Germany Germany- Heligoland, MaleWht, 45-50, 6'5'', "The Gentleman'', Marks & Spencer tie, 11 July 1994

? Trying this one but probably unlikely, although the mp is 6'5''..
 
I know it's not popular to suggest a person's ethnicity based on how they look but I agree that this gentlemen looks like he comes from the British Isles.

Do we know anything about what body part they used for the isotope analysis? There's no information about his teeth which is kind of odd, I think, since teeth and whether they had fillings, dental bridges, etc can sometimes give an indication as to where the work was done and when. Without the hair, which can really only give a historical blueprint up to about a year depending on the length of the hair then the isotope analysis had to be done on bone, teeth or both.

Using the age estimate of about 50 or born around 1947, he falls perfectly within the parameters of a whole wave of Brits who emigrated in droves in the 10 to 15 years after WW2 to search for a better life. People may not be aware that the UK was still rationing food well beyond 1945 and didn't end it until 1954. My family was one of those groups. My parents whittled down their choices between Canada, Australia, South Africa, the US and Kenya. We ended up in Canada but it seems this guy's parents may have decided on Australia.

I don't think the fact that he wore expensive shoes that were resoled and reheeled suggests they were secondhand. If anything based on the way he was dressed, it suggests that the money spent on bespoke shoes meant he appreciated the workmanship and comfort they provided to the point of ensuring years of comfortable wear. If so, he represents a huge portion of people who appreciate fine things and like to hang on to them.

His tie was definately meant for British origins market, whether in the UK, Canada, or Australia. Striped ties originated in England. The stripes were a means to identify a person's school background and are possibly related to heraldic images. Almost all ties made in Britain have the stripes going from the left shoulder to the right waist, whereas most American manufactured ties, the stripes go the other way. In prep schools in England the ties always went Right to Left. Supposedly, when students wore ties with the stripes going left/right, it denoted the fact they were the illegitimate children of a blue blood.

If he was 6 foot 5 inches and he weighed approximately 165 lbs or 75 kg, I can't see how an extra 12 pounds of weight would be instrumental in sinking the body. Divers usually have a rule of thumb regarding the weights they add to their dive belts which is about 10 percent of their body weight. Dive belts don't make a diver sink like a stone, they just counteract the natural bouyancy a person has, so putting an additional 12 pounds on this person wouldn't have made them sink. For contrast, when you hear about bodies tied to cement blocks, the average cement block weighs about 33 pounds.

I'd be interested to know whether the upper body trauma inflicted on this gentlemen could have been made by the metal shoe lasts. I can't see that being a really good clue, though, since they are the type of object that collectors would like to have. I would also like to know whether the lasts found tied to the body would be the size needed to make adjustments on this fellow's shoes.

The shoe lasts being tied to his belt are giving me vibes a la Virginia Woolf who filled her pockets with stones then walked in the river to drown herself.
 
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I know it's not popular to suggest a person's ethnicity based on how they look but I agree that this gentlemen looks like he comes from the British Isles.

Do we know anything about what body part they used for the isotope analysis? There's no information about his teeth which is kind of odd, I think, since teeth and whether they had fillings, dental bridges, etc can sometimes give an indication as to where the work was done and when. Without the hair, which can really only give a historical blueprint up to about a year depending on the length of the hair then the isotope analysis had to be done on bone, teeth or both.

Using the age estimate of about 50 or born around 1947, he falls perfectly within the parameters of a whole wave of Brits who emigrated in droves in the 10 to 15 years after WW2 to search for a better life. People may not be aware that the UK was still rationing food well beyond 1945 and didn't end it until 1954. My family was one of those groups. My parents whittled down their choices between Canada, Australia, South Africa, the US and Kenya. We ended up in Canada but it seems this guy's parents may have decided on Australia.

I don't think the fact that he wore expensive shoes that were resoled and reheeled suggests they were secondhand. If anything based on the way he was dressed, it suggests that the money spent on bespoke shoes meant he appreciated the workmanship and comfort they provided to the point of ensuring years of comfortable wear. If so, he represents a huge portion of people who appreciate fine things and like to hang on to them.

