Unsolved Taman Shud Case - The Somerton Man

Mar 21, 2016
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Vic BDM has Carl Webb registered birth in 1906

Married Dorothy Jean Robertson in 1941

No death notice

Interestingly a Dorothy Jean Webb married a Walter Clifford Brown in 1942 - which sends us to WW2 records - no entry for Carl or Charles - wrong Dorothy Jean

Dorothy Jean Brown passes in 1986 in Victoria with the maiden name Webb
 
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Mar 21, 2016
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Carl is listed in a desertion notice in 1951

1658838941746.jpeg
 
Mar 21, 2016
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Interestingly Carl was born in 1906 with the mothers maiden name Grace

WEBB Carl Birth <Unknown Family Name>, Eliza Amelia GRACE <Unknown Family Name>, Richd August
FOOTSCRAY

1906
3146/1906


In 1904 Carls older brother ROY was born

WEBB Roy Birth <Unknown Family Name>, Eliza Amelia GRACE <Unknown Family Name>, Richd Aug
FOOTSCRAY

1904 18120/1904

In 1945 a ROY and CARL Webb are living in Tasmania

carlresidence (2).png



Who knows ;)
 

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Be wary

South Australia Police and Forensic Science South Australia have not verified the findings of Abbott, who worked with renowned American genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick to identify Webb as the Somerton man.
Well, this one was with SAPOL for 75 years so I'm open to this Abbott bloke
 

CD Xbow

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But what about the secret agents code???
This explains who he is, but not all the other things, for example any relationship to Jessica, the 'tamam shud' scrap, strange code etc. Some will be coincidences but if the clothes were hand me downs from T Keane as the tie suggests, then perhaps the 'clues' related to the clothes have to do with Mr Keane. Two stories intertwining are hard to unravel, especially if there are also a couple of red herrings. Still, I think the story still has a lot of legs, but I'm glad the poor soul has a name.
 
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Redacted

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This explains who he is, but not all the other things, for example any relationship to Jessica, the 'tamam shud' scrap, strange code etc. Some will be coincidences but if the clothes were hand me downs from T Keane as the tie suggests, then perhaps the 'clues' related to the clothes have to do with Mr Keane. Two stories intertwining are hard to unravel, especially if there are also a couple of red herrings. Still, I think the story still has a lot of legs, but I'm glad the poor soul has name.
Nor why Jessica appeared to know who he was, but wouldn't tell Police.


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This explains who he is, but not all the other things, for example any relationship to Jessica, the 'tamam shud' scrap, strange code etc. Some will be coincidences but if the clothes were hand me downs from T Keane as the tie suggests, then perhaps the 'clues' related to the clothes have to do with Mr Keane. Two stories intertwining are hard to unravel, especially if there are also a couple of red herrings. Still, I think the story still has a lot of legs, but I'm glad the poor soul has a name.
I think they said the "code" was probably horse racing/betting related
 
If interested here's his 1949 and 1958 inquest files, which I hadn't noticed before.

 

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If interested here's his 1949 and 1958 inquest files, which I hadn't noticed before.

So now we know the identity of the Somerton Man, but what was his cause of death? How does Jessica fit into all of this? Did she know his identity all along and say nothing?
 

Story

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Trove are compiling some historical articles that do/might relate to the Tamam Shud Somerton Man.
There's some interesting stuff.
Something I had never heard before, from an article dated 29 November, 1948, where a man's clothing and part of a rifle were found near the water's edge at Somerton. The article says that the items seemed to have been in the water for some time, but what I find most intriguing was that there were several pairs of socks among the items. The thing is, there were no socks in Somerton Man's suitcase at the train station (there were 4 pairs of undies and even 4 ties but no socks!). Could just be a coincidence. But the time and place.... If they hadn't said it had been in the water for 'some time' (what does that mean?) then I would say it's more likely to be his. But, then again, if it's been there for 'some time', why is all that stuff still together? And: the stuff was found just 2 days before he died, it increases the Strangness Meter.

It's just too weird.

And: the stuff would have been found just 2 before he died, it increases the Strangness Meter.


 
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johnymac1

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Be wary

South Australia Police and Forensic Science South Australia have not verified the findings of Abbott, who worked with renowned American genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick to identify Webb as the Somerton man.
Be wary?
so he still could be a Russian Spy/Ballet dancer?

So The Name Webb, is that surname Irish.?
 

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I was wondering what the black powder was that was on the particle brush found in the suitcase.

The biochemist Dr James Cowen was asked to find out what the substance was but 'failed' to identify it (this is the same guy that failed to identify any poison used to kill Somerton Man from the contents of his stomach, a bottle of his urine, blood, liver and muscle. But he only tested for four "common poisons", so if he didn't do extensive testing for the actual poison that killed someone, he probably didn't do much testing on the black powder, either.) With all the talk of Somerton Man maybe being a spy it seemed that the powder might be spy-related - hey, it still might be (we have no idea what Webb did when he separated from is wife, and there are still questions that need to be answered - the guy still seems to have been murdered imo.)

But knowing that C Webb was an electrician made me think that the brush could have been used in that kind of work. I know absolutely nothing about electricity, really - especially what it was like being an electician in the 1940's. But I did find out that a black powder/soot is created when there is an electrical surge. No idea of it's a chemical compound, and because it seems like a pretty rare thing to have sitting around Dr Cowen probably didn't test for it. We have a lot of safety switches and protectors these days, but back in the 40's power surges would have been more common and, during the repairs, for safety and access into small parts, the powder may have been cleaned out with a wooden handled brush. As I say, I know nothing about electricity (other than it can kill you) but maybe that could explain the black powder on the brush.

Somerton%2Bman%2Bsuitcase%2Bcontents.jpg

eMsE1.jpg


 
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