A man arrested in Wales has been charged with imitating a famous naval officer during a Remembrance Sunday ceremony.
Jonathan Curley, from the Harlech area of Gwynedd, north Wales, was charged with wearing uniform or clothing with British military markings without permission, Britain’s PA media news agency reported.
According to North Wales Police (NWP), the 64-year-old attended a wreath-laying ceremony in honor of World War I veterans in the north Wales town of Llandudno on November 9.
Photos shared on social media showed the man, who lives in the seaside town of Harlech, wearing a black, white and gold hat and jacket decorated with 12 colorful medals.
The NWP added in a statement that he was arrested for “crimes related to the illegal use of military uniform.”
NWP Director Tristan Bevan said authorities searched the man’s address on Friday and recovered a “naval uniform and a series of medals.”
Late on Friday, Bevan said officers “responded quickly to make an arrest and proceed with the prosecution”, according to PA Media. “We understand that this incident raises significant concerns for the public, particularly given that it occurred on Remembrance Sunday.”
PA Media reports that Currie is due to appear at Caernarfon Magistrates’ Court in Wales on December 11.
Remembrance Sunday is similar to Memorial Day in the United States, and is a day to remember the nation’s war dead. Every year, veterans, military personnel and members of the royal family commemorate those who died in action on the Sunday closest to November 11, the day World War I ended in 1918.
