Gordon Cramer has just posted about Edward John Rice, a machinist at Australia’s Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation, who the management there tried to dismiss in 1942 for allegedly being a Communist. They were also very annoyed about the way he tried to force Mrs Dawkins, the nice lady from the canteen, into telling him all the gossip to go into the staff magazine of which he was one of the four editors.
What inspired Gordon was what Rice apparently said to a man called Keane (a surname guaranteed to set many Somerton Man theorists aquiver with excitement):-
Mr. Ashburner (for the CAC): Do you remember when you were distributing literature in the factory telling a man named Keane that “My one wish above all is to lead a revolution in this country, and when the shooting starts you want to shoot fast”?
Rice: No. I never said anything like that. You produce this man.
Mr. Ashburner: Don’t worry, he will be produced.
Gordon Cramer then appended lots of pictures of aircraft factories and alleged microwriting to help make his case that all these pieces linked together. But why did he not look at the rest of the reports of the tribunal from that same week to see if he could find out “Keane”‘s first name?
The report Gordon cited was from the Monday 3rd August 1942 edition of the Adelaide News. But the Wednesday 5th August 1942 Daily Advertiser names the same witness as Charles Keenan:-
Mr. Charles Keenan, employee of the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation. said that Rice had distributed pamphlets to some employees. Rice said that the Friends of the Soviet Union had issued them and admitted he was a Communist. He spoke of leading a revolution.
The Thursday 6th August edition of the Sydney Morning Herald voiced Rice’s denials of these lurid claims:
Rice, in evidence, denied that he had told an employee, Keenan, that he wanted to lead a revolution, that he would shoot or cut the throats of capitalists or that he was a Communist.
I’m not keen on this being the Somerton Man’s Keane: in fact, I’d go so far as to say this identification is 100% pants. 🙂
Professor Abbott would agree Nick, this gentleman has no provenance whatsoever, and provenance, as we know, is all crucial when we are considering the likelihood of an individual to be the Someron Man. Kindly note that provenance does not include labels on clothing. Keane has been ruled out Nick, the Professor decided that a long time go, there is no need bother searching for a Keane. Time to move on.
pete: my point was more that there was no “Mr Keane” in that factory, it was just a typo or mishearing in the 3rd August report.
You can’t have provenance if you’re not even there. 🙂
Doesn’t matter Nick, Keane is a no go in general, what don’t you understand mate, The Professor has ruled out Keane, in any context, place, state, country, factory, beach or boat. He’s a dead f*cken parrot mate. I have it on authority, the research has been done, the investigations complete, the man is not Keane.
Nick, Amazing ability you have there, so just in case I missed it, just which one of the reporters made the mistake? The only way you can confirm your claim is to do the research and see if there was indeed a man named Keane working at Fisherman’s Bend aircraft factory at the time. As you say newspaper guys are prone to making mistakes. Then you would have some reliable provenance, as it stands, that’s not the case.
From memory, a Tom Keane was named as a senior member of the Victorian Branch of the Australian Communist Party in the hearings of the 1950 (51?) Victorian Royal Commission into the activities of the communist party.
At the time Australians viewed governments as Communist. socialism or Fascist capitalism. That was the strengh of the Labor party.
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I can suggest a quite plausible reason why the search for Mr Tom Keane has been unsuccessful. Tom Keane could have died as a child and his identity was assumed by an illegal agent. The process is known as “tombstoning” and the KGB was still practising it in 1978 in Australia. See the John Alexander Symonds case.
http://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/15/1585245_the-spy-who-loved-his-work-kgb-utf-8-b-4ocyum9tzw.html
“Symonds arrived in Australia under a false British identity in 1978 with the task of acquiring under false pretences Australian passports for use by other KGB agents. This procedure required some skill, but I was adept at it and during my visit to Australia I made 20 separate applications for different passports, of which I collected 12 and gave them to my KGB handler in Canberra, with the other eight going directly to other addresses, or were collected by others, Symonds writes. The passport acquisition operation lasted six months and cost about $23,000 approximately $100,000 in today prices. Symonds describes how he would visit country towns to research the backgrounds of dead children whose identities could then be used by KGB illegals who could later travel to Australia and New Zealand to become acclimatised and enhance their English language proficiency. I always looked for a fairly common name, often associate with orphans and illegitimate children given to institutions by their single mothers, he writes in his memoir.”
Gordon: the way I did the research was to read all the newspaper reports one after the other and patiently piece together what happened.
