Claims to have held a commission in the Royal Navy Reserve - Denied.  

Claims to have served for 15 years in the Royal Australian Navy - Denied. 

Claims to have been a chief petty officer (CPO) in the Royal Australian Navy - Denied 

Claims to have been master of a fisheries inspection vessel and qualified to master anything up to a tanker - Denied.

There is a lot of evidence supporting the facts that Jones uses the rank of "Captain" and claims to have been a Master Mariner - Why does Jones have no entitlement to that rank and title, and why is there no truth in the remainder of his claims?  

Claims the right to the title of Captain Merchant Navy. 

According to the Deputy Chief Examiner, of Masters and Mates, Seafarers Standards Training and Certification, at the Seafarers Training and Certification Branch, Maritime Coastguard Agency - Southport UK (The only authority in the UK that examines and qualifies Merchant Navy people) Jones has no entitlement to the rank of Captain Merchant Navy and therefore has no claim to the title of Master Mariner.  The Deputy chief Examiner said  "Unless MR Jones can provide evidence to the contrary he is not entitled to the rank of Captain (MN). Though it is not a crime in itself here in the UK to call oneself a captain, it would be, if used to mislead or cause offence or if used for financial gain". The same applies in Australian law. 

When Jones joined a local NSW Coastal Patrol Rescue unit at  Forster, Reserve Road Forster NSW he presented the Licence shown below as his credentials.  

The licence was described by Seafarers Training Branch as follows:  

"Received confirmation from the Royal yacht Association (RYA) that the certificate is, or was genuine but expired on the 13th February 2002.  As stated in my previous email that particular RYA certificate is for small boats, such as a dinghy or rowing boats and the like.   An RYA certificate is not recognised by any administration towards any qualification on a merchant ship not even towards a qualification for merchant navy rating."  

This licence is not required for use in UK waters, it is endorsed. "In the UK a license is not required to operate pleasure craft". Also note that Jones is wearing a uniform in the photograph shown on the licence. Was he wearing the rank of a Master Mariner when he acquired this licence, and was that done to make sure that the rank "Capt MN" was endorsed on it?   

The licence is to drive very small pleasure craft, however, it looks official and was accepted in good faith by the Forster Coast Guard patrol, it was issued by the Royal Yacht Association (RYA) to "Captain RL Jones (MN)" - meaning Merchant Navy.  We are advised by the RYA as follows:  

"The endorsement of the Captain (MN) title would have been at Jones request, it is unlikely that we would have checked this." 

The document shows that he was examined by the "RNAS - Plymouth" that is an abbreviation for Royal Naval Air Station.  The RYA advise that "RNAS is a mistake and should read RNSA - Royal Naval Sailing Association who test candidates for the Royal Navy."   

It is most unlikely that a person qualified as, and claiming to be a Captain Merchant Navy - a Master Mariner - would use a RYA "Rowing Boat" licence to gain entry to a NSW Coastal Rescue unit, when he should have in his possession appropriate qualifications far beyond that of driving dinghies.  We are also reliably advised that Jones has acquired a coxswains ticket as his current qualification to drive the Forster Coast Guard rescue boat.  Why would a man with a UK Master Mariners qualification licensed to drive ships up to tanker size require a coxswains ticket to drive a twenty foot rescue boat shown here.  

Commission in the Royal Navy Reserve 

All occurrences effecting  officers in the Royal Navy Reserve are listed in the London Gazette, this includes, commissions, promotions, resignations, awards and decorations.  Jones is not listed anywhere in the London Gazette.  We have searched and the Social Sciences department of the Birmingham Social Sciences Library reports as follows.  

"Dear Sir

Thank you for your enquiry concerning the London Gazette. The Gazette is available online at www.gazettes-online.co.uk   I have searched the website, but am unable to retrieve the name in which you are interested."  

Claims to have served for 15 years in the Royal Australian Navy 

Jones served for twelve years in the Royal Australian Navy from 7 February 1962 to 8 July 1974. 

Claims to have been a chief petty officer in the Royal Australian Navy 

Jones's rank on discharge after twelve years Royal Australian Navy service was   Leading Seaman in the muster of Naval Air Safety Equipment - NASE 

Claims to have been master of fisheries inspection vessel and qualified to master anything up to a tanker.   

The Marine Fisheries Agency (MFA) in the UK told us: 

"We do not have any records of this gentleman ever having worked for us.  that said, we do not operate fisheries patrol vessels directly as we utilise the Fisheries Protection Squadron of the Royal Navy

Fishery Officer

MFA Operations

London 

An expert on UK naval matters then advised: 

"The captain of a Fisheries Protection vessel (most commonly an Island class OPV) would be a Lieutenant Commander, he certainly would not be a captain by rank at the time of command".  Jones claimed to be a Royal Navy Reserve Lieutenant and master of a vessel involved in fisheries inspection vessel, his rank of Lieutenant was too low to be master of a RN Fisheries Protection Squadron vessel and his claimed rank of Captain MN would not apply to the RN Fisheries Protection Squadron.  

Russell Lee Jones is a liar and a wannabe, he has no entitlement to the rank of Captain Merchant Navy or Royal Navy Reserve Lieutenant which he uses to "big note" himself in the Taree veteran community,  he should be aware that if he has used the bogus rank to gain a benefit he has committed an offence.  It seems that wannabes are naturally attracted to each other because he is part of the Doran crew from Taree NSW  (See the story directly below the Jones entry on the Cases page soon) Doran is also a chronic liar and a wannabe.   

Russell Lee Jones' biggest problem is that everyone sees right through him.  He fools some of the people for only a short time, his haughty manner and lack of presence makes it obvious that he is not a captain's bootstrap.  Russell Lee Jones' insistence on being addressed as "Captain" should be treated with the derision it deserves by the good people of the Taree District.  He is no more a "Captain" than Long John Silvers parrot.