Dartmouth's Royal Naval Association branch members are standing by Robert Mitchell and his amazing bullet and battle claims.

But if they find his story is not true he could end up being kicked out of the association where he is currently branch secretary.

Mr Mitchell's story went around the world after he told how he had gone into hospital for a hernia operation and surgeons had discovered a bullet that had been inside him for the last 40 years.

The 63-year-old then revealed he had probably been shot while fighting in the Malay and Vietnam jungles in the 70s as a Royal Naval Commando and received the Distinguished Service Medal for his actions.

His story provoked a wave of comments, many of them casting doubt on the truth of his story. Even Torbay Hospital refused to confirm his bullet story, saying: 'We can confirm that Mr Mitchell was in our care recently for a routine hernia operation with no unusual circumstances.'

And there is no mention of Mr Mitchell's name on the national list of DSM winners.

But this week the Dartmouth branch of the Royal Naval Association revealed it is carrying out its own investigation into Mr Mitchell's story. Meanwhile, branch vice chairman, membership secretary and treasurer Paul Fitzgerald said: 'I have spoken to him personally and so has our chairman. We have said that we will back him up to the hilt until it is proven otherwise.

'We want to believe him because he is such a nice fellow.

'If it comes to the fact that it is not true we will have to kick him out of the naval association because it would be a case of bringing it into disrepute. This has all come as a shock.'

Mr Fitzgerald said members of the 25-strong naval association branch were 'disgusted' at the criticisms levelled at Mr Mitchell.

And he added: 'When I first spoke to Mr Mitchell he was absolutely in bits. It has really affected him.

He said the branch was urging Mr Mitchell to go to Torbay Hospital and get a written statement that the bullet was removed from his leg during surgery earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Danny Irvine, who was chief coxswain at Britannia Royal Naval College from 1969 to 1974, cast doubts on Mr Mitchell's claim he was presented with his DSM at the college.

He said he was involved in organising all the medal presentations at the college and the only medals presented there were British Empire Medals and long-service and good-conduct medals.

He said: 'At no stage did we ever have an investiture for a DSM.

'It is a gallantry medal and it would have come from the Queen.'