When Charles Keenan – who it would seem they thought was going to be their star witness against Rice – actually gave his evidence, his name was given clearly enough that even the newspapers got it right.
Thanks Nick, In your piecing together did you notice that the words used were, ’employees’ and ‘men’ plural? Did you also notice that it was the same reporter that used the name ‘Charles Keenan’ and then later ‘Keenan’? There was also a ‘Frank Keenan’ mentioned in the Sydney Morning Herald on 5th August. The first mention of a name came on 3rd August and it was clearly was clearly of a man named ‘Keane’,
My view is this, one of the reporters could have made an error and/or there was a Keane and a Keenan. The only way you can confirm that is to either get a transcript from the Commission or a list of employees from CAC at the relevant time with the latter being essential to really nail it.
Whilst I’m here and I know you wouldn’t want people to get the wrong impression of the post, the focus wasn’t on the ‘gossip about the canteen’ it was about the formation of a Volunteer Defence Corps unit manned 70% to 80% by communists thus they would have an armed group of men within the factory. That plus of course the matter of L L Sharkey, Chairman of the CPA at the time and who is on record as saying that ‘scabs’and ‘strike breakers’ could be disposed of. I am sure it was an oversight on your behalf 🙂
Byron, that sounds interesting, as I am sure you would be aware, the T in T Keane came about from the tie found in the suitcase and there is doubt that it was in fact a ‘T’ as the image bears out. There was also a question of whether the name was Keane or Keanic with an Egyptian gentleman maintaining that it was Keanic as he saw it. Be interested to hear more of your Keane regardless of the dates.
BD: I found a Tom Keane years ago, just another Australian who served in the AIF – Middle East and New Guinea, even had him in Wewak when Boxall was there. He had big ears.
Gordon: you have your view, and that’s fine. All the same, I have expressed a strong doubt that you have got the story right (and given direct links to the evidence and process as to how I came to that view).
If you want to push this strand forward, please feel entirely free to hunt down the transcript yourself, because as of now I have zero interest in it.
If the guy had an assumed name which he took from a dead child, and his assumed name was Keane, then why does that name not appear in any of the travel records. And how does this fit in with the dancer theory.
I’ve got a little question for you Nick, over at tomsbytwo, it has to do with the honesty of your colleague, Derek Abbott. Perhaps you could pop over and leave a sign of your passing, many thanks.
Bravo. Finally another sees DA lies.
We kick arse Vicky, one down .. how many more to go?
Derek Abbott is of the faith, Shalom!
Kean and Keane. Maybe not a case of a chap spelling his name incorrectly? Maybe not a case of one name, one chap? Maybe two?
In the notes for “Inside Story” Part 1 on page 181 there is a note that a Tom Kean was mentioned in the “Victorian Royal Commission”* of 1950 as being a member of the Victorian Branch of the Communist Party of Australia. I also noted that a Kim Keane, journalist with the Herald newspaper, was also mentioned as being a communist. So, we have two Kean(e)s in Victoria who were communists circa 1949-50. Tom Kean and Kim Keane, in all probability, knew each other. Perhaps they both donated clothing to a chap, probably a fellow traveller, recently arrived back in Australia and down on his luck? I note that SM could have arrived on the morning train from Melbourne (ie Victoria). I wonder if Tom Kean of the Cycle steamer was the Tom Kean mentioned at the Royal Commission. There could not have been too many Tom Keans floating around in 1948, and Australian ship’s crews in 1948 packed with communists. So, there is a good chance that the Cycle Tom was the Tom Kean mention at the RC.
* This was the 1949-50 Royal Commission into the communist party of Victoria. See: The Argus (Melbourne) 6th July 1949 Page 7
“Red infiltrations detailed: names given by Sharpley
Details of Communist infiltration into important Victorian industries, public utilities, and professions were given by Cecil Herbert Sharpley, former Communist leader, at the resumed Royal Commission on Communism yesterday.
……………..
In reply to Mr R. R. Sholl, KC. assisting the Commission, Sharpley said that when he left the Communist Party early this year he knew several journalists who were members of the “Flinders” branch. They were Duncan Clarke (Guardian), Ian Aird (Herald), Ron Warden (Herald), Keith Finlay (Herald), Stuart Brown (Herald), Kim Keane (Herald), B. Mishael (Age), and E. Thornton (Guardian).”
B Deveson: the seaman on the Cycle was not Tommy Keane but “Tommy Reade” (as per Feltus p.83): this unfortunately seems to have been miscopied by Derek Abbott or one of his students and erroneously promoted into a Wikipedia ‘fact’, getting Pete Bowes mightily annoyed in the process. Two crew members of the Cycle saw the Somerton Man and confirmed that it was not Tommy Reade.