His tie was definately meant for British origins market, whether in the UK, Canada, or Australia. Striped ties originated in England. The stripes were a means to identify a person's school background and are possibly related to heraldic images. Almost all ties made in Britain have the stripes going from the left shoulder to the right waist, whereas most American manufactured ties, the stripes go the other way. In prep schools in England the ties always went Right to Left. Supposedly, when students wore ties with the stripes going left/right, it denoted the fact they were the illegitimate children of a blue blood.

If he was 6 foot 5 inches and he weighed approximately 165 lbs or 75 kg, I can't see how an extra 12 pounds of weight would be instrumental in sinking the body. Divers usually have a rule of thumb regarding the weights they add to their dive belts which is about 10 percent of their body weight. Dive belts don't make a diver sink like a stone, they just counteract the natural bouyancy a person has, so putting an additional 12 pounds on this person wouldn't have made them sink. For contrast, when you hear about bodies tied to cement blocks, the average cement block weighs about 33 pounds.

I'd be interested to know whether the upper body trauma inflicted on this gentlemen could have been made by the metal shoe lasts. I can't see that being a really good clue, though, since they are the type of object that collectors would like to have. I would also like to know whether the lasts found tied to the body would be the size needed to make adjustments on this fellow's shoes.

The shoe lasts being tied to his belt are giving me vibes a la Virginia Woolf who filled her pockets with stones then walked in the river to drown herself.

I would assume teeth but not sure if it has been reported.

I did notice that the original report on the analysis, which said the results indicated he came from Australia, has been somewhat changed and now suggests he could have come from Australia or UK, IIRC. The testing was done in Australia, wasn't it (if I am misremembering, my apologies).

The tie was a Marks and Spencer tie, most likely (but not definitely) bought in UK and his other clothing suggests he was from the UK.

He had head and ribcage trauma so that is likely the cause of death but it seems not definitely as it is not reported he died of head trauma, most likely the body was in the water too long to tell?

The lasts didn't seem to work to weigh him down as the body was recovered but one could hypothesize that whoever chucked him in the water, if that was what happened, just used what was to hand and didn't know about how much weight one needed? This is just one idea though and doesn't rule out a suicide. The injuries could have occurred post mortem.

Agree about the shoes. Old money wealthier people often buy good quality items and then have them repaired over time rather than just chucking them and splashing out on brand new stuff. Marks and Spencer is a good quality shop although not the most upmarket.

It is very odd that no one seems to have reported him as missing at least not in the UK. Does this mean he was estranged from family or had no family to notice he went missing? What about colleagues?

Is there reporting on how his body could have ended up where it did?
 
Lengthy, more at link.
rbbm.
''There were injuries on the side of his head and upper body, and his body was weighted down with iron ‘cobblers feet’, tied to the belt of his trousers. Whilst the investigation team maintain an open mind, the death of the man is a murder investigation in the absence of evidence to the contrary. The priority is to find who North Sea Man is as the first step in establishing what happened to him.

At the time of his death, the man was probably about 45-50 years old and born during the mid to late 1940s. If he was alive now, he would be in his early 70s.

Initial forensic analysis suggest he has spent time in Australia and/or Northern Europe. The clothing provides a link to the United Kingdom through the brand of shoes. These were relatively expensive shoes, made for the English shoe manufacturer Church & Co Ltd. The shoes had been re-soled with Phillips soles and had replacement heels manufactured by Dinkie Heel PLC, Bristol with the inscription I.T.S. Jubilee and a stylized crown.''

''He was weighed down by two iron ‘cobblers feet’ tied to the belt of his trousers.

The two iron cobblers feet are not identical, but both weigh 3kg and are stamped with manufacturers name AJK (a manufacturer in Bristol). ‘Cobblers feet’ are used by a cobbler for mending shoes, however it could have also been used in large manufacturing when help with mending was required. It would have been attached to an iron stem, which was usually attached to a bench. The shoe or boot sits on the iron last. The sole is uppermost during repair or when driving nails / rivets into the sole. As the nails are driven through, they hit the iron foot and the points are turned over and clenched on the insole. They are an essential piece of cobblers/maker’s kit.

