FRESHFIELD Robert
Michael
Service Number2795626
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Robert
Michael Freshfield is a wannabe and a typical show
pony used to draw potential members into Veteran's
organisations in the struggle for membership
numbers, public recognition, and funds.
Many
ex-service organisations harbour these individuals
knowing full well that their tales of brave or
spectacular war service are nothing more than
lies. In one way
these wannabes are
like the Vietnam War protestors as described by
Hanoi, "useful
idiots"
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His freely
published address block is:
Vietnam
Veterans Association of Australia.
NSW
Branch Inc.
Phone: 02 9682 1788 Fax: 02 9682 6134
At
time of publication the executive members of the
VVFA Granville were ,
according to
their website.
National President: Tim McCombe OAM
Vice Presidents: Bob Tyrrell
Secretary/Treasurer: Bob Tyrrell (Acting)
NSW State President: Tim McCombe OAM
NSW Hon. Secretary: Nev Woodward
In emails to six
State VVFA Secretaries we asked if Freshfield had
ever been seen to wear the Infantry Combat Badge,
there were only two replies.
One, from Nev
Woodward, said that he has never seen him wear it,
another said our representative should "get a
life"
Freshfield's 3 1/2 months of service with 1 Australian
Reinforcement Unit (1ARU) at Nui Dat and his 6
months with AFV Amenities and Welfare Unit, 1
Australian Logistic Support Group (1ALSG), Vung Tau,
are well documented and these records deny any claims
he has made of being a bush soldier with two
Battalions and a semi-autonomous
Infantry Platoon.
We base
this exposure on information supplied by Veterans
who sent us copies of emails written by Freshfield and
a message that was posted by him in
an online Infantry Battalion
newsletter. The Veterans supplied statements as to
the authenticity of the emails.
We have been informed
that he denies ever having sent his Vietnam service
details over the internet, "someone else sent
them after they hacked his password."
If this
was the case, this "hacker"
sent emails using Freshfield's name and e-mail
address from late 2001 to mid 2004, before the
impersonation was discovered and the password changed.
Imagine that.
From our
standpoint we firmly believe that the emails were
written and sent by Freshfield.
Perhaps
we could agree with
him in one way in that he did not send his
Vietnam service details over the internet, what he
sent was a pack of
lies and had
little to do with his actual service.
In a
total of three emails and a Battalion website
newsletter entry, he made claims of war service with
two Infantry Battalions and D&E
Platoon Nui Dat.
The
Infantry Battalions he says he served with on
operations are 3RAR and 4RAR,
the operations took place from 6 March to 2
October 1971.
In one
ridiculous claim
he said that he was in the bush on operations with
both Battalions continuously from 18 June to 17
September with no break back at Nui Dat although
there was a five day gap between two of them. The
names of operations are available on the internet as
are the dates, he obviously
didn't take note of the dates.
In one
email he went too far and angered some Veterans when
he wrote;
"I was with Bravo
Company 3RAR during Overlord. as [sic] nearly wiped
out in the APC ambush on 12th June. Lost 5 mates,
and 2 others a few days later"
"Served in
reinforcement as well as D&E Nui Dat from February
to September"
In
September 2002 this message was posted on a 3rd
Battalion Association website.
(Please bookmark us before
going to the site below as it will take you away
from our site)
Scroll down the above page to "WEBSITE CONTACTS"
and you will find this entry
" I checked out your site and found it a
worthwhile place to browse. I was a 'Nasho"
doing time at 1ARU during 1971. I got sent to,
but not posted, 3RAR during "Briar Patch",
"Overlord", "Iron Fox", then to 4RAR (not
posted) for "Hermit Park", "North Ward" and
"Ivanhoe". Shifted around among 3RAR BCoy and
4RAR CCoy and the Kiwi Coy as well. A lot of
forward scout work too! - I will put a link on
our site, as soon as time permits"
Fact. Infantry
Privates were not "seconded to", "sent to" or
"shafted off to" other units as Freshfield
stated in his emails. They were posted or
detached to other units with the
required paperwork being raised.
For you old Infantrymen, can you picture a
reinforcement from 1ARU joining you for a few
days on an operation and he's given forward
scout duties? Never happen.
This was a particularly stupid claim to make.
"I was with Bravo Company 3RAR during
Overlord. as [sic] nearly wiped out in the APC
ambush on 12th June. Lost 5 mates, and 2
others a few days later"
">>>> the ambush was on 3 APC's taking
D&E and Reo's back to The Dat after Overlord
finished, and 3RAR didn't want us anymore.
Well, not for a few weeks."
Here's why. There are some well-worn myths
about this factual Armoured Personnel Carrier ambush
and Freshfield only retells
these myths, not the facts,
clearly displaying that he was nowhere near
the incident.
We
would like to publish the facts of this ambush
but there are too many wannabes who would like
to use them. There is another traumatised
wannabe on our books who thought he was there
on the day as well, his tale mirrors
Freshfield's
and the myths but is actually more
gruesome.
To
review Freshfield's claims
in brief.
Served on operations with 3RAR and 4RAR, 6 March to 2
October, forward scout....Denied.
Served in Vietnam beginning February 1971....Denied
Served at Nui Dat from February to October
1971....Denied.
