Jeremy Charles Burchell born 21 Nov 1952 at Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England is a fraud and a Wannabe in Australia, and most likely the same in the United Kingdom where he resides. 

 Following ANZAC Day this year, commemorative photographs appeared in a Brisbane suburban newspaper, among them, was a photograph that looked too good to be true, and as the old saying goes “If it looks too good to be true it most likely is”. Here is the photograph and a close up of  Burchell's medals:

The photograph was sent to the Royal Australian Regiment (RAR) Association for verification in consideration of the RAR Hat Badge and Blazer that Burchell was wearing. The RAR Association was unable to identify Burchell, and “fed” the photograph into various Veterans forums where it did the rounds.  Because the photograph was taken in the Brisbane area of Logan, we contacted “friends” in that area and we had a “hit”.

The name had been spelt wrongly in the Newspaper as “Burhell” instead of “Burchell”.  With a bit of mixing and matching we were able to identify the person in the photograph and track him down to an address in Crestmead, a suburb of Brisbane. Burchell was in fact visiting Australia.

He had emigrated from the UK with his family when aged 11 years in 1963. Some time after 1976 he returned to the UK and according to the chest full of medals he wears, joined the British Army.

An ANZMI Investigator spoke to Jeremy Burchell by telephone, and Burchell told him that he had served in Vietnam with the Australian Army in 5th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR). He said “he had only been there for a few months because, it was found out he was under age as his father had altered his birth certificate, and so he was sent back to Australia”. Burchell went on the say, that “after his service in the Australian Army he returned to the UK and joined the British Army and served in the Falklands, in Northern Ireland, Cyprus and Iraq”.

When we spoke to Jeremy Burchell’s brother, who is a genuine Australian Infantry Corps, Vietnam Veteran, he said that Jeremy Burchell had served in Vietnam, but with an Ordnance Unit and not with an Infantry Battalion. We assume Jeremy’s brother was torn between telling the truth, or supporting his brother’s lies of service in Vietnam, he obviously chose to lie.

It you look at the photograph, you will note that Jeremy Burchell is wearing the two Australian Vietnam Medals. The Vietnam Medal has a Mention in Dispatches (MiD) Oak Leaf attached. He also wears the Australian Defence Medal together with a Military Medal (MM) (for Bravery) and a second MiD, as well as nine other medals that he claims were earned in the British Army. He appears to be wearing two Imperial General Service Medals 1962 which is strange because you only ever get one, then are issued clasps for each campaign

Burchell said he had earned the MM in Iraq. Bravery Medals are listed in the London Gazette. As yet we have been unable to find the Gazetting of  Burchell’s  MM

The real military history of Jeremy Charles Burchell

Jeremy Charles Burchell did serve in the Australian Regular Army, but his service was very short and less than auspicious. In fact he was a complete dud. Here is his real military history:

Enlisted in the Australian Regular Army for a period of six years - 10 Dec 1968.

Completed Recruit Training, transferred to Infantry Training Centre as a Trainee – 25 Feb 1969.

Absented himself without leave (AWOL) – 23 March 1969.

Surrendered – 29 April 1969

Court Martial, found guilty, and sentenced to fourteen days detention – 6 May 1969.

After release from detention, found guilty of numerous other military offences, including improper possession of another soldiers radio, fined $40 and sentenced to further three days detention – 8 Jul 1969

Discharged as being “Unsuited to be a soldier” on 11 Jul 1969.

Applied to re-enlist into the Army and was rejected on 13 May 1976.

Below is his Record of Service from his official file followed by his re-enlistment rejection

It is believed that Burchell was in fact underage and falsified documents to enlist. Immigration files located at the Australian National Archives, Canberra show the arrival in Australia of Burchell as an eleven year old child, with his parents and four Siblings on the Passenger ship Orion that departed the UK on the 28 Feb 1963. On that document, Jeremy Burchell is clearly shown as being born on 21 November 1952, which means he had just turned Sixteen years when he enlisted into the Australian Regular Army and his Birth Certificate had been falsified.

Here is the extract from the family’s entry to Australia, showing Jeremy Charles Burchell true date of birth.

On 25 April 2010, Jeremy Burchell chose to pretend that he was an Australian War Veteran, who had served in Vietnam by wearing medals he had not earned, and by participating as a “Veteran” in ANZAC Day commemorative services. At this stage, we do not know whether the nine British Medals he is wearing including an MM and two MiDs are legitimate.  We are in the process of finding out, and will add an update to this entry when all the evidence is in and evaluated.

Irrespective of his British service (if any) Burchell is a liar and a Wannabe for wearing Vietnam Medals, the hat badge and Blazer of the Royal Australian Regiment. (He was never posted to an Infantry Battalion). In addition he is wearing the tie of the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia (VVAA)

Alert Veterans are spread North, South, East and West across Australia, and are now more aware than ever about the thieves of honour who pretend to be part of the magnificent heritage forged by Australian and New Zealand men and woman who served Australia in military conflicts  since the participation of  colonial soldiers in the Crimea.

Veterans will not tolerate frauds and Wannabes. Because State and Federal law enforcement agencies will not charge offenders their only recourse is to name and shame Wannabes on this web site.

Wannabes beware, for you will be reported, and you will appear on this web site so that your true military history is properly recorded for your family, friends and the world to read.

This is published in the public interest, particularly that of the Vietnam Veteran Community. All information presented here is fact and the truth. Reports from private citizens are supported by statements of fact and statutory declarations.