Also: when the Keane/Kean issue was raised with Derek Abbott during his AMA session, he pointed out that “it was noted at the inquest that the final “e” looked like it had faded during laundering. So it seems it was “Keane” with an “e” all around.” So perhaps we only really need to look for a single Mr Keane. 🙂
.. find a Keane who was in Sydney in October 1946 and things might get exciting.
The West Australian 19th January 1949 page 25
SOMERTON MYSTERY Detectives’ Lines Of Inquiry ADELAIDE, Jan. 18: Detectives investigating the Somerton body mystery believe that the dead man might have been employed as a station hand and that their next clue will come from another State when interstate police have checked on the name of “Keane” or “Kean.” Their reason for following this particular line of inquiry is that the knife, scissors and stencilling brush found in a suitcase recovered from the cloak room at the Adelaide railway station could have been used by a man employed in handling sheep. The dead man might also have been employed on the steamer Cycle, which is now at Port Adelaide. This was suggested today by a person who thought the dead man might have been a person known as T. Reade, once a member of the crew. A seaman known as T. Keane was still employed on the vessel and it is thought possible that Reade, if he were the dead man, might have obtained some of Keane’s clothing.
Nick, I think there are a number of interesting matters raised by this newspaper report. First, a T. Keane “was still employed on the vessel (the steamer Cycle)…”. Second, the police were looking for both a Kean and Keane, so it is clear they were not certain that a final “e” had faded, and I note they had the primary evidence to check against. So, I think it is possible that the clothes came from two men; a Kean and a Keane. Third, I find it a bit difficult to swallow that there was never any further mention of T.Keane “who is still employed on the vessel.” And there is no record of crewman Keane being interviewed by police. Yes, it can be explained away, but I draw your attention to Derek’s words to the effect that Mr Keane could not be located. I have searched and I can not find that reported anywhere, and this previously lead me to suspect that Derek might have had access to confidential files, or other sources of information that he has not revealed (and quite possibly can not reveal). And that could explain his reluctance to change the Wikipedia entry until forced to by Pete’s actions. I know I am not the only one to suspect that Derek knows a lot more than he has let on. Surely, if the police had located and interviewed T. Keane, the crewman, they would have reported this at the inquest given that the clothing name tags indicated the owner, or former owner, was a T. Keane. Something smells about the whole case and that is why I suspect the involvement of the SB and other intelligence agencies. As I have previously noted, the intelligence agencies at the time distrusted local police and were loathe to tell them anything. And I would also point out that police never release any more details than they think are required to advance their inquiries. And they include incorrect “facts” to help them check the veracity of any witness statements.
What if SM was indeed T. Reade (which may have been an alias) and the SB decided that this had to be hushed up for some reason. The SB could have put pressure on the witnesses from the Cycle. Or perhaps the maritime union heavies told the would-be witnesses from the Cycle not to identify the body? The maritime unions at the time were 100% under the control of communists and the USSR would have wanted to infiltrate illegals into Australia for the reasons previously discussed (uranium mining, development of atomic weapons, development of weapons such as rockets at Woomera, and all the other usual reasons). And the USSR had selected Australia to be the first domino of the Anglo-sphere. Perhaps T. Reade was an illegal?
I should also add that I know that SAPOL probably obtained three files dealing with the SM case from the Australian Archives in 2001. There is now no record of these files in the Archives, so I presume they were handed back to SAPOL. I know this because I got in contact with somebody at SAPOL (a chap with Scottish surname, possibly McIntyre) who advertised for any information soon after Fife-Yeoman’s story in the Weekend Australian 2001. I had previously noted that there were three files in the archives and I forwarded on the details. Unfortunately I have lost all my email from this period, and I did not look at the files. The presence of SM related files in the archives suggests that Commonwealth agencies (ASIO?) were interested in the SM case for some considerable time. From memory the files were SAPOL files and there was a rumour that some of the SA Special Branch files escaped destruction in the late 1970s and were handed over to ASIO for safe-keeping. For more details see the “Salisbury affair”.
BD: I raised the 1978 sacking of South Australia’s Police Commissioner Harold Salisbury (book ‘The Salisbury Affair’) on the Smithsonian site some time back. It may be pure coincidence, but then Premier Don Dunstan first courted, then appointed Sir Mark Oliphant (Manhattan Project) as S.A. Governor (till 1976 I think) but they later fell out when Oliphant came up against Dunstan over the sacking of Harold Salisbury and destruction of secret files. All 3 men have since passed on.
