Australia Australia - Tamam Shud Case - Male, Dec 1948

[Little Jedi]

This 'SPY' aspect,
well couldn't that seem to tie in together ?

From looking at 'Seamans I.D. Card' is seems to be in such good condition I feel that it wasn't used as such after it's been issued.
So that (also taking into account date issued) raises the question 'why/what was it issued for'

There has been some excellent research into 'post discovery' connections but none of that seems to bring us any closer in identifying who he actually is !

Regarding the whole 'Jestyn' questions, hasn't her daughter (KT) in a recent documentary, said her mother DID admit to knowing 'Tamam' & her 'Russian' connection privately ?

Sadly I think that was all she told her.

But wouldn't that again all 'add-up' ??

 

[Little Jedi]

Here is an identical card.

Seaman's I.D. Card

This one clearly being 'used' by an actual Seaman has numerous 'Visa' stamps.

This is what makes me wonder about the lack of such on the HC Reynolds card.

Along with the fact that neither US or British Historical searches have failed to find any record of HC Reynolds.

And as this seems to be about the best 'new' lead in many, many years. ( almost 70 ) who knows ......

 

[Xlamb]

Little Jedi...That's an amazing find. Where'd you get it? It's the first I.D. card I've seen that's U.S. Dept. of Labor and looks exactly like Mr. Reynolds card.
It's odd that the word Labor is spelt this way on an official document though, but perhaps this is an American norm whereas we add the 'u' in labour for Australians (I think so). How's it spelt in your Galaxy L/J?
I wouldn't have known what to look for without your I.D. example, but there are no stamps on the Reynolds I.D. as you say (apart from the date) and the absence of stamps suggests that if Mr. Reynolds travelled abroad he might not have ever stepped on shore. I'm guessing if he had, the I.D. would've been stamped.

There is also nothing filled in on the back of the I.D. where it states:

Port of...................date..... is empty

The seaman described on the face hereof examined by me. His status as a seaman is:
Division 1. empty
Division 2. empty
Division 3. empty

................................................... empty, where a signature's required.
Immigration inspector.

So it hasn't been marked or signed at all.

That doesn't make for a very serious seaman does it ? That, or he kept all his sea ventures confined to local waters, and left his I.D. card at home in a dry safe place for 30 years up until his death.
I also think it's odd (conveniently) that it was already thought that the deceased was connected to the sea, and that's owing to the contents of the suitcase I can only guess. But I question such a presumption. I don't wish to stereotype seamen / sailors, but is it wrong of me to think ' anchor tattoo' or similar for that timeframe and profession. I could understand such conclusions if based on something as obvious as that.
In contrast SM was well groomed, no tattoos, smooth hands / manicured and he's well dressed. There was no mention of alcohol on his breath or in his stomach contents (not suggesting sailors were big drinkers) that would say he'd been out partying. SM didn't appear to be the rough and tumble type.
They thought he'd caught a train into Adelaide...not a ship / boat.

Apart from Mr. Reynolds I.D. yellowing slightly with age...(and the spot where I tore the photo slightly at the top while trying to lift it to access information on the back; and wish I hadn't) the I.D. isn't dog eared, watermarked or bent. I can't see how it could have been well travelled or regularly pulled from a pocket or wallet. Neither does the I.D. fit the notion of being found kicking around the streets or blowing about on Somerton beach.

The I.D. spent about 43 years under cellophane in my photo album sitting undisturbed amongst pictures of other people I didn't know and had no-one to ask. I expect this would have aided photo preservation for the time that I had it, but it was already 30 years old by 1948 and had to be relatively untouched even then. There also appears to be a partial finger print or smear on the I.D..

The spy thing....It depends how sensational a spy you want. Even now we have plain clothes Police working undercover, and there are 'informants', but we wouldn't refer to them as 'spies'.
I'm also not convinced that someone 'said' to have been born in Tasmania (if H.C. Reynolds is Horace Charles) would state their Nationality as British. It was explained away as.... Australia / Tasmania being part of the Commonwealth so everyone considered themselves as British... but it just doesn't ring totally true to me. Maybe I just haven't seen other examples which show Australians stating they're British (when born here).
I keep thinking A.N.Z.A.C.S. for 1st. WW timeframe and very defined from being British as a National identity.
I'm not accessing old records and I've no skills as a researcher, so I stand to be corrected on anything and everything.

