Australia Australia - Tamam Shud Case - Male, Dec 1948

[petedavo.au]

Maybe he could've exposed the woman he went to see as part of a WW2 espionage cell? The cold war had begun, and there was a very real danger that communist espionage activities from WW2 were getting people in real danger of arrest, which would lead to the exposure of Soviet moles, which we now know in hindsight were operating within ASIO and it's predecessor.

I don't normally quote from this biased rag, but here's an interesting snippet
Soviet Moles in Australia
Breaking the Codes, by David Horner and Des Ball, twenty years ago, set out the evidence that there had been a KGB spy ring led by Walter Seddon Clayton in Australia in the 1940s. It was exposed by the Venona signals intercept program and had at least fourteen members. Ten of them were identified by name. Four—codenamed Former, Spirited, Glory and Grandson—were never identified. Venona material began to be released in 1995, but only a tiny fraction of the intercepted cables was ever decrypted.

 

[petedavo.au]

I don't normally quote from this biased rag, but here's an interesting snippet
Soviet Moles in Australia
Breaking the Codes, by David Horner and Des Ball, twenty years ago, set out the evidence that there had been a KGB spy ring led by Walter Seddon Clayton in Australia in the 1940s. It was exposed by the Venona signals intercept program and had at least fourteen members. Ten of them were identified by name. Four—codenamed Former, Spirited, Glory and Grandson—were never identified. Venona material began to be released in 1995, but only a tiny fraction of the intercepted cables was ever decrypted.

A further extract from the Quadrant article, but this time more pertinent to the exact time frame of this case>
"Strangely, Australia has remained largely a closed book when it comes to the history of Cold War espionage here. There are good reasons for believing that a GRU (Soviet military intelligence) ring was developed from 1943, by Viktor Zaitsev, who was sent here after supporting the famous Sorge ring in Tokyo and was later posted to Washington, which suggests he had done well in Canberra. But whatever Zaitsev accomplished here, before there was any ASIO to even attempt to keep his activities in check, has never been brought to light. Unlike the KGB, the GRU has never opened its archives. Zaitsev left Canberra in 1947, the security leaks from Canberra became acute in 1948, and ASIO was created in 1949 to stem the tide. But that very year, Venona was betrayed to Moscow by Kim Philby, then the MI6 liaison officer in Washington. The KGB codes were changed and the Venona intercepts dried up. Soviet espionage, however, did not dry up at all."

Some further reading>
Nocookies
Treachery during wartime
Sex, spies and lies? The spurious case against ex-department head John Burton
No Cookies | The Advertiser

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Actually, there's another, between 2 and 3.
Manslaughter.

The questions to go towards determining Murder vs Manslaughter would probably go thus, to determine if the death premeditated or consequential: If the victim was placed at the beach whilst still alive, did they know that he was dying or did they expect him to recover or be found and sent to hospital? What explanation do they give for taking his personal items and then disposing of them?

There's also misadventure, which is when death arises out of risky behaviour by the deceased.

Death by misadventure - Wikipedia

 

[petedavo.au]

There's some interesting details on Australia's counter espionage organisations and who they were tailing in this example> Jessie Street – National Archives of Australia, Australian Government

 

[ad rem]

This case has been resolved last year by Eammon on the Cypher Mysteries website.

On 23 July 2017, Eammon posted to that site that the purported code serves as a MacGuffin to this case.

Feltus' book (page 114)...

"On 25 August [1949] the Navy Office responded to Leane: Somerton Beach Mystery. <snip> The frequency of the occurrence of letters whilst inconclusive, corresponds more favourably with the table of frequencies of initial letters of words in English than with any other table; accordingly a reasonable explanation would be that the lines are the initial letters of words of a verse of poetry or such like. Copy of Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat is returned herewith."

I posted as Eammon last year to the Cypher Mysteries website. The purported code is not a spy agency cypher as much as petedavo au and MelmothTheLost would like it to be.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Good grief! Little Jedi... You know everything!...I'd never heard of operation 'Mincemeat". Funny how it often ends up the 'formally' homeless and mentally ill cadavers that are best suited to such arrangements. Perhaps it's thought they've nothing to loose as they've already been deemed 'worthless' or maybe I'm being too harsh.

One of the reasons this particular body was chosen was because his cause of death was a good mimic for death by drowning.

Glyndwr Michael life might have been forgotten but for this incident I guess. At least he's now been immortalised by serving his country after his death hmmm. Justifiable exploitation that saved other peoples lives...nice, and a good ending to a lousy life and a preferable way to be remembered. An excellent story and an important part of history.

