UK UK - Porth Minick beach, Whtmale 40-60, ring "Georgio And Katrina 1956", shrt/vst, Feb'79

[dotr]

rbbm.9/5/20
Ring inscription sole clue in 41-year-old mystery
''A middle-aged man washed onto an Isles of Scilly beach had been dead in the water for months.

The only real clue to his identity was a ring bearing the inscription: "Georgio And Katrina 1956".

Now a team of experts, including a Welsh university criminologist, hope to focus their efforts on discovering who the individual was, where he was from and why he died.''

''The body of the man was discovered on 21 February 1979. ''

''He was found at Porth Minick beach, and had been in the sea for an estimated four months.

Aged between 40 and 60, he was white, with dark brown, greying hair, and was 5ft 4in tall (1.63m), and wearing a two-tone blue and white short-sleeved shirt with a woollen Eltex vest underneath''.

''The only other information is the ring he wore with the inscription on the ring finger of his right hand - thought to be a wedding band''.

 

[dotr]

UK Missing Persons Unit
Case 06-026110
Gender
male
Age range
40 - 60
Ethnicity
white european
Height
163cm (5 ft 4 ins)
Build
medium
Date found
21 February 1979
Body or remains
body
Circumstances
Decomposed body found on the beach at Port Minnick. Believed to have been in the water at least 4 months.
Hair
dark brown - greying
Eye colour
Unknown
Clothing
underwear - vest - unknown - unknown - all wool "eltex" make vest

shirt/blouse - short sleeved - unknown - unknown - two tone blue and white summer shirt

Jewellery
ring - 1 - gold band, believed wedding ring on right hand ring finger, inscription "georgio and katrina 1956"

Port Minnick
Isles of Scilly
England
21/02/1979 Devon And Cornwall Constabulary

 

[dotr]

Visual markers of marital status - Wikipedia
''In parts of Europe, especially in German-speaking regions, as well as in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Turkey, and Ukraine, the wedding ring is worn on the ring finger of the right hand. In the Netherlands, Catholics wear their wedding rings on the left hand, while most other people wear them on the right. Some spouses choose to wear their wedding ring on the left hand in Turkey.''

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Missing Persons Georgio And Katrina - Locate International


Investigation

Despite the passage of time, the man has never been identified. With the power of social media, there is renewed hope that this mystery could now be solved.

“I felt immediately compelled to help drive this case forwards. A lost love. An unidentified person. Possibly someone’s grandad, dad, brother. During the current times, human connection is longed for and social media use has heightened. I believe we can use this global societal change to gain answers and find the loved ones of Georgio and Katrina. I urge for your assistance in uncovering any information that might solve the ring of mystery.”

 

[TootsieFootsie]

We require the assistance of the Cypriot community to unravel the ‘ring of mystery’ surrounding a body washed up on a beach in the UK more than 40 years ago.
Posted on 19 August 2020

INVESTIGATORS from a new cold case team have begun to unravel the ‘ring of mystery’ surrounding a body washed up on a beach on the Isles of Scilly more than 40 years ago.

We require the assistance from the Greek Cypriot community to find out the identity of a man who was found on a beach in 1979 believed to be Greek or Greek Cypriot.

The team from Locate International is using the latest computer mapping techniques and social media networks in an effort to work out the identity of the man who wore a wedding ring inscribed ‘Georgio and Katrina 1956’. He was found on February 21 1979 at Porth Minick beach on St Mary’s, the largest of the five inhabited islands 40 kilometres off the south western tip of Cornwall.

The investigators found a Cypriot couple with the same first names as the inscribed on the ring they were married in 1956 but are still alive

We require the assistance of the Cypriot community to unravel the ‘ring of mystery’ surrounding a body washed up on a beach in the UK more than 40 years ago.

 

[12Liam13]

first thought is that february storms probably caused him to wash up there from the caribbean (as often happens with cocaine that has been ditched into the ocean).

secondly, the ring being on his right hand, have you considered it could be perhaps formerly a wedding ring that was repurposed to represent twins born in 1956? ie: his wife and the mother of the twins divorced him, so as a means to avoid letting the ring go he changed the emotional representation to the product of their love? seems like a logical possibility to me.

also, searching the mediterranean is pursuit of a turbo-goose. this man died in the caribbean or perhaps canary islands or south east u.s coast. georgio has spanish or porto undertones but is also a variation on eastern european georgia, where katrina is also eastern european. perhaps his wife was georgian and he spanish (canary's again) so as a compromise to both their heritage they chose those names.
when i get some more motivation i will dig around a bit myself, chances are one of them might have an obituary already.

regards,
Liam

 

[annemc2]

Is there a picture of the ring somewhere? This sounds dumb but did it actually say "and" or "And" in between the names? If so does that mean that the couple were likely English speakers? Or was it a "+" or "&" that might transcend languages?

 

[Tortoise]

My late husband was Greek Cypriot and he had his name inscribed on a piece of jewellery he wore but it was written in the Greek alphabet. I am inclined to think this couple may have originated from Cyprus but probably didn't live there, and perhaps may not have had their marriage ceremony there, because I would be surprised to see jewellery from Cyprus engraved in English lettering. They may be able to tell, if it is hallmarked, where the ring was manufactured. I believe Cypriot gold is usually 18ct (if it is gold).

 

[dotr]

first thought is that february storms probably caused him to wash up there from the caribbean (as often happens with cocaine that has been ditched into the ocean).

secondly, the ring being on his right hand, have you considered it could be perhaps formerly a wedding ring that was repurposed to represent twins born in 1956? ie: his wife and the mother of the twins divorced him, so as a means to avoid letting the ring go he changed the emotional representation to the product of their love? seems like a logical possibility to me.

also, searching the mediterranean is pursuit of a turbo-goose. this man died in the caribbean or perhaps canary islands or south east u.s coast. georgio has spanish or porto undertones but is also a variation on eastern european georgia, where katrina is also eastern european. perhaps his wife was georgian and he spanish (canary's again) so as a compromise to both their heritage they chose those names.
when i get some more motivation i will dig around a bit myself, chances are one of them might have an obituary already.

regards,
Liam

Welcome to Ws 12Liam13, thanks for the interesting and plausible tidbits!