 

[Little Jedi]

:seeya: Hi !

Here's a bit more about him;

' Seaman's ID Card issued by the United States Department of Labor and Immigration Service to A G Kristiansen.
Arnljot was born in Bergen, Norway in 1903........

He arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana on 18 December 1928, where he registered as a merchant seaman.'


..... it's issued on arrival for 'New Immigrant's'

That sounds to me as if it's issued actually in the US.

'Labor' it is the US spelling, British is also 'Labour'
so again seems it/he must have been in the US ??

With 'HC Reynolds' ID being dated 28th February 1918, I thought strange as it was still during WWI.

Is New Orleans at all relevant ??

http://tinyurl.com/mm2hb8w

 

[Little Jedi]

I was wrong about the date on the ID.
It's actually the card holders Birthday not the date of issue.

From reading my own post :facepalm: I see that A. Kristiansen arrived in US on December 18th.

His DofB is 29th March 1903

So then I presume 'HC Reynolds' DofB is 28th February (1900)

 

[Xlamb]

Good point about the date Little Jedi!
The Reynolds I.D. was stamped though so can't be sure, but if 28th. Feb. 1918 is D.O.B. for H.C. Reynolds it could help refine a records search. Just a pity that there's no Christian / first and middle names to go by.
Cipher Mysteries researchers believed H.C. Reynolds was a Horace Charles Reynolds
born 8th. Feb. 1900 to parents Edwin Reynolds and Mary Ann Matilda Bayley / Tasmania. Horace had 2 brothers...Oswald Bayley Reynolds b. 1891
and Archibald Henry Reynolds b. 1895
The records found for N.S.W. Electoral Role 1930 to 1933 showed Archibald and Horace living together at Carter Road Brookvale N.S.W. and both clerks. Oswald went on to do well in banking. Cipher Mysteries state that Horace used his middle name Charles (Chas) and was a purser in 1918 and it's believe the I.D. was issued to him then.
I can't dispute their research for Horace Charles but without a photo ( at any age) to compare to the photo on the I.D. there's no way to be certain that they are the same chap
so those findings remain open. The details concerning Horace's death in 1953 are too incomplete and more proof is required as proof; a formal Death Certificate with cause of death and signed by a Doctor is a pretty standard requirement and necessary I think under the circumstances. If we've another D.O.B. 28/2/1900 then we've a different chap entirely to look for. It would mean that the stamp was adjusted for the individual, so H.C. Reynolds is 18 on the 28/2/18. Maybe it was their way to ensure D.O.B. is officially recorded and was pre-checked, I don't know!
Otherwise it's one of a bunch of I.D.'s presented for processing that day, and thus all stamped with the same date. There's still the Nationality that's doesn't sit right with me also as Mr. Reynolds states himself as British...not Australian
(Horace was Tasmanian/Australian).

 

[SapphireSteel]

'Somerton/Unknown Man'

A bit more on the 'ear's explained :

' Maciej Henneberg, Professor of Anatomy at the University of Adelaide, examined images of the Somerton man's ears and found that the cymba (upper ear hollow) is larger than his cavum (lower ear hollow), a feature possessed by only 1–2% of the Caucasian population.'

Taman Shud Case - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A feature possessed by only 1-2% of the Caucasian population DOES NOT account for regional differences.

The 1 or 2% will be as high as 80% in some areas due to shared genes. He may have originated in a village in Poland or Russia where EVERYONE had the unusual ear.

Somerton man was thought to come from a Slavic country and I agree.

His facial structure is far different to any of these photos presented - it's just not the same guy.

The cutting of the labels from his clothing suggests strongly that he was intentionally incognito.