I find it extraordinary that such an important part of our States History can so easily be obliterated by any serving Government on a whim. There was huge public support to retain the Police Commissioner and protests. Many felt the Royal Commission that followed (Roma Mitchel and White) was a farce. Not only might those ‘secret files’ have assisted now for SM, we might have also unravelled some of our other cold cases…our States missing children.
Mark Oliphant also came up against Premier Dunstan over child exploitation and the proliferation of child pornography so easily available at the time. Dunstan defended the rights of ‘individual choice’ and freedoms, sided with the deviates and dismissed Oliphant’s well founded concerns.
Government and Police should remain ‘independent’.
In this instance however the Govt. destroyed both the Police files, and the man that knew the contents (via character assassination and his sacking).
I consider that Mark Oliphant’s defence of Commissioner Salisbury and those secret files might suggest that he also had some knowledge of what those files contained, and why he fought so hard for their preservation.
BD: Can you please elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the chap (with the Scottish name) that you contacted. You say that he’d ‘advertised’ for information.
Are you certain that he was from S.A.P.O.L.?
Hi there, just regarding the Maciej Henneberg ID, does anyone have it on record that this academic actually made a facial match between the photo on the HC Reynolds ID and Somerton Man? Or is this just more of the same from xlamb?
If he did, we should try to find a contemporary photo of HC Reynolds to prove the photo ID matches the individual and not Somerton Man, and if not, let’s have no more talk of it.
Re the suitcase, was there any evidence that similar were used by master masons, Rosicrucians or the golden dawn? If so, what is the bag known as/used for?
Stay away from JEstyn please. 😉
The HC Reynolds ID is fabricated.
Maciej never ever said *for sure* that the photo was of Somerton Man, LouLou. Xlamb relies a great deal on what is unsaid rather than prove able facts.
Xlamb, I fully agree with what you have said concerning the Salisbury affair. I suspect that much of the SM material was in Special Branch files, and these were amongst the 40,000 files destroyed after the Salisbury affair. I note that Lionel Leane was in the SB at a later date.
From memory, the request for any SM information was published in the Australian newspaper soon after the Fife-Yeomans’ story about the SM case but my memory of the events isn’t all that good. I am certain that when I contacted the chap he said he was with SAPOL and he had been detailed to re-examine the case. I think he said he was an Inspector. He asked if I was available to do some SM related research at the National Library, but I had to decline because of other commitments (sigh).
It would be worth checking on the follow up to Fife-Yeomans’ story because I am sure that it was mentioned in the follow up that police thought SM’s dental work was “Eastern European”.
In fact, I think it would pay to check the follow up for all of the newspaper stories dealing with SM.
Xlamb,
I have located a copy of Janet Fife-Yeomans’ story and, appended is the following: “Anyone with any information on this case can contact the Major Crime Investigation Section of the SA Police” and I am sure that is what I did.
I noted the following interesting things in Janet’s story.
1) The SAPOL SM files are described as follows “The Somerton file on Feltus’s desk is no more than a couple of bulging manilla files full of well thumbed papers …… In a large brown envelope are the only photographs left of the case.” So, this sounds like there is still a significant amount of evidentiary material left. More than we have been lead to believe perhaps?And, I would think that all the photographs taken at the time are in that envelope.
2) The suitcase was destroyed in 1986.
3) Brown is quoted as saying “… to me it is very, very unusual that this particular copy of the Rubaiyat was found with the two phone numbers that link the nurse and Boxall.” Two phone numbers linked to Jessie? That’s new. And, further “One of the telephone numbers belonged to a nurse at Sydney’s North Shore Hospital . The other was for an army lieutenant, Alf Boxall.”
4) Feltus is quoted as believing that SM was from the Balkan states.
5) The stable hands are mentioned, as well as some other people. “… with other early morning swimmers around a spot on the sea wall.”
6) “Fifty people viewed the embalmed body” and “dozens more thought they recognised the photograph.
7) “Feltus recently made copies of the post mortem reports and, along with enlarged photographs of the body’s internal organs, sent them to three of the state’s best pathologists to see if they have any new theories.”
B Deveson: for what you have revealed we are truly thankful. I propose that the following statement of fact be accepted with the same respect as we do those of G.Feltus.
Brown is quoted as saying “… to me it is very, very unusual that this particular copy of the Rubaiyat was found with the two phone numbers that link the nurse and Boxall.”