The story was the subject of a 1956 film, The Man Who Never Was, which you can watch on YouTube.

 

[petedavo.au]

Is this our guy?

KEANE THOMAS : Service Number - S40771 : Date of birth - 18 Aug 1910 : Place of birth - COROFIN CO CLARE EIRE : Place of enlistment - KENSINGTON SA : Next of Kin - KEANE MARGARET


View digital copy


Session expired | RecordSearch | National Archives of Australia

 

[petedavo.au]

I doubt if he's one of these Merchant Seaman.

Ship: Alaunia; Official number: 135513.
Tom Keane; rank/rating, Trimmer; age, 20; place of birth, Mayo
The National Archives' catalogue
BT - Records of the Board of Trade and of successor and related bodies
Division within BT - Records of the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen and successor
BT 99 - Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Agreements and Crew Lists, Series II
BT 99/3172 - Official Nos: 135509, 135510, 135512, 135513, 135525, 135587, 135588, 135589, 135590, 135591. (Described at item level).
http://0-discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk.catalogue.slwa.wa.gov.au/browse/r/h/C2480512

Ship: Northland; Official number: 113460. Crew listing continued from BT 99/3122/22A.
Tom Keane; rank/rating, Fireman; age, (not stated); place of birth, Kerry; previous ship, Northland of Liverpool.
The National Archives' catalogue
BT - Records of the Board of Trade and of successor and related bodies
Division within BT - Records of the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen and successor
BT 99 - Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Agreements and Crew Lists, Series II
BT 99/3122 - Official Nos: 113395, 113396, 113398, 113399, 113460. (Described at item level).
http://0-discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk.catalogue.slwa.wa.gov.au/details/r/C14703128

Ship: Broderick; Official number: 97215.
Thomas Keane; rank/rating, Able Seaman; age, 22; place of birth, Rush; previous ship, Esuch.
The National Archives' catalogue
BT - Records of the Board of Trade and of successor and related bodies
Division within BT - Records of the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen and successor
BT 400 - Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Agreements and Crew Lists, Series II
BT 400/3444 - Crew Lists - National Maritime Museum. (Described at item level).
http://0-discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk.catalogue.slwa.wa.gov.au/details/r/C14545562

 

[MelmothTheLost]

The purported code is not a spy agency cypher as much as petedavo au and MelmothTheLost would like it to be.

I don't recall posting anything to suggest I want or would like this to be related to espionage. Discussing the possibility is an entirely different matter.

 

[ad rem]

I don't recall posting anything to suggest I want or would like this to be related to espionage. Discussing the possibility is an entirely different matter.

My apologies.

There's also misadventure, which is when death arises out of risky behaviour by the deceased. Death by misadventure - Wikipedia.

From the link you provided. "Misadventure is a form of unnatural death, a category that also includes accident, suicide, or homicide." My dictionary lists misadventure as a near word to accident. There's probably a dictionary or two out there that lists misadventure as a synonym of accident.

That said, splitting hairs out of context of the event concerned won't bring about closure.

 

[george14]

Jessica's son Robin was obviously the Somerton Man's son too. They have the same genetic defect with teeth and ears that have been estimated between 1 in 10-20 million chance. She had a son with him and passed him off as Prosper's kid. Her number was in the Rubaiyat. It's essentially 100% fact.

Who was the Somerton Man? No idea. Not sure I buy the spy stuff, but it's intriguing and possible. I think he probably killed himself when she told him she was in a relationship/married and broke things off with him. Just a strange story all around.

 

[petedavo.au]

Jessica's son Robin was obviously the Somerton Man's son too. They have the same genetic defect with teeth and ears that have been estimated between 1 in 10-20 million chance. She had a son with him and passed him off as Prosper's kid. Her number was in the Rubaiyat. It's essentially 100% fact.

Who was the Somerton Man? No idea. Not sure I buy the spy stuff, but it's intriguing and possible. I think he probably killed himself when she told him she was in a relationship/married and broke things off with him. Just a strange story all around.

Maybe so. It would be interesting to have some idea how he could kill himself, without any fatal injuries or poison showing up to be found by the coroner.

 

[petedavo.au]

If anybody's interested, there's quite a lot in Trove about Nazi Spies in Australia during WW2. For example> 08 Sep 1945 - Nazi Threat In SA - The Daily News Nazi Threat In SA - The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1950) - 8 Sep 1945 via @TroveAustralia
The Germans developed undetectable poisons, and their spies were well known for carrying them to self administer if they were caught. I'd imagine that former spies would of kept their kit after the war if they were on the run etc.

