADVERTISER


NOVEMBER 6 2017 - 11:06AM
Vietnam veteran faces horrors of war
• Ashleigh Tullis

Tahmoor's Alex Rysdale is a member of the Picton Anzac Day Committee but wants nothing to do with the government or RSLs because of the way veterans were treated after the Vietnam War. Picture: Chris Lane

I did become an animal.”
Tahmoor’s Alex Rysdale continues to live with the nightmares and horrors of fighting in the Vietnam War.
At 18 years old he enlisted in the Australian armed forces and was sent to Vietnam in 1969.
“I was a soldier,” he said. “I fought my way through the war both physically and mentally.”
Mr Rysdale still struggles with what war made him do.
“You change,” he said. “You become an animal. You do things that are worse than anything an animal can do.
“The hardest part is when I came back into the world and nobody cared.
“We didn’t have the camaraderie in the outside world.
“The hard part is remembering. I don’t want to remember and I keep away from the triggers.”
Mr Rysdale went into the army after completing his apprenticeship as a typewriter mechanic.
In 1969 he started his basic training and was named the cadet of the year. He trained in Western Australia and Queensland before being sent to Vietnam.

“Our squad went on patrols, looked for tunnel networks and cleared them out,” the veteran said.
“We were called to hunt down a sniper and take him out.
“We were to spot the enemy’s troop movements. Our squad of six would come up against 200 North Vietnamese Army troops and we would have to fight our way out.”

Mr Rysdale recalls one particular time when he thought he would die.
“We were asleep in a shallow grave and were covered in leaves to hide ourselves,” he said.
“There was a trail 10 metres to the left. I could hear them because the ground was vibrating.
“Three hundred North Vietnamese Army troops walked past us.
“Somehow we weren’t spotted.”

Alex Rysdale still lives with the scars from his service. Picture: Chris Lane

Mr Rysdale was evacuated from Vietnam in 1970.
“I was shot and blown up at the same time,” he said.
“I was hiding behind a tree when we were out on patrol looking for troop movements.
“Three in our squad were killed.”
Mr Rysdale was taken to Germany then to Sydney to the Concord Repatriation Hospital.
“After I got out of hospital I was walking through the city and there was a construction site,” he said.
“A worker was using a jackhammer and I hit the ground and started screaming like a lunatic.
“Someone kicked me and told me to go to a shelter because he thought I was drunk.
“People will never understand what we went through.”

Mr Rysdale suffers from post traumatic stress disorder and said he can “just snap” at times.
“I wake up screaming at night.” he said. “Doctors can put a name on it but I think the nightmares are my own shame about what I did over there.”
Mr Rysdale said he has never really talked about his time during the Vietnam War.
The way he was treated after the war was why he never wanted anything to do with Returned Service Leagues or the government.
“I remember how badly we were treated by people back home,” he said.
“One time I was on rest and recuperation and I was so excited to have a home cooked meal by mum and get hugs and kisses from my family.
“As soon as I got off the plane I had eggs and tomatoes thrown at me and I was called a baby killer.
“I turned straight around and flew back to Bangkok.
“To this day I have never heard one of the idiots put their hand up and say they were really sorry.
“Our government didn’t recognise Vietnam as a war and that meant the guys were not given the rights and recognition they deserved for a long time.”

A wreath laid at the centenary ceremony during Remembrance Day at Picton Memorial Park. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Mr Rysdale is the last member of his squad and was very close with his fellow soldiers.
“I loved those blokes,” he said.
“We didn’t see each other often but I still thought about them.
“During the war we had so much fun as a whole group because we were a tight knit unit of six guys.
“So when only three of us came back with scars from being mentally wounded and abused, it didn’t seem right to have fun because it wasn’t with everybody in the group.
“If we would catch up at a funeral then we would buy six beers. One beer each for guys who didn’t come back and one for us.
“I think that was a fitting way to remember them.”

Mr Rysdale said he did not go to Remembrance Day or Anzac Day ceremonies until last year when he was asked to lay a wreath.
He is a member of the Picton Anzac Day Committee and helps man fundraising stalls, sets up for the ceremonies and is a part of the committee’s discussions but otherwise does not want to attend the ceremonies.

Mr Rysdale does however have a lot of admiration for the committee and what they have created in the Picton Memorial Park.
“Personally I think (name deleted) should be knighted for his hard work, dedication and the time he has put into helping veterans and the committee,” he said. (End of Article)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Rysdale is a grandstander. We wonder what he has told his immediate family and brand new fiancée. We know that he told the Committee of the Picton Anzac Day Committee (PADC) that he was a Vietnam Veteran. With that background, he was accepted immediately as a committee member. When asked why he never wore his Vietnam medals on Anzac Days, he replied to the Committee “that the originals were mounted in a frame on his wall at home and that he did not have a set of replica medals".