“One of the telephone numbers belonged to a nurse at Sydney’s North Shore Hospital . The other was for an army lieutenant, Alf Boxall.”
How the truth emerges .. it is no stranger than fiction
Great work Byron, What’s most interesting is that the phone number was of the nurse at Sydney’s North Shore Hospital and not her Somerton Park number as was always thought. Alf’s number was never mentioned but it does explain how the Police got onto Alf and it wasn’t because Jestyn volunteered it given that Janet’s account is correct. Amazing stuff.
In other words, Alf and Jessie were both spies using the book as a code pad. SM was a go between or fellow spy. Jessie did not implicate Alf. SM implicated Alf with his careless phone number.
BD: You are a brilliant man no doubt!
Aside from our Scottish named chap from SAPOL (that raised a few trolls from their slumber) I think you were meant to scout out that Fife-Yeoman article for everyone (especially Pete). What about the said ‘bank number / business number’ on the back of the book then.
Gerry Feltus says No! ….and DA says Yes!
Now Det. Brown says the 2nd. number is Boxalls (not bank / business). Something’s not right. Maybe Police didn’t have time to rehearse their stories first for the T.V. documentary. Obviously not on the same page!
What I also read today covers the bits of dialogue missing from the 1978 T.V show, so the two might marry up.
This was in your past research BD.
I’ve no skills as a researcher so I’m very grateful for those like yourself. Today I tried to find the Fife-Yeomans / SM article without luck, however instead I did come across the extensive researching you’d done almost a year ago on Nick’s “2012 Advent Calender 3 The Boxall Code”. I’d left Nick’s site for some time (bullied off), so there’s a lot I still haven’t caught up with. This particular page I previously overlooked (otherwise I’d have been grilling you earlier about that Scottish named chap).
I think everyone should refresh their memories and do a revision of that site and your past research.
The subject matter surrounding SM is very broad. There’s also a lot of nonsense scattered about that derails serious conversation. Maybe it trains the brain to move forward past the troll non-sense, and to not look back over old ground, but some of the matters you raised before have become more relevant since.
Re-Scottish name…I can also see where you’ve mentioned the SAPOL chap (Nov. 7th. 2013). You thought then, that he was ‘retired’. If you’d spoken with Major Crime, that wouldn’t be the case, so maybe there’s more to remember. Recall can’t be forced though. If there’s anything significant that comes to mind it will wiggle itself to the surface in good time…or not! Meanwhile don’t stress yourself over it. I’m surprised you’ve any brain space left for your personal life as is. And thanks for all the info.
Maybe the Boxall number / book query needs airing on DA’s / AMA.
Xlamb, I can’t be absolutely certain, but I think Inspector(?) Thomas (?) said he was retired, but had been brought back to look at the SM case. That would seem to imply that the SM case was/is of more importance to SAPOL than they let on.
Paul Lawson gave every indication in his 1978 “Inside Story” interview by Stuart Littlemore that he was under instructions to limit what he said, and, presumably, stick to the standard story. The question is, why stick to the standard story so long after 1948? What else is still hidden? Is, or was, there a “D notice” covering some aspects of the SM case?
Page 51 of “The Somerton Beach story” 1977 Series number C673. Item bar code 7937872 in the National Archives collection.
Stuart Littlemore – “did any of them think they knew him? (Somerton Man)
Paul Lawson – “I don’t know. By the way, you’re on tender ground (laughs).”
Stuart – “Explain why?”
Lawson – “Cut it boys.”
Stuart – “Well don’t worry about them.”
Lawson – “No, I’m not going on with that part of it.”
This is a strange reaction from Lawson. Who were the second “them” that he and Stuart are referring to here? Why was it “tender ground”? The only explanation I can think of is that SAPOL and/or intelligence agencies had put some sort of restrictions on what Lawson could reveal.
Incidentally, on page 40 it is said that “the chemist had his car parked in Jetty Road, Glenelg, near the Pier Hotel ….. discovered …. this book in his car – had been thrown into his car …. on the 30th November 1948.” So, it might pay to re-investigate the chemists in Jetty Road (there were more than one).
done that
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you’ve nailed your colours at last, Nick
Heating up.
Has anyone ever asked Mr. Feltus about the significance of the “W9048” he placed on the back of his book??? Is this something you could ask him Nick?
For what it’s worth, a search on trove shows the number belonging to J T Stapleton Pty Ltd in ads from 1945 and 1953. They were located in Mon Vale.