The fact that he had apparently been near Pt Augusta shows that he did travel to the Outback...nothing, literally nothing except Woomera was of any interest to anybody back then.

I do believe he was a spy, possibly from Russia, probably sent to garner information about Woomera.

As outlandish as it seems, this sort of thing did happen.

As far as being poisoned....who knows? Did Russian spies carry cyanide capsules in case of being caught? You can't be tortured for information if you're dead...?

 

[STANDREID]

HC has a cleft in his chin, SM does not - that's all it took for me to eliminate him - pretty black and white.

 

[SapphireSteel]

HC has a cleft in his chin, SM does not - that's all it took for me to eliminate him - pretty black and white.

Yeah it's pretty obvious hey.

If I didn't know better I would swear Somerton Man was Harvey Keitel.



ETA I just checked Google images, and whaddaya know, Mr Keitel has THE SAME EAR DEFORMITY as the "1-2%"....what are the chances....I wonder if he has a missing uncle?

 

[Little Jedi]

Prof Henneberg is considered an expert in the highly specialised field of biological anthropology.

He has worked for police and defence lawyers and is regularly called as an expert witness in court cases where identity is an issue.

Prof Henneberg said there were many difficulties in comparing facial structures from the images. Pictures of the Somerton Beach man were not taken until a few days after he died.

Prof Henneberg said that meant his face would have changed shape from before his death, with gravity altering the appearance of his cheeks, chin, eyes and forehead.

But there were two indicators that helped him compare the photographs and come to his rare conclusion. The ears were of the same type and are the least likely part of the face to change with age or death.

Accounting for photographic differences, the nose, lips and eyes also appeared to be of the same type.


http://m.heraldsun.com.au/news/is-b...ach-body-mystery/story-e6frf7jo-1226200076344

 

[Little Jedi]

No idea where Harvey Keitel came into it ?
But that photo shows that his cavium clearly is larger than his cymba

Somerton Man Ears

On the left is the Somerton man's ear showing the upper hollow (cymba) is larger than the lower hollow (cavum).

On the right is a normal ear showing that the upper hollow is typically much smaller.
The Somerton man's ear type is possessed by only 1–2% of the Caucasian population and is an important clue to narrowing down his identity. It is possible that any lost relatives may have this feature.

Photo of Somerton man's ear, compared to normal ear.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taman_Shud_Case#mediaviewer/File:SomertonManEars.jpg

 

[SapphireSteel]

Yeah it's pretty obvious hey.

If I didn't know better I would swear Somerton Man was Harvey Keitel.



ETA I just checked Google images, and whaddaya know, Mr Keitel has THE SAME EAR DEFORMITY as the "1-2%"....what are the chances....I wonder if he has a missing uncle?

Here's where Mr Keitel comes into it....

I thought he resembled Somerton Man then I find he's got the same ear deformity. Bizarre coincidence.

 

[SapphireSteel]

Prof Henneberg is considered an expert in the highly specialised field of biological anthropology.

He has worked for police and defence lawyers and is regularly called as an expert witness in court cases where identity is an issue.

Prof Henneberg said there were many difficulties in comparing facial structures from the images. Pictures of the Somerton Beach man were not taken until a few days after he died.

Prof Henneberg said that meant his face would have changed shape from before his death, with gravity altering the appearance of his cheeks, chin, eyes and forehead.

But there were two indicators that helped him compare the photographs and come to his rare conclusion. The ears were of the same type and are the least likely part of the face to change with age or death.

Accounting for photographic differences, the nose, lips and eyes also appeared to be of the same type.


http://m.heraldsun.com.au/news/is-b...ach-body-mystery/story-e6frf7jo-1226200076344

Maybe not any more -

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arc...-financial-fraud/story-e6frg6p6-1111117127533

 

[Little Jedi]

^^That article is from 2008 ^^

"I am under investigation but not found guilty yet of anything," Professor Henneberg told The Australian.

"Certainly, I deny any wrongdoing on my part.


From the date I'd assume that he obviously WASN'T found guilty of anything.