During WW1 it was well known that Irish Republicans sought the assistance of Germany for arms. And many Irish republicans later worked with Nazi's to make it difficult for the UK to maintain troop levels on Northern Ireland. Their rationale was that the UK was their common enemy.
And we know there were Irish Republican cells within Australia.
Australia - 1970's Cold Case: who's responsible for IRA bombs in Australia

 

[ad rem]

https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/australia-taman-shud-case-male-dec-1948.67163/page-14#post-12432680
post #265

https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/australia-taman-shud-case-male-dec-1948.67163/page-14#post-12432681
post #266

You sent multiple copies to multiple authorities and organizations in Australia? Which ones? They all asked you to wait and say nothing? Yet, you tell us some of the contents of those letters.

I have recently made contact with the South Australian Police (SAPOL) regarding closure on this case.

 

[petedavo.au]

It would be interesting to know if the early letters were written before Alison Verco married Arnold Bean in April of 1947 in Malaya. Do the letters indicate that they were posted from Kuala Lumpur?

Interestingly Alison Bean, nee Verco died in July 1949 in Adelaide. She seems to have been quite a social butterfly both prior to and after her marriage, yet her death notice was short and succinct.

The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954) Fri 11 Apr 1947 Page 10

Married Today In Malaya
A wedding of great interest to South Australians is that of Margaret Alison
Verco, second daughter of the late Dr. and Mrs. W. A. Verco, formerly of Molesworth
street North Adelaide, with Arnold Bean, of Norwich, Norfolk, England. The marriage
will take place today Kuala Lumpur. Federated Malay States. Mr. Bean is Chief
Inspector of Mines in Malaya.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/74639123?searchTerm="Alison Verco"&searchLimits=l-advstate=South+Australia


Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954) Thu 7 Jul 1949 Page 42

BEAN.- On July 5, Margaret Alison, beloved wife of Arnold Bean, of 2 Palm
St.. Medindie.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/93215811?searchTerm="Arnold Bean"&searchLimits=l-advstate=South+Australia|||sortby=dateDesc|||l-category=Family+Notices

I don't necessarily see any connection to the death of the Somerton Man here. Just posting what I've found in regard to Jacinta's mention of the letters in her possession and the alleged author of those letters.

Chen Ping later said that the assassination of Sir Henry Gurney, only happened by chance.
I call BS on that as a lie, to obfuscate the role that communist sympathisers within the expat community might of played in tipping off the communists to his movements, in the full knowledge of what the end result would be.
Chen Ping might not of wanted it known either that he cultivated assistance from the colonial community in his war for independence, under communist terms.
It must be considered IMO, that the assassination occurred well South outside known areas of CT operating environments and staging. The assassination squad would've required logistical and materiel support to stage this, and evacuate the assassination cadre back North through British checkpoints.
Assassination of Sir Henry Gurney - Wikipedia

 

[petedavo.au]

Session expired | RecordSearch | National Archives of Australia

 

[petedavo.au]

View digital copy

 

[Armalita]

I think that maybe I have found the identity of The Somerton Man. So many physical similarities. This man was a cyclist in australia in 1935 till 1938 which could explain the high calf muscles the tanned legs due to wearing shorts wedge toes from the pointed cycling shoes. He was from Coburg Australia and traveled to the areas where the Somerton man was located. I can't find any info after he retired from cycling in 1938. His age would be plausible with the Somerton man.

<modsnip: Please do not post pictures and name individuals who have not been reported missing, and remember that ALL images require links>

 

[Sillybilly]

... That said, splitting hairs out of context of the event concerned won't bring about closure.

<rsbm>

Jumping off your post because I have time on my hands tonite and this is primarily a crime sleuthing website ... I will be annoying by continuing to split hairs

Manner of death (MOD) is one of only 5 classifications: natural, accidental, homicide, suicide, undetermined. For example, 1st degree murder, 2nd degree murder, and manslaughter are all forms of "homicide" which simply put means "at the hand of man"; misadventure would constitute a form of "accidental" death. (ETA: The foregoing relates to US and Canadian coroner services ... I doubt these are any different in Australia's coroner circles.)

Cause of death (COD) is distinctly different from MOD. For example, if the MOD is accidental, actual COD could be broken neck; MOD of homicide might have a COD of knife wound; Natural might have COD as pulmonary embolism, etc etc

I will now crawl back to my cave and leave you good folks to correct me, and solve this case while you're at it

 

[petedavo.au]

Rubaiyat-itis. - Mullumbimby Star (NSW : 1906 - 1936) - 2 Feb 1922