"Seconded" to Battalions for operational
duties....Denied
Served with
D&E Platoon, HQ Coy, 1ATF, Nui Dat....Denied.
Was present
when an Armoured Personnel Carrier was ambushed
causing loss of life....Denied.
His
records show he arrived in Vietnam on 25 March, this
date is correct according to other Military records
and a letter he wrote to the Central Army Records
Office, (CARO)
Two sets
of records also show he did indeed leave Nui Dat for
Vung Tau on 7 July.
We could
find nothing in the way of records or
supplied information that could give truth to
his lies about serving with 3RAR, 4RAR and D&E
Platoon, Nui Dat. We did, however, find plenty of
information to show that he was never even near
these units.
His
actual Vietnam service was:
1
Australian Reinforcement Unit, Nui Dat. From 25
March to 7 July 1971 with a seven day detachment to another
unit which we believe to be AFV Amenities and
Welfare Unit, 1ALSG, Vung Tau.
He took
a two day leave from
1ARU on 2 -3 July prior to finally
being posted to AFV Amenities on 7
July, returning to Australia on 2 December 1971.
People not connected to CPMH had questioned
Freshfield on these claims, his replies varied and
are shown in time order. All communications were by
e-mail, they
were sent to,
and replies received from, Bob
Freshfield
bobsup@ozemail.com.au
November 2001. His reply was not recorded
after being challenged by a Veteran but the
Veteran's memory says it was something like this.
"He more or less said he didn't care as he knew what
he did and I didn't"
"I don't
care anymore about what I did or didn't do in
Vietnam. I won't discuss it anymore over the
internet. Get a life."
In answer to the same
questions from CPMH his reply
changed from dismissive to outright denial,
a new defence.
"The
claims made in your email were NOT made by me. I
have no idea about any email supposedly to be have
been sent by me [sic] as I have NEVER made such
claims on the internet. I will stand by whatever
records the Army have of me. I have no idea what
claims you are referring to. This will be the last
response from me on this matter"
His reply to an
e-mail from a concerned person who questioned his
post on the 3RAR Association website.
"I have NEVER put
my Vietnam Service details over the internet.
Mischievous beings who had access to my emails
through Mymail.com.au over the internet sent out a
lot of crap until I changed my password, and it
stopped."
"I have no idea what
claims you are referring to"
Why didn't he tell us the
"hacker" story he used in his next
reply?
"Mischievous
beings who had access to my emails >>>sent out a lot
of crap until I changed my password, and it stopped"
Did he finally discover this
impersonation sometime between 11 and 22 September
2005 after it had been going on since November 2001?
This seems highly unlikely.
A Veteran who served with D&E
Platoon at the time of the APC ambush and who
actually lost mates on that day, sent this email to
Freshfield
on the 33rd anniversary of the incident.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2004 11:40 PM
Today was a special day for me and I
have to reply for you.
Today, at xxxx hrs,
12 June 2004, I observed and commemorated the
deaths of xxxx of my
Platoon mates, the deaths of xxxx 3
Cav mates and the severe wounding of xxxx
Platoon mates that occurred during Operation
Overlord, 12 June 1971.
You were not there on that day, even
though you allude that you were.
Since your mails to me showing an
attempt to have been a bush soldier I have done
some checks on your Vietnam service.
It appears you were not a
bush soldier at all. Your roll call records
appear below the garbage that you wrote to me. (records
deleted)
It would appear that you are some kind
of wanker who wishes to expand his war service
in the interest of gaining higher personal
recognition and or maybe higher membership
numbers for your veterans group.
In either case, I find that you are a
person who could not be trusted to tell the
truth in any way shape or form. You are a
disgrace to the memory of fallen comrades.
I strongly object to you presenting
yourself as a person who was with my mates on
the day they died and or were wounded requiring
their evacuation to Australia.
I have a feeling that someone like you
would have been rejected by D&E members as unfit
to walk the weeds with us. I trust that you do
not wear the ICB.
I have sent CCs of this mail to every
VVFA organisation I could find on the internet
in way of protest against wankers like you
having the affront to misrepresent your war
service whilst a senior member of this
organisation.
I have also copied the President and
Secretary of the VVAA, National Council, NSW
Branch.
This Veteran
received only limited replies to this email. One
from Freshfield telling him to "get a life", a few
from Freshfield's VVFA State President at the time,
a man who completely lost the plot and promptly
abandoned him, and from the President of the VVAA,
National Council, NSW Branch.
Due to
Freshfield's reply to our questions we have not sent
him our usual formal letter asking for his
explanation of the allegations made against him, he
said it all with,
"I have no idea what
claims you are referring to.
This will be the last response from me on this
matter"
Fair enough, but he may have
to discuss what he did and didn't do in Vietnam with
the DVA Fraud Control Unit,
as may his
friend from 104 Signals Squadron who also claims
to have been involved in the 12 June '71 APC
incident, a
former VVFA
Sub-Branch President
and pensions officer.
Pensions officers. We
have the names, ranks and Corps of every person who
was involved in this 12 June 1971 APC
incident. Should you wish to verify any claims of
personnel being present on the day, please contact
us at
information@anzmi.net
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.
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