 

[Dylansmom08]

Missing Persons Georgio And Katrina - Locate International

The name Georgio seems like a spanish name while Katrina is a more common English name. In looking at the spanish speaking areas he could have possibly came from the Caribbean comes to mind. Is there any websites or databases to search for Caribbean missing persons? Just seems like someone would have reported this man missing and been searching for him. Also, I wonder about the weather in the weeks before he was found could have been washed up there from storm surge or high tides.

 

[Melt71]

Missing Persons Georgio And Katrina - Locate International

The name Georgio seems like a spanish name.

.

Georgio (and Georgios) is a common Greek and Cypriot name. I know many anglicise their name to George once they migrate to an English-speaking country so this couple could have been known day-to-day as George and Katrina.

 

[dotr]

Jan 17 2021
Body which washed up on beach may have been on board doomed ship
''Investigators from a cold cases team believe the body of a man who washed up on a beach in the Isles of Scilly 40 years ago may have been a Greek crewman on board one of two ships involved in shipping disasters in the Seventies - and now his final resting place has also been found.

Following an original appeal, which saw thousands of people around the world make use of social media to come up with information, the team at Locate International are finally hoping to be able to solve the ‘ring of mystery’ case.''

“Through undertaking further research into this line of enquiry, we have since become aware of a number of shipping disasters that occurred in the North Atlantic Ocean in the months leading up to ‘Georgio’ being found on Porth Minick beach on 21 Feb 1979.”

''He said: “We are now focused on the oil tanker Andros Patria (December 31, 1978) and MV Tenorga (December 28, 1978) disasters as we believe both of these ships had Greek crews, some of whom were tragically lost at sea.

“By obtaining the names of those lost at sea, we hope to find someone called ‘Georgio’. We will then conduct further enquiries with the aim of solving the ‘Ring of Mystery’.”

 

[dotr]

''(6 Jan 1979) Aerial views of crippled tanker Andros Patria, which was carrying 200,000 tons of crude oil, was split open by storm winds on New Year's Eve off the Northern Spanish coast. 30 crewmen and passengers dies after abandoning ship, one waiter was rescued by a British Naval helicopter. ''

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[devertere]

Visual markers of marital status - Wikipedia
''In parts of Europe, especially in German-speaking regions, as well as in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Turkey, and Ukraine, the wedding ring is worn on the ring finger of the right hand. In the Netherlands, Catholics wear their wedding rings on the left hand, while most other people wear them on the right. Some spouses choose to wear their wedding ring on the left hand in Turkey.''

the sides are often switched when the person becomes widowed, so it is difficult to tell.

 

[dotr]

Jan 18 2021
Ring of Mystery shipwreck breakthrough as man who washed up in UK 40 years ago identified
“By obtaining the names of those lost at sea, we hope to find someone called ‘Georgio’. We will then conduct further enquiries with the aim of solving the ‘Ring of Mystery’.”

Oil tanker Andros Patria (Image: ---)

“We have been making extensive enquiries as to where ‘Georgio’ was buried. 40 years is a long time and way before computers were used to keep accurate details. After many hours of painstaking work, we were able to identify a plot in a graveyard in Penzance.

“This means that when the ‘Ring of Mystery’ is solved, family members will have somewhere to visit which was one of our priorities.”

 

[Richard]

Very possible that this unknown man may have been a shipwrecked sailor who washed ashore in Scilly on 21 February 1979.

An old English Sea Chantey, "Farewell and Adieu to you Spanish Ladies" had a chorus that went:

We will rant and we’ll roar like true British sailors,
We’ll rant and we’ll roar all on the salt sea.
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England;
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty five leagues.

 

[dotr]

20 April 2021
Do YOU recongise this wedding ring inscription? | Daily Mail Online
''The man, believed to be between 40 and 60 years old, was found by a passerby on the Isles of Scilly in February 1979, after apparently being washed in by the tide.

Little is known about the man, except that he was white, with dark greying hair, and that he was wearing a blue and white shirt with a vest underneath.''

''Can YOU help?
Investigators want to speak to:

• Anyone with expertise in tidal data - maritime accidents - or details which could feed into the theory that Giorgios was involved in an accident at sea.
• Anyone who has material, such as local papers, who may have reported on the discovery of the body in 1979.
• Anyone with family or friends in Greece. Spreading the word is the only way to try and reach Giorgios’ family.

'We would like to give his family a place''

 

[Emy539]

The ring's inscription was in Greek, so unlikely to be a Spaniard or an Englishman as mentioned.

 

[AugustusWentworth]

The ring's inscription was in Greek, so unlikely to be a Spaniard or an Englishman as mentioned.

Exactly. This is confirmed in an episode of The Missing podcast (S2E4 "Identifying Giorgios").

 

[AugustusWentworth]

Missing Persons Georgio And Katrina - Locate International

The name Georgio seems like a spanish name while Katrina is a more common English name. In looking at the spanish speaking areas he could have possibly came from the Caribbean comes to mind. Is there any websites or databases to search for Caribbean missing persons? Just seems like someone would have reported this man missing and been searching for him. Also, I wonder about the weather in the weeks before he was found could have been washed up there from storm surge or high tides.

Georgio is not a Spanish name, that's Jorge. He was most probably Greek (and it's probably GeorgioS and KatErina, actually), since the inscription is/was in Greek...