Rysdale’s name does not appear on the Department of Veteran’s Affairs - Vietnam Nominal Roll - It is accurate. His name also does not appear on the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) Association record of former members. His name also does not appear on any other documentation held at the National Archives of Australia for military service in any branch of the Australian Defence Force.

Rysdale is a pathetic individual who has placed himself out there in the public domain as a War Hero. He is nothing of the sort and should be shunned by the people in his home town of Tahmoor, New South Wales.

We sent Rysdale a request, giving him an opportunity to explain his extraordinary claims of heroic Vietnam War Army service, his enlistment and discharge dates, Army service number and his Unit.

He replied stating that - "I have spoken with the reporter at the advertiser and onformed (sic) her of my opinion on this. You dont know me and never will. You think that in this particular instance you are doing the right thing. I agree with what you do is great but not this time. I am not happy to continue this as per your demands and and have resigned from the Anzac committee. All this has done is cause me the utmost pain. Please talk with Ashley and she will be happy to discuss this with you".
Regards
Alex Rysdale

Any pain being suffered by Rysdale, is due the the fact that he knows that he has been well and truly caught out as a military imposter and valour thief..

Rysdale has committed an offence under the provisions of the Defence Act 1903 Part V11, Section 80A - Falsely representing himself to be a returned soldier.

DEFENCE ACT 1903 (EXTRACTS) The following extracts from the Defence Act 1903 apply to honours and awards:

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.

ANZMI have notified the local authorities.

The last we heard, the Wollondilly Advertiser is publishing an update of the original story shortly.

The update should read a little differently and will be factual.

Cristine or Crissy Ashcroft was born on the 12 July, 1966. Ashcroft had three years Australian Army Reserve service from 1998 to 2001, when she then discharged. She again enlisted in the Australian Army Reserves in November, 2004, and was eventually posted to the RAAPC .

Ashcroft subsequently transferred to continuous full time duty with the Australian Army in the RAAPC in 2008, and subsequently to the Australian Regular Army in 2010.

In late 2009, Ashcroft was deployed to Australian Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) Afghanistan, as a member of the Royal Australian Army Pay Corps, (RAAPC) attached to 1 Commando Regiment, Operation Slipper. Her position was Finance Clerk, Corporal RAAPC, a sedentary role. She was based at Camp Russell.

Ashcroft's duties consisted of financial and clerical administration. By all reports, her allotted duties in that role in Afghanistan were satisfactory. Her deployment was for six months and Ashcroft returned home in mid 2010.

During the entire time on Afghanistan deployment, Ashcroft left the Camp Russell SOTG base on one occasion and travelled by helicopter to a village with her Commanding Officer. They attended a Shura meeting with Afghanistan locals.

The village had previously been secured by members of 1 Commando Regiment and was considered safe.

During the three hours that Ashcroft and her Commanding Officer were absent from the base and attending the meeting, nothing of a controversial or war like nature occurred. The village was defended by armoured vehicles and at least 200 Afghanistan National Army Soldiers (ANA). Following the uneventful meeting, they returned by helicopter to the SOTG base.

Ashcroft's deployment to Afghanistan concluded in June, 2010 and she returned to Australia as a member of the RAAPC. She continued her Army service in the RAAPC until October 2016. Ashcroft sustained no physical injuries in Afghanistan.

In 2016, well after Ashcroft’s return to Australia, she medically discharged from the Australian Army, due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which related to a subsequent post Afghanistan personal family incident that occurred in Australia.

Her entire Afghanistan operational deployment was uneventful. During the deployment Ashcroft only left the SOTG base on the one occasion mentioned.

Since Ashcroft’s return to Australia, a number of events have occurred that have given rise to a public perception that Ashcroft was an operational soldier fighting with “Australian Commando Special Forces”. In addition, that Ashcroft was “the first Australian female soldier to fight outside the wire”.

From the 4th to 12th May, 2016, Ashcroft attended the Invictus Games, Orlando, USA, where she competed in swimming and weightlifting as an Australian “wounded warrior.”

On the 15 May, 2016, whilst still a serving soldier, Ashcroft appeared in Army uniform on Australian television in a program called “The Voice,” where she gave details about her Afghanistan service, stating to one of the judges that “I still see things that I can’t unsee and they will be with me forever. I want my war to be over.”