The makers stamp on the lasts is AJK – A.J Jackson Ltd, Kingswood, Bristol. The AJK mark was the trademark of AJ Jackson of Kingswood, Bristol
. The company existed from the late 19th century to the mid-1960s. Around 1964/65 Jackson was taken over by the Cheaney’s company (address: Nelson Street, Kettering, UK), but these have since gone out of business. The lasts possibly date from the 1920s or 1930s''
'''
The tie was initially thought to be one associated with the military or private schools. Research shows that the tie was produced by Marks and Spencer. The original tie can be seen alongside a replica so you can see the breakdown of the colours and the pattern. You may have seen someone of the height of North Sea Man wearing a tie like this in old photographs. If you do, let us know.''

''Our enquiries with Marks and Spencer have found that rather than produce the required label information required by Canada or other countries, their entire range featured the same label, so any stock to be sold in Canada or other countries if required. The codes mean this tie was probably produced between 1984 and 1990.''

He wore underpants with a label stating Marks and Spencer plc ’92. The 082 at the bottom of the label indicates that the garment was produced in August 1992, and was potentially on sale in Marks and Spencer stores between then, and mid-1993.


He was wearing a shirt which has suffered from exposure to the sea and weather. It is believed to be a light blue in its original form – an image is below and close up of the buttons provided.


 
The clothing does somewhat remind me of a type of uniform (nothing official but it does appear to be work wear of sorts). I noticed that on the right side of the shirt, almost half-way between collar tip and underarm there's a slight imprint... it reminds me of (don't laugh ;)) the outline of lips/mouth. Maybe it's wide shaped wings or well, maybe someone else can also see this and has a better idea. (If no one else sees it then, well, okay... laugh ;)) I know the shirt is sea-weather worn but this outline is fairly distinct to me, and I wonder if a pin, insignia, or emblem of some sort might have been attached to the shirt at some time? A small cruise ship worker?
 
This is a map of currents in the North Sea. Heligoland is just to the west of the border between Denmark and Germany where the currents appear to move in a circular pattern.


It might give us an indication where he went into the sea. He could have come from the Straight of Dover and moved north with the currents. There's lots of ferry traffic between Dover and Calais.

Do we know where in Heligoland he was found?

Heligoland is home to a scientific institute, the Alfred Wegener Institute Centre for Polar and Marine Research.
 
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His clothing was entirely purchased or made in Bristol. And the tie was bought a long time before he was found.
Are there M&S stores in Australia (i guess since it is Commonwealth, but not sure)? I do not believe the Australia theory very much.
 
Rather crazy but I did find AIDA cruise lines... lips on the front of the ship and atop their HQ bldg. I wonder if any of the crew had logo-lips on their uniform shirts. Yeah, likely just a coincidence.

The nucleus of AIDA Cruises was the Deutsche Seereederei, the former state shipping company of the GDR. It repositioned itself after the political change in Germany. The decisions made in the early 1990s included setting up and introducing a funship concept on the German market. The US Carnival Cruise Line served as a model for the shipping company.

It all started in 1996 with the AIDAcara; the AIDAvita and AIDAaura followed. After a few detours, the company became a brand of Carnival Corporation & plc...

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2022 rbbm.
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''Police have also for the first time released the make of the man’s tie, saying it was produced by Marks & Spencer for the English- and French-language market, which at the time of the man’s disappearance stretched all the way to Canada.

Suspicions that the distinctive green, yellow and blue stripes marked the man out as belonging to a specific organisation had not been confirmed, police said.''

....
''Another reason they have gone public again is to correct the victim’s misleading “gentleman” moniker, which was based on his elegant outfit and expensive shoes.

“Against the backdrop of the latest information this impression has to be relativised,” police said. The M&S tie was a mass-market product and the shoes had been previously repaired and may have been bought secondhand, they said.

“It cannot be necessarily assumed that the dead person was wealthy,” German police said in a statement.''
1679280071799.png
 
I have a very nice pair of Bruno Magli horsebit loafers which look a lot like those shoes. I had them resoled last year because they were so comfortable. Whoever implied that this gentleman’s shoes were second hand because they were resoled never had a nice pair of shoes that could give years more service if that was done.
I suppose it’s a generational thing, people just don’t do that much any more.