Boxall’s Electoral Rolls show him living at Parer Street, Watson, a division of Maroubra between 1943 and 1949 so…if anyone has access to phone books for that area in that time frame, they should be able to look his number up.
misca: in Trove, J T Stapleton Pty Ltd’s number is “XW9048” rather than “W9048”, so I don’t yet know what the significance (if any) of “W9048” is.
I asked Gerry about w9048 , he said that it was just artwork for the book he published . A random number.
Gordon: in the documentary – http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=7937872 – Supt Brown makes it clear that the Rubaiyat had two phone numbers, both from Adelaide; one was for a lady (no prizes for guessing whom), while the other was for “business premises”.
CCowboy – Now that doesn’t sound right at all. Given how much misinformation/lack of real information etc…That sounds downright SILLY to me. Artwork? Really?
Nick: what if both Fyfe-Yeomans and the NAA record were correct?
Byron, Need to think about the words used:
“One of the telephone numbers belonged to a nurse at Sydney’s North Shore Hospital . The other was for an army lieutenant, Alf Boxall.”
Did he mean that the number belonged to a nurse at North Shore Hospital or to a person who was a nurse at North Shore Hospital?
Semantics maybe but if he meant the former it doesn’t stand up to much scrutiny. The question being how would anyone be able to link a number, presumably of a nurses hostel, to a particular Nurse at that hostel and then(whose name at that time would have been Harkness), to a woman named Thompson in Adelaide? Thinking out loud 🙂
Thanks Nick, Missed that comment earlier, I did see the script and the clip. I found it very interesting. Body language is a wonderful thing.
True misca. I’ve never met him. Although I’ve heard he is a great bloke.
Having both JEstyn and boxalls numbers in the book basically spoils DA hypothisis about the ” affair of the Heart ” . I hope you have some honey for those apples.
Smerdon – Verco -Denbigh Russel -Boxall- Sherbakov -vaitzev- JEstyn- Marshall -graham -Sherwood-Reardon- keane -Hendon.
hey cowboy – it sure doesn’t hurt the plot …
It all sounds a little melodramatic 🙂
Pakies is the key
Nick: one small point ..
“Supt Brown makes it clear that the Rubaiyat had two phone numbers, both from Adelaide ..”
With respect; Stuart Littlemore was the one who made it quite clear that the numbers were Adelaide numbers, Brown simply agreed.
Stuart Littlemore practices as a senior cousel these days, he’s often seen trailing after the coattails of Sydneys’ better known villains, like the corrupt former politician Eddie Obeid and his venal family.
Littlemore led the question with Brown, a practice not allowed in a courtroom. Brown fluffed and farted his way through an almost unintelligible response – yet you hold it as dear as gospel, and doubt the much clearer words attributed to Brown in his interview with Fife-Yeomans – a highly experienced crime reporter and successful writer. You remarked she may have been fed duff information. I doubt that that is likely, given her wide experience and exemplary reputation.
What is it with you Nick, is there some unwritten code of practice with the SM affair? Every time something threatens the status quo both you and Abbott turn defensive.
It’s quite unreal … although, I must admit, getting up noses is an enjoyable exercise.
I would have thought that the three lines of code written on the trouser pocket may have attracted your attention, being a code breaker, but no, they are laundry marks, have been for 66 years, despite the lack of any supporting evidence.
Others might think that the best place to hide something is in plain view.
Well, that’s better, got it all off my chest without insulting anyone. Carry on.
There seems to be quite a bit of information about the Lapstone conference available through the NAA. I have looked through several documents and clearly, there was much logistical confusion while the conference was being organized. The list of people who would be attending was changing on an almost daily basis. It was also unclear who was going to be paying so, initially, the number of people attending was higher and was then cut down. The Russians had the most people attending by far; at one point, their list included 15 people.
There is a very interesting NAA document (Barcode 438694) in which a couple of details come to light. First, it seems that the UK alerted Australia that some documents they had sent had been taken/were missing (see page 7 of 33)…Second, that the idea to conduct surveillance during the conference was implemented only days before the actual conference took place. An interesting read…Of most significance to queries regarding Sherbakov, see page 28 of 33. He is mentioned as follows:
“Of the fourteen Russians who landed, twelve only have left. Apparently Sherbakov and Miss Bogotyreva are still in Australia. Mr. Brennan never saw Sherbakov during the whole of the conference and was under the impression that he had not come.”
The document is titled “Correspondence, Reports and Statements, 1948-1955, Lapstone”. (Barcode 438694)
There is another document on the NAA with Barcode 197331 which discusses delegates at length. There is a typed list of Russian delegates attending on page 7 of 152. A list of VISA’s granted on pages 9, 10 and 16. A hand-written list of names and dates in and out on page 27 of 152.