Excerpt from The Voice write up International Business Times – The Voice by Arlene Paredes. 16 May, 2016. (Source IBT)

Crissy Ashcroft, 49 (as of 2017), is a war veteran who served actively for 13 years. She suffered serious injuries in her last duty, rendering her unable to continue working in the military. She got emotional while looking back to her time in Afghanistan. Despite being diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), Crissy is looking forward with optimism. Her war is over, she said. And she’s on “The Voice” to inspire former military personnel to pursue other things in case their service has ended, too.

Excerpt from 2017 MTV Awards, titled “HAS THE VOICE FOUND THE AUSSIE SUSAN BOYLE? (Source MTV Awards publication.)
Nick Bond.

SUNDAY’S episode of The Voice delivered one of the most emotional moments of the season when 49-year-old war veteran and aspiring performer Crissy Ashcroft took to the stage.

For Ashcroft, who has spent 13 years in the army and deployed to Afghanistan in 2009, the aftershocks of life in a war zone meant even making it to her audition was a battle.
“This morning, getting myself here to this stage has been a really hard road. So many times I said, ‘I can’t do this’,” she admitted. Fighting back tears, Ashcroft revealed that when she deployed to Afghanistan, she “saw things I can’t unsee, and they’ll be with me forever.”
Returning home, she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I have triggers — If I see a car backfire, I’ll just hit the deck, which looks kind of strange in the middle of Sydney.”

Excerpt from the Daily Mail Australia 20 May, 2016, by Megan Pustetto.

War veteran Chrissy Ashcroft, who delivered a powerful rendition of Cold Chisel's When The War is Over on Sunday, has told more about her on-going fight with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).
The rosy-cheeked singer, who developed the anxiety disorder after witnessing harrowing scenes while deployed to Afghanistan in 2009, told WHO magazine: 'Every day for me to get out of the house is a battle.'
• The 49-year-old went on to explain that simple tasks like leaving the home and getting dressed every day she 'can't do any more.'
•
• What she witnessed during her time as a soldier, she says, left scarred and triggered the mental disorder typically involving disturbed sleep and constant vivid recall of an often traumatic experience.
She told the publication the crippling attacks were a 'bit like alcohol.' (Source Daily Mail Australia.)

Perhaps, one of the most compelling descriptions of her Afghanistan service was in a document titled – “WHEN THE WAR IS OVER.” -
the literary content attributed to a close friend, Ms. Kay Danes, whose name appears at the foot of the document. The article was posted on the Penrith (Sydney) Returned and Services League of Australia (R&SL) Website.

Ashcroft was also appointed an Ambassador for the Womens Veterans Network Australia (WVNA). Her personal profile appears below –

On her return from the 2016 Orlando Invictus Games, Ashcroft was also appointed the Australian Ambassador for the October, 2018 Invictus Games to be held in Sydney, Australia.

She also receives payment from Claxton Speakers International, who manage public speaking engagements for their listed personnel. Her profile appears below -


CLAXTON SPEAKERS INTERNATIONAL.

Cris Ashcroft is a former Australian Special Forces support soldier, and the first female frontline soldier to fight 'outside the wire' in Afghanistan. Her careers in international sports, and as an Australian Federal Police officer and most recently part of the Australian Invictus Games team and a performer on "The Voice" have brought her in touch with such a range of experiences and people, she can't easily be categorised.

Her defining career is as an, elite Special Forces support soldier, which took its toll with traumatic experiences leading to physical injuries and Chronic PTSD - which is the enemy she fights today. As an athlete, a singer a soldier and a survivor, Cris tells the story of a girl growing up who didn't fit in, but allowed her goals to drive her forward and obstacles out of the way.

She takes audiences to the terrifying frontline of enemy engagement in Afghanistan, with raw honesty and authenticity, and brings them home again to deal with the aftermath, in a positive and inspiring way. Cris's successful appearances on "The Voice" where she sang "When the War is Over", and her selection and participation at the Invictus Games, brought her to international recognition as a respected and decorated soldier with a voice that must be heard. Cris speaks with passion and integrity, and also with dry, irreverent Aussie sense of humour. She enlightens and inspires, bringing hope to everyone who faces challenges in their lives.


We contacted a Claxton Speakers International representative, who informed ANZMI that Ashcroft’s fee to speak at a public or private gathering on the nominated topic is $7,000 Australian dollars plus GST.