He tied a four-in-hand knot, and was probably right handed. Not much help there. Every schoolbot learns to tie that knot.
 
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I thought about his tie a bit. It is of a style called a regimental tie. It does dot seem to correspond to a particular regiment or military group, it is just in that style. I am sure the German popo would have been on that, as it would fo a long way towards identifying him.
As has been posted earlier, British tie stripes generally go left shoulder to right waist, American ties generally right shoulder to left waist. There are exceptions. I think it will be down to DNA and forensic genealogy.
 
This guy is my phenotype to a T and my family never set foot on the British isles 'cept to sack 'em. The reconstruction has made his jowls kind of loose at just age ~50 for some reason. Maybe physical examination of the remains but skin sloughs in the water, certainly after months. Sharpen up that jaw, put some stubble on there and this recon might get called in as me if I were ever missing. German, BTW.

Speaking of why there's no reports of him missing, seems like organized crime to me. If the isotope science turns out to be solid and he was a recent arrival from Australia I might take a shot in the dark that he was involved in some kind of smuggling? This would have been before the gun ban in there right?

I like that appeal for information that had major global events that were happening around the time so as to jog the memory. Maybe somewhere there's some ex-hooligans reading that saying, "Oh yeah remember that Australian guy so-and-so hit with that bat? Maybe we should call Scotland Yard about that". I think probably not but maybe.
 
Here's some (maybe) useful trivia. A maker of new shoes is called a cordwainer. The word is derived from a French word that relates to cordovan, the finest equine leather from Cordoba, Spain. A cobbler, in contrast, is only allowed to repair leather shoes. Also, the word cobbler in 18th century English, means snob. The word relates to lower status individuals seeking to imitate those of higher wealth or status.
 
Here's some (maybe) useful trivia. A maker of new shoes is called a cordwainer. The word is derived from a French word that relates to cordovan, the finest equine leather from Cordoba, Spain. A cobbler, in contrast, is only allowed to repair leather shoes. Also, the word cobbler in 18th century English, means snob. The word relates to lower status individuals seeking to imitate those of higher wealth or status.
I learned that from Archer

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Are there M&S stores in Australia
There were several M&S stores across Europe in the 90s. So, basically, our JD could have been from/ have bought the items in question, anywhere.
Whoever implied that this gentleman’s shoes were second hand because they were resoled never had a nice pair of shoes that could give years more service if that was done.
I agree with you. Bruno Magli are not only very comfortable shoes as they also last forever. Mine (women's shoes) were bought in the late 90s/ early 2000s and they look brand new. I would post photos of my three (now vintage and very outdated) pairs of Bruno Magli, but WS is not Facebook! :)

MOO JMO
 
This guy is my phenotype to a T and my family never set foot on the British isles 'cept to sack 'em. The reconstruction has made his jowls kind of loose at just age ~50 for some reason. Maybe physical examination of the remains but skin sloughs in the water, certainly after months. Sharpen up that jaw, put some stubble on there and this recon might get called in as me if I were ever missing. German, BTW.
Speaking of why there's no reports of him missing, seems like organized crime to me. If the isotope science turns out to be solid and he was a recent arrival from Australia I might take a shot in the dark that he was involved in some kind of smuggling? This would have been before the gun ban in there right?

I like that appeal for information that had major global events that were happening around the time so as to jog the memory. Maybe somewhere there's some ex-hooligans reading that saying, "Oh yeah remember that Australian guy so-and-so hit with that bat? Maybe we should call Scotland Yard about that". I think probably not but maybe.
I think that isotope analysis has not delivered on its promise. I don’t know of a single case that it helped to solve. It is just too blunt of an instrument.
I think it is going a bit beyond the evidence to postulate that he was involved in smuggling. Perhaps he was a co conspirator with FLEK’s identity broker, the Argentine hit team that shot the Sumter County Does, and whoever fed baked beans to Joseph Zarelli.
 

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