Also from the same article:

According to Professor Henneberg, the team pushed their "new species" claim for professional and financial gain.

He contended that his view -- the the hobbit is a deformed modern human who had dental work
-- had been unfairly criticised by scientists with a vested interest."

So sorry but I fail to see how Prof. Henneberg's stating that Hobbits are not actually real would discredit his expertise in any way?

 

[Little Jedi]

Here's where Mr Keitel comes into it....

I thought he resembled Somerton Man then I find he's got the same ear deformity. Bizarre coincidence.

No....... his CYMBA is not larger than his CAVUM

It's in regards the Hollows in ear nothing to do with the outer area.

 

[Xlamb]

There's a unique and intriguing story that came out recently for ANZAC commemorations.
It centres around a secret message inscribed on the back of a one penny stamp which says...

" I go out to return "
Jack

and the unfolding tragedy of the seven Smith Brothers, all from the tiny South Australian hamlet of Yongala...six of whom were killed in action in WW1 (Herbert, Frederick, Alfred, Clarence, Errol, and Aubrey). The seventh surviving brother Francis had his farm sold out from under him while serving at the 'front' and the article states he never recovered from the set back and loss of his brothers and died in 1923 after going under a tram.
It's not known if his death was accidental.
Their only sister Lottie, and the treasured stamp, the secret message
(I go out to return...Jack), were all that was left from this heart wrenching tragedy.

When I read the follow-up story (the great ANZAC Mystery of the Smith brothers 10/5/14 ...Adelaide Advertiser) I realised it was my Uncles family that was under discussion. In the article, my cousin clarifies some family details as one of the grandchildren of Clarence Leslie Smith, who it seems did survive War after all, along with another brother, and it goes on from there.

In fact it's now being revealed by some dedicated researchers, that only 2 of the Smith brothers fought in Wars and that non of them died serving their country. The Smith brothers story was very intriguing, emotionally moving, and the said 'stamp' and secret inscription is 'real'.
The article published by News Corp Australia was also said to be 'a true story', but it's now shaping up as 'embellished' (substantially). If no-one else had bothered to checked birth and death records for the Smith brothers, it would have been set down as factual and entered into Australian War History...to be repeated and taught in our Schools etc. forever on.
Lest we forget... the offspring, the living relatives as the proof something was very amiss with that particular ANZAC story.
Some members of the Public are now seeking the story's retraction.

The Somerton Man Mystery has also grown into an intriguing story over the last six decades. I thought the recent articles about my Uncles family is worthy of mention as a point of interest. It also shows the importance of searching for the truth rather than blindly following some of our great Aussie yarns, legends and inventions courtesy of some Media outlets. I'm sure there are many examples where the Public has been mislead, and while it's not always intentional, where a mistake has been made... the Media must make every effort to correct it.
I've sometimes wondered whether SM's story was 'embellished' (even if slightly), and "what a wicked web we weave"...as the saying goes.

I'll continue to follow the mysterious 'stamp' and the Smith brothers story and hope that the truth will all come to light eventually.

Sorry! I don't know how to put up the links ... Can anyone help!

" Six of seven sons of Frederick and Maggie Smith died in WW1 " (Herald Sun 25/4/14)

" The great ANZAC Mystery of the Smith brothers " (News and Adelaide Advertiser
10/4/1) did they all die in WW1

 

[Tulessa]

There's a unique and intriguing story that came out recently for ANZAC commemorations.
It centres around a secret message inscribed on the back of a one penny stamp which says...

" I go out to return "
Jack

and the unfolding tragedy of the seven Smith Brothers, all from the tiny South Australian hamlet of Yongala...six of whom were killed in action in WW1 (Herbert, Frederick, Alfred, Clarence, Errol, and Aubrey). The seventh surviving brother Francis had his farm sold out from under him while serving at the 'front' and the article states he never recovered from the set back and loss of his brothers and died in 1923 after going under a tram.
It's not known if his death was accidental.
Their only sister Lottie, and the treasured stamp, the secret message
(I go out to return...Jack), were all that was left from this heart wrenching tragedy.