Following the above media publications and comments attributed to Ashcroft, ANZMI received numerous communications from former Australian Army personnel, who have stated that Ashcroft’s claims are lies and have been invented to promote her 2018 Invictus Games Ambassador profile, an upcoming vocalist recording contract, and as a prospective author of book offers.

We then requested and received sworn statutory declarations and statements from former Australian Army 1Commando Regiment personnel, and others, who know Ashcroft, and have refuted her claims of “being the first female Australian soldier to fight outside the wire.” and of being blown up in a Bushmaster vehicle.

The Statutory Declarations and statements from these former personnel, state that , inter alia-,

Witness 1. (Served on same deployment as Cristine Ashcroft in Afghanistan.)

* Christine Ashcroft was employed throughout the rotation as a pay clerk and never deployed with any of the commando field elements (FE) or Teams. She was never in the front line, never came under fire, never came face to face with the enemy, never was employed to question or search females in compounds and has no right to be making the false claims she is, in regards to her service in Afghanistan.

* Christine Ashcroft never suffered any injuries as a member of the Australian Defence Force, all of her recorded injuries are as a result of her participation in sport all of which occurred prior to her enlistment.

* Nothing untoward happened in the pay office or anywhere within Camp Russell where she was stationed.

* On one occasion Ashcroft and the Commanding Officer SOTG left Camp Russell and flew by helicopter to a meeting with locals in a 100% secure location. They remained at this meeting for approximately 3 hours and returned by helicopter to Camp Russell. During this entire time, there was no enemy action. The location of the meeting was secured by a commando company with armoured vehicles and up to 200 ANA soldiers. Once again, I reiterate, there was no enemy action, no shooting, no bombing, no fighting of any kind all very peaceful and quiet.

* Whilst in Afghanistan Ashcroft never made any comments or claims that she was injured, unwell or not coping with the deployment.

* Christine Ashcroft has and still is falsely representing Australia and The Invictus Games as a wounded warrior and is continuing to gain financially as a result of her false claims and deceitful lies regarding her service.

Witness 2.

She (Ashcroft) has stated the following to me-;

* She claimed to have delivered a teenage Afghan’s stillborn baby.
* She claimed to have conducted patrols with 1CDO “outside the wire” and was involved in gun fights. (She told me this on numerous occasions)
* She claimed that she was in a Bushmaster that was hit by an IED (Improvised explosive device), where she sustained hearing issues eye and shoulder issues.
* She claimed that she interrogated women over there.
* On her Face book Page, Crissy Ashcroft, she has photos of her in Afghanistan. One photo that she was in the hills of Afghanistan. *
* The photo was taken at the range.

Witness 3.

* At the 2017 World Championship Para Lifting she walked onto the stage with one crutch. She was asked why all of a sudden she needed crutches. She stated, “I need the crutches because I am extremely unbalanced because of my hearing. I was blown up by an IED in Afghanistan where a plate of the Bushmaster was blown off and hit me”. She then got on the weightlifting bench, did her minimal 60 kg lift then proceeded off stage with the crutch in her other arm. “This totally confused us, as she states clearly she has shoulder injuries. Now the Para Games for weightlifting was completely filmed and is on You Tube.”

* She later informed us that doing the show “The Voice”; it was a tough decision which judge to choose. She stated that she is getting a recording contract and has begun writing songs for her album.

Witnesses 4 and 5. (Both served on same deployment as Cristine Ashcroft in Afghanistan.)

* She never went on any field trips (in Afghanistan) like she claims.

* Crissy most definitely and I REITERATE STRONGLY, Crissy Ashcroft NEVER NEVER went anywhere near a front line, she NEVER EVER came under any enemy fire and CERTAINLY NEVER EVER come face to face with any enemy under fire.

* Crissy didn’t fight outside the wire so the claim she was the first female to fight outside the wire is incorrect and puts to shame the actual female that was.

* She was never ordered to question any female detainee.

* The photos of her holding a weapon are at the weapons firing range.

* Her injuries were sustained outside of the military within her sports of triathlons. She had a shoulder reconstruction prior to her joining up regular army.

* She was certainly not with any Commandos, and I have spoken to all of them, where anything that would have caused PTSD from being under threat or fire.

* No one has heard of any Bushmaster being blown up whilst she was present in it.

* Not one person I have spoken with believes or can confirm she delivered any baby.


Following receipt of the above statutory declarations and statements, and in fairness to Cristine Ashcroft, ANZMI sent Ashcroft an email detailing the allegations made against her by former experienced 1CDO Regiment members, who served in Afghanistan at the identical time, and invited Ashcroft to respond if she wished.