Lots of other cables, letters back and forth, etc.
[swear] you [swear][swear]s
zag, baby .. does this mean you don’t care no more?
Somerton man is Sherbakov.
Somerton man arrived in Adelaide from Darwin by light aircraft which JEstyn organised.
Lady Ruth: yeah, but obviously the inflight catering really sucked. 😉
I really don’t quite follow. If the phone number was for Jestyn in Sydney, how did they locate her in Adelaide where she was
Living under an assumed name? And why, when questioned, did she speak of giving a Rubaiyat to Boxall who was then found from that information?
No, more likely, Boxall was the one identified first. Boxall then sooled the Police onto Jessie. The public version of events is a scam designed to lead Police away from Boxall. This is all very amateurish and if Somerton were a spy, he would have memorised the phone numbers, not written them down. Spy craft 101
Sherbakov is JEStyns father.
Sherby was a double agent.
I agree with some of what u say there Bravecourageheart . I think what the police were referring to was that they had located JEstyn “a nurse from north shore” using her career title.
Paul Lawson gave every indication in his 1978 “Inside Story” interview by Stuart Littlemore that he was under instructions to limit what he said, and, presumably, stick to the standard story. The question is, why stick to the standard story so long after 1948? What else is still hidden? Is, or was, there a “D notice” covering some aspects of the SM case?
Page 51 of “The Somerton Beach story” 1977 . Item bar code 7937872 in the National Archives collection.
Stuart Littlemore – “did any of them think they knew him? (Somerton Man)
Paul Lawson – “I don’t know. By the way, you’re on tender ground (laughs).”
Stuart – “Explain why?”
Lawson – “Cut it boys.”
Stuart – “Well don’t worry about them.”
Lawson – “No, I’m not going on with that part of it.”
This is a strange reaction from Lawson. Who were the second “them” that he and Stuart are referring to here? Why was it “tender ground”? The only explanation I can think of is that SAPOL and/or intelligence agencies had put some sort of restrictions on what Lawson could reveal.
Incidentally, on page 40 it is said that “the chemist had his car parked in Jetty Road, Glenelg, near the Pier Hotel ….. discovered …. this book in his car – had been thrown into his car …. on the 30th November 1948.” So, it might pay to re-investigate the chemists in Jetty Road (there was more than one). From memory the pharmacist near the Pier Hotel was a Peter Lionel Nunn who served in the navy during WW1 and who was caught defrauding the Commonwealth pharmaceutical scheme in the late 1940s or early 1950s.
Byron, Agree with you, there are way too many inconsistencies in this one case. There has been a tendency to take the ‘Occam’s Razor’ to everything that cannot be quickly and simply explained, personally I think that’s a cop out (no pun intended). In espionage terms nothing is straight forward and only becomes ‘simple’ after it has been discovered.
In just 10 pages of Lawson’s diary there are so many questions raised it just can’t be coincidence, your bones tell you that.
The overwriting and indentation marks on those pages are clear and signs of erasures are obvious. You have to wonder how much more information we would get from the other 170 or so pages that the diary contains.
Anyone know where it’s stored by the way?
Sherbakov came to Sydney and thence absconded. He melted away into the shadows, using Boxall and Harkness as his contacts as they were Soviet double agents. He impregnated Harkness whilst in Sydney and Boxall put the blocks on their relationship. When things had cooled down he went to South Australia to see the baby. Jestyn, realising what a risk he was, murdered him in cold blood.
Lawson – “Cut it boys.”
Stuart – “Well don’t worry about them.”
I think the ‘them’ are the film crew BD.
Pete,
Re: “I think the ‘them’ are the film crew BD.” Yes, quite possibly. But, when the “them” is combined with the “tender ground” I think it is possible that Lawson was referring to police or security. The “…don’t worry about them” could refer to the film crew, or police/intelligence.
Clifton,
could you give some more details of how Sherwood and Reardon fit into all this? Who were they? Thanks.
B deveson: I’m not sure who they are. Just saw that they were mentioned on another site some where. So I thought id throw it out there. I think they fit in with JEstyn . Sorry that’s not much help.
I think your right assuming they had somebody from intelligence there during the interview/s. Perhaps to oversee that media stuck to its previously arranged questions.
I believe the owner of ” Sherwood motors ” was friendly with prosper . He had a light aircraft and was in Darwin around the time sm could have travelled to Adelaide.
