The American para wings above the riband bar are a nice touch, along with the SASR badge on the right top, the RAINZ infantry badge and the US POW/MIA patch. Guess the militaria shop was right out of ICB's on the day he went shopping?

This character lauds himself as one tough, combat-hardened individual. In a desperate bid to be accepted into the Veteran Community Rian James Holden, or Ryan James Holden, or Morgan Holden, or Broomfield or several other names we have discovered he has been using, tried to infiltrate the Vietnam Veterans Motor Cycle Club of Queensland in 1995. Unfortunately for this former New Zealand resident however,  the VVMC conduct service checks of all applicants to the club and the service record concocted by Holden was so much in doubt that he was questioned on the facts.

A record of this "interview" with Holden is shown below

Broomfield, calling himself Holden also made the fatal mistake of depicting himself, as many bogus Veterans do, as being a former member of the SASR (the elite Special Air Service Regiment), albeit the New Zealand SAS and stated that he had served in Rhodesia. Perhaps this somewhat dim-witted impostor thought that by using a kiwi claim to fame he might get away with his charade.   

Not so. This poor unfortunate, who did not take the time (as most hard-to-trace imposters do, and therefore make our job a challenge) to research anything he attempted to claim, has been caught out at every attempt he has made to be accepted as a Veteran.

One of his biggest drawbacks is his age and some of the medals he is claiming.  In particular it means he would have been awarded the General Service Medal with Viet Nam bar at the tender age of 7.  Further investigation by the VVMC found that the patch he wore depicting the NZ Viet Nam Veterans Motor Cycle club was a fake patch that he had made up in an embroidery shop in Toowoomba Queensland. He personally paid for 4 of these patches to be made.

Our New Zealand counterparts have also confirmed that the patch is not from the VVMC NZ

 After being exposed by the VVMC and being told to move on, Holden again attempted to infiltrate another biker club for currently serving and Veteran Defence Force personnel. The Patriots Defence Force Motorcycle Club quickly became aware of him and another of his friends (also a Veteran impostor) and they were told to "ride on"

All of this must have been niggling in the back of the mind of this individual and he decided that it was time to set the cat amongst the pigeons. Holden, using another bogus name, emailed CPMH and gave false information on a genuine Veteran in an attempt to belittle and defame him. Unbeknownst to Holden, the veteran who he tried to have exposed is very well known Australia-wide for his assistance to the Veteran community; and after investigation it appears he is also the person that initially exposed Holden as a fraud. Motive, anyone?

Behind the scenes several people had reported Holden to the site prior to this event and an investigation into him was already on foot. To keep Holden's attention a team member carried on email conversations with him over several weeks saying that the team was investigating the Veteran he had reported but every now and then would ask him pertinent questions about his own service history.

Like a fish to the bait Holden supplied his lies about being a member of Victor 6, a part of 4 RAR (4th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment) during their last tour in Viet Nam 1971-72. The member of CPMH who was conducting the investigation into his service just happened to have done his tour in 4 RAR and is well acquainted with the Nominal Roll of Victor and Whisky Companies. Further information about Victor 6 was sought from Holden and his answers were sent to our counterparts in New Zealand who confirmed he was lying.

All this information was collected and collated and when everything had been confirmed as being absolutely correct Holden was sent an email saying some of the information he requested on the Veteran he had reported was about to be sent to him and that he should look at it all, digest it and keep it all confidential until such time as it was placed on the pages of CPMH. He agreed to all this and it is envisaged  he jumped at the chance to have this information and must have been sitting, possibly with his mates, at his computer waiting for it all to arrive.

Again he was disappointed. The mail he received contained a newspaper article where he was sentenced for fraud.  

The conversation, that had been flowing back and forwards to New Zealand for confirmation of his status, pictures that had been forwarded to CPMH by other informants showing him wearing ribbons, an SAS badge and wearing an SAS beret whilst attending a R&SL Sub-branch with another of his impostor mates who also appears in the picture below were all building a good word picture of this fraud.

His accomplice  is standing on the left with his hand on the shoulder of another biker from the "Combat Veterans" Motor Cycle Club.  Holden is shown in the photograph standing on the far right (head circled) with the SASR beret in his left pocket.

Holden had indicated in the report he filed with the site that he specifically wanted to publicly humiliate the genuine Veteran as he was wearing badges on his vest that he was NOT entitled to.    The reply to that was to include a photograph of Holden in his biker outfit where you can clearly see ribbons with SAS parachute  wings above them and an SAS patch displayed lower on the vest.   He should have taken his own advice on these matters as now he will be instructed to remove all military accoutrements that he is not entitled to by a very angry group of genuine Veteran bikers, possibly from three clubs.

Holden was invited to respond to CPMH's email outlining the facts surrounding his history prior to his being placed on the site. He has declined this offer and in fact has removed his group photograph you see here on this site from the Combat Veterans site located here http://comvet.qldwide.net.au - he has also removed his email address from the site and after a group visited his home in Tin Can Bay, Queensland, it appears that he may have moved location. Combat Veterans International along with Veteran Organisations in Australia and New Zealand have been informed of the bogus Veteran status of Holden.

There are reams of information on this bogus Veteran including videos that have been forwarded to the team by Veterans from both countries. as is our practice, not all information we have on file has been placed here on the site.

Ryan's claims to all service and awards, other than a short stint with the New Zealand Territorial Army (reserve), are false. His NZ Army No was Q47164, Full name Rian James Broomfield, DOB 5 Oct 56, blood group, O RH Pos.

Veterans and Defence motorcycle clubs aren't known for their generosity and acceptance of charlatans. We expect to hear more on Broomfield, posing as Holden in the future.

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.