Her response was that all her claims are true and that all the allegations (made about her) are false in their entirety. She then indicated that she would “brief” the State and Federal Police “who will practice due diligence in ascertaining the true online identities of (ANZMI) and those who have also participated in this crime.”
“I further advise you that the allegations contained in your email are defamatory, and cause significant damage to my well-earned reputation.
You will be contacted by my legal team in relation to this in due course.”
Chris Ashcroft.

We invited Ashcroft to complete a statutory declaration refuting the allegations made by her former Army colleagues. Also if she would like to provide the names of witnesses who can verify her claims. We have not had a reply from Ashcroft.

Threats of legal action against ANZMI are a common defence mechanism relied upon by persons who have had their military service questioned. We are not concerned by those threats and only seek to have the truth exposed in the public arena regarding Ashcroft’s claims. They need to be clarified for all concerned.

The criterion for the Invictus Games is below -;

Competing in the 2017 Invictus Games

What are the requirements for competing in the Invictus Games?

To be eligible to compete in the Invictus Games, you must be an active service member or veteran from one of the participating nations, who has been wounded, ill or injured during, or as a direct result of, your service.

So someone didn't review Ashcroft's service before signing off on her eligbility to participate in the Invictus Games!

It is important for all genuine Australian Invictus Games competitors that selection and/or representation as an Ambassador for those games is a rigorous process, where all candidates meet the necessary requirements honestly and with integrity.

We have notified the Invictus Games officials, the WVNA, and Claxton Speakers International, regarding our research.

The Invictus Games, Sydney, are 17 months away and this matter needs close scrutiny. It is a significant event with anticipated world wide media coverage. There is a great deal of credibility at stake here for the Australian Invictus Games organisers, and importantly, Cristine Ashcroft.

There needs to be an investigation and they need to get it right.

An update will be provided on this site in the near future.

48 seconds is all it took for Donald MILFORD to make a mockery of his service and turn a distinguished ex-serviceman into a valour thief.

Donald MILFORD was born 0n 26 October 1943 and joined the Navy in 1961 a few months short of his 18th Birthday. All the evidence points to MILFORD having enjoyed a notable career in the Navy and was the recipient of British Empire Medal (BEM) in the Military Division when holding the rank of Chief Petty Officer.

MILFORD is a senior member of the RSL in Darwin and has responsibility for organising commemorative ceremonies in his capacity as Director of Commemorations. Unfortunately, rather than being satisfied with a career in the Royal Australian Navy which included tours to Vietnam aboard HMA Ships Parramatta and Sydney he couldn’t resist the opportunity, when he sat in front of a microphone to embellish this service with a hint of ‘daring do’.

MILFORD was interviewed by ABC Radio in Darwin and reflected on Remembrance Day and his own War Service.

(click on the link below to hear the interview)

Unfortunately, his recollection of events is not matched by the records. As a 17-year-old Naval Rating with 40 days service in Vietnamese waters it is extremely doubtful that he went ashore, let alone had any experience with ‘tunnels’ and it is this simple statement that sees MILFORD "Hoisted with his own petard" . MILFORD’s Service Records are clear, he joined the Navy in 1961 at age 17. His tours of Vietnam occurred in 1968 when he would have been at least 25 years old.

He joins a growing list of former members of the Navy on our website who performed ‘secret missions’ whilst in Vietnamese waters.

His claim is offensive to the memory of the brave men who performed the highly dangerous role during the war. The Tunnel Rats are the men who served in the Engineer Field Troops in Vietnam (3 Field Troop and 1, 2 and 3 Troop of 1 Field Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers).

Over the years there have been many “wannabes” and pretenders to the title “Tunnel Rat”, but it is only the men who served in those Field Troops who can carry that title. These are the men who went bush with the Amoured Corp and Infantry, staying out bush for four to six weeks, operating as Infantary plus carrying out our specialist duties of mine and booby trap detection and clearing, tunnel and bunker searching and demolition, plus bomb disposal.

Perhaps it was a lapse in judgment that made MILFORD make this outrageous claim, but to do so in a radio interview, for all to hear is unacceptable to the Veterans community. For this simple indiscretion, Donald MILFORD has earned a place on this website and becomes a reminder to any ex-serviceman or women who might consider embellishing their service history that someone is always watching out for ‘wannabes’.

Note:

"Hoisted with his own petard" is a phrase from a speech in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet that has become proverbial. The phrase's meaning is literally that the bomb-maker (a "petard" is a small explosive device) is blown up ("hoisted" off the ground) by his own bomb, and indicates an ironic reversal, or poetic justice.