Lying old duffer

A "war hero" who proudly displayed his chestful of medals at Remembrance Day events for years has been exposed as a fraud.

Tom Cattell

Tom Cattell with the medals he bought over the internet

Far from being a veteran of the Parachute Regiment and the SAS as he claimed, Tom Cattell had completed two years of National Service and served briefly as a cook.

His medals had all been bought on the internet.

He claimed to have had a glorious 30-year military career, which supposedly included being one of the youngest British servicemen to fight in the Korean War (1950-53) and one of the oldest to serve in the Falklands (1982).

The 74-year-old also said he had won the distinguished Military Medal for his service.

But former chef Mr Cattell had made it all up, lying to his wife, his friends and the Royal British Legion.

He was only caught out when he wrote to the RAF, including a photo of himself wearing his medals, to ask for a replacement military baton.

I was attached to the SAS in Malaya but only for a couple of months. It was like a rest centre. I was just a cook.

Tom Cattell

Officials reportedly checked his service record and found that his claims were false.

Mr Cattell produced a false Army service number and said all his records had been destroyed in a fire at his house, before finally admitting his deception.

He told the Daily Mail: "My real history is that I served in Malaya.

"I was attached to the SAS in Malaya but only for a couple of months. It was like a rest centre. I was just a cook."

Asked why he had lied about his service, he said: "It was just a silly thing I have done."

Mr Cattell, of St Blazey, Cornwall, said he had originally only intended collecting the medals but got carried away. He said he particularly admired the Parachute Regiment.

However, a spokesman for the St Austell British Legion said disciplinary action would be taken against him.

Mr Cattell wrote:I was just a cook.

Octoroc wrote:As punishment he should be made to fight in a war.