When I read the follow-up story (the great ANZAC Mystery of the Smith brothers 10/5/14 ...Adelaide Advertiser) I realised it was my Uncles family that was under discussion. In the article, my cousin clarifies some family details as one of the grandchildren of Clarence Leslie Smith, who it seems did survive War after all, along with another brother, and it goes on from there.

In fact it's now being revealed by some dedicated researchers, that only 2 of the Smith brothers fought in Wars and that non of them died serving their country. The Smith brothers story was very intriguing, emotionally moving, and the said 'stamp' and secret inscription is 'real'.
The article published by News Corp Australia was also said to be 'a true story', but it's now shaping up as 'embellished' (substantially). If no-one else had bothered to checked birth and death records for the Smith brothers, it would have been set down as factual and entered into Australian War History...to be repeated and taught in our Schools etc. forever on.
Lest we forget... the offspring, the living relatives as the proof something was very amiss with that particular ANZAC story.
Some members of the Public are now seeking the story's retraction.

The Somerton Man Mystery has also grown into an intriguing story over the last six decades. I thought the recent articles about my Uncles family is worthy of mention as a point of interest. It also shows the importance of searching for the truth rather than blindly following some of our great Aussie yarns, legends and inventions courtesy of some Media outlets. I'm sure there are many examples where the Public has been mislead, and while it's not always intentional, where a mistake has been made... the Media must make every effort to correct it.
I've sometimes wondered whether SM's story was 'embellished' (even if slightly), and "what a wicked web we weave"...as the saying goes.

I'll continue to follow the mysterious 'stamp' and the Smith brothers story and hope that the truth will all come to light eventually.

Sorry! I don't know how to put up the links ... Can anyone help!

" Six of seven sons of Frederick and Maggie Smith died in WW1 " (Herald Sun 25/4/14)

" The great ANZAC Mystery of the Smith brothers " (News and Adelaide Advertiser
10/4/1) did they all die in WW1

http://www.warhistoryonline.com/war...zac-mystery-smith-brothers-die-world-war.html

 

[Tulessa]

http://article.wn.com/view/2014/05/09/The_great_Anzac_mystery_of_the_Smith_brothers_Did_they_all_d/

 

[Xlamb]

Tulessa...Thankyou so much for helping me out with those links. There's now a few more chat lines popping up where the researchers examining the Smith brothers' family, have placed the records and proof on line for others to see.
My Uncle (b. May 1928 d. 1996) was a young Policeman back in Dec. 1948 and friend/brother in law to my father. There's a large picture of him circa 1950 hanging in the Police Museum in the room next to SM's plaster cast exhibit.
I have to wonder if this 'message on a stamp' and family secrets gave way to fertile young minds and mischief making before T.V. came along. There seems to be many strange things that happened within my own family and my extended family, and there's too many to be cast off as mere coincidence I think.
If nothing else an examination of the Smith brothers mystery might clear the way to more information that might add some logic to my father having Mr. Reynolds I.D..
I've not contacted the Paper or family members concerned yet. I'm not sure how they'd feel about any link to SM or the I.D., even though the similarities are fascinating.
I'd hope that the Smith family can be reunited via this recent publicity at least.

 

[Xlamb]

CHANNEL 7 Adelaide "Today/Tonight" @ 6.30pm. programed to air tonight 2/7/14.

It's a half hour locally produced current affairs program and will feature Prof. Derek Abbotts' latest findings for the "Somerton Man Mystery". The promos have been going to air during the day and shows Derek having some new revelation about the Code.

Hoping he comes up with a logical solution that might bring some sense to this man's unusual demise in 1948.
Meanwhile I'll continue to remain hesitant rather than blindly following the clues left behind just in case the whole thing was a hoax from the outset. It may turn out that the only real piece of evidence that's reliable in SM's story, is his body found on the beach. Keep in mind also, if it weren't for that 'message in a pocket' found some time later, there'd be no 'other clues' to explore and the only mystery would be the deceased identity.
It seems we are taking the long way round to getting that bit sorted.