Phillip Stanley Selwood.

  A pretend Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Vietnam Veteran who was caught being a pretend State Policeman.

Phillip Stanley Selwood told a Gold Coast Magistrate that he was a “Traumatised Vietnam Veteran” as a defence to charges of impersonating a Police Officer at Surfers Paradise.  Selwood told the Magistrate that he suffered war caused Post Traumatic Disorder and was sexually assaulted by five men during his RAN service.  He fronted the Magistrates court wearing Vietnam medal ribbands, a Returned Servicemen’s League Badge a Totally and Permanently Incapacitated ex Servicemen’s (TPI) Badge and a Returned from Active Service Badge. The Gold Coast news recorded the Court appearance as shown below:

Selwood may be a legitimate member of the RSL and we know that he has been granted TPI status by the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Many ex Servicemen who have never served in operational areas or had war service can be granted TPI status under the Veterans Entitlement Act.   He has no entitlement to wear Vietnam medals or a Returned from Active Service Badge. Selwood spent three years and seven months in the Royal Australian Navy before being discharged on 2 Sep 1973 as being “Unsuitable”; he never went to an operational area and certainly never served in Vietnam.  Below is a page from his official RAN Service file detailing where he served from the time he enlisted until the day he was discharged.

We are not sure of Selwood’s current location, but he is most likely still “hamming” it up at an RSL. We request that RSLs in the Gold Coast area of both New South Wales and Queensland check their membership and if necessary rid this unsavory person from their ranks. It is in the interest of the Veteran community that Selwood’s current whereabouts be known, therefore we would appreciate any further information about Selwood. 

Law enforcement are very quick to prosecute a person pretending to be a member of the Police Force, but for many years both Federal and State police have ignored the provisions of the Defence Act 1903 that demands that people like Selwood, pretending to be a Veteran and or wearing medals they are not entitled to, be prosecuted, and if proven guilty be fined up to $3.300 or six months imprisonment or both.

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.