Winston Churchill's "Stolen Valour"?

Whether Churchill "deserved" all of those campaign medals, I am not qualified to say. However, I do believe Churchill deserved a medal for having to put up with Charles de Gaulle for all that time.

"The only thing they have ever stormed is the eat all you can buffet" Mark Felton dropping some absolute cold lines

My grandfather had polio and had to walk in leg braces. He drove voluntarily drove ammo trucks as a civilian around Britain. He got no medals and had no right to wear any… but for years he risked his life in the only way that he could to do his bit for the country. I think that’s the definition of state stolen valor.

Bear Grylls may be a tv personality and an honorary Colonel, but he’s also ex-special forces. His military career ended when he fell 16000 feet in freefall and broke his back after his parachute didn’t open.

My grandad killed thousands in the war. He was a cook.

I witnessed the other extreme of seeing some innocent workman being accused of “stolen valor” because he was wearing US Army camouflage pants. This worker was up on a ladder installing a sign when an elderly man was yelling at him for wearing the pants. “Will you leave me alone? My brother was in the reserves and gave me these. They’re comfortable for work. It’s not like I’m wearing metals for f*** sake!”

Hey, hold on….I was awarded my first set of wings by a TWA stewardess when I was six, and 46 years later I still can’t take off and land an airplane.

Churchill's escape from the Boers deserves its own story.

Catering is the most important job!

My dad was a Spitfire pilot in WWII. He spoke very little of his experiences and I never saw any ribbons or medals. The joystick from his last plane however was uncermoniously stored in the garden shed after he was demobbed. Us kids played air battles with it. He supported Churchill and the only time I ever witnessed him visibly moved was watching Churchill's funeral on our little black and white telly. Oh, he used to joke that his official air force photo in his RAF uniform said he felt like a "bus conductor" in it but that the bus conductors did a far more important job than him. I loved that about him. I appreciate the illumination of these facts. With power comes generous benefits it would appear.

To be fair, he did come under fire a number of times in Europe while visiting troops and he had at least been a soldier.

This is not to slam Churchill in any way, but it's interesting to note that two of his counterparts, Stalin and Hitler, who were true warlords, had a more minimalist view of medals and awards. Stalin famously did not appreciate receiving the title of Generalissimus, and only ever wore his "Hero of the Soviet Union" medal in public. Hitler contented himself with only appearing with his WWI iron cross and party badge if I'm not mistaken.

In America, we have US Senators that lie about being in combat and still get elected, lol. Thanks for the interesting video Dr Mark!

Kelly Holmes had a long British Army career, so she has a track record.

I never thought I would hear Mark Felton say, "Blah, blah, blah" in one of his videos. Made me laugh out loud.

My grandson is a near three year old Churchill lookalike. But that is not the only reason Churchill has a special place with me, and I am not blind to his many flaws and downright wrongdoings. But in 1940, the man was there. And it made all the difference that he was.

My Dad was always joking that he organised the refreshments for the troops so that as they breached the enemy lines, there he was in his caravan with a hot pot of tea and biscuits. He was proud to have served as a private from 1939 to Captain 1946 in the RASC.

During the Vietnam war, the Australian Army regularly sent senior officers on the 'Saigon Express' so they would qualify for two campaign medals - this required only being in-country for a day. So it was fly in, have a few drinks in the hotel bar and then fly out the next morning safe and sound while clutching two ill-gotten (but legitimate) gongs in their manicured hands. it's a cruel world.

6 DFC's were requested for the medevac pilots of my dad's squadron. The vile admin sent 3, telling the squadron leader to do the distribution. Using flying hours, my dad and his best friend had identical 3rd place so they tossed a coin for it. My dad lost. About a month later one of the pair had to do a milk run so toss a coin? "No way" says my still sore dad " You won the last one, this ones yours." and so Merve Cecil DFC cheerily took the flight. Flew into wires. So now I'm here.

"If you where my husband, I'd poison your cake!" an angry woman said to Churchill during tea. "Madam, if you where my wife, I would eat it!" he replied. I like that man 👍