Clifton’s hotel – Um…Sherwood motors is impossible to find. Could you at least quote what you read “on another site somewhere”?
I can’t recall what site it was from sorry misca , was a couple of years back. I think Sherwood motors was owned by a fella called duffield.
Somebody mentioned on the now discontinued Smithsonian Tamam Shud site that Robin Thomson had worked as a used car salesman in Belconnen, Canberra sometime in the 1980s. I note that there was a Sherwood Motors in Canberra during the 1980s – first at 3 Josephson Street, Belconnen (1983 to about 1992) and then at Whyalla Street, Fyshwick (1992 to ?). Belconnen and Fyshwick are both suburbs of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. So, it seems that Robin may have found work at a car yard belonging to a friend of his father, who was possibly a Mr F. Sherwood. I note that a Mr F. Sherwood, of Young Motors Limited, in Geraldton, West Australia was mentioned in the Geraldton Guardian & Express, 30th January 1940 page 3. I further note that Prosper had been in West Australia from July 1937 to June 1938, probably buying and selling cars (The West Australian 1st June 1938 page 3). Mr F Sherwood attended a large funeral in Geraldton in 1940 that appeared to have had a strong masonic cast to it (newspaper reference above).
Nice work 🙂 f Sherwood that’s him. I think there is an add somewhere also that puts him in Darwin the day b4 sm died .
I think his name is William Sherwood Duffield
A9301 47189 DUFFIELD WILLIAM SHERWOOD : Service Number – 47189 : Date of birth – 09 Oct 1902 : Place of birth – WOLSELEY SA : Place of enlistment – ADELAIDE : Next of Kin – DUFFIELD EVELYN
Access status: Open Location: Canberra
1939 – 1948 4572507
Sherwood motors. 52-56 Hanson Street Adelaide phone C6370. (1952)….. I believe this is the person P was doing business with. William/bill Duffield Sherwood. He was a pilot.
Advertising
The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 – 1954) Monday 10 December 1951 p 15 Advertising
… UTILITIES. WORTH INSPECTION AT DUFFIELD MOTORS. 52-56 HANSON STREET. PHONE C6370. AFTER HOURS. LF3379. I A … 254 words
November 1951—-
Unregistered rifle
William Sherwood Duf
field, 49, motor dealer, of
Hanson street, City, was
fined £5 with 10/ costs by
Mr. Clarke, PM, in Ade
laide Police Court today
for having been in possession of an unregistered
rifle at Adelaide on October
1. The case was heard ex
parte.
So your implying that Sherwood flew Sm into Adelaide ?
Robin Macmahon Thomson, salesman, and Dellice Marjorie Thomson, home duties, are listed in the 1977 and 1980 Federal electoral rolls, Canberra division. They were living at 19 Basedow Street, Torrens. I have only checked those two years, and the Thomson’s may have lived there outside these dates. I note that when Prosper was convicted of fraud in 1938 the police indicated that he had been put up to it by another man. Maybe Duffield?
The Daily News (Perth, WA) 31st May 1938 page 2
‘INSTIGATED BY ANOTHER MAN’
“… Six weeks ago he got into financial difficulties and decided to sell this second car. He changed the title he had for the Willys car to make it suit the Chevrolet, and obtained £25 and the Fiat car from Strang, the detective said. ‘It was a very foolish act. An other man seems to have instigated the fraud. We have not sufficient evidence against that man,’ said Lamb…..”
I note that William Sherwood Duffield, born 9 Oct 1902 in Wolseley, South Australia, died 2 Aug 1989 in Adelaide, S.A. had a brother “Ronald Frances Francis Duffield”. Could he be our mysterious “Ron Francis” who handed in the Rubaiyat to police? The “Frances Francis” bit could have prompted people to call him “Ron Francis”. Wordplay with names was common in Australia up to the recent past, but seems to have died out. Prosper morphed to Prestige for example.
Ronald Frances Francis Duffield was born Ronald Francis Duffield, 14 Apr 1906 at Wellington, S.A., and died 23 Oct 1963 at Adelaide.
Clifton, see the Centralian Advocate (Alice Springs, N.T.) 3rd December 1948 page 16.
“Mr. W. S. Duffleld, of Duffield Motors, has just returned to Adelaide after paying the Northern Territory a quick trip on business.”
The Mail (Adelaide) 17th January 1948
“NT URANIUM REPORTS. Canberra.— Three prospectors claim to have discovered uranium ore in Hart Range, west of Alice Springs.
The Minister for the interior (Mr. Johnson) has called for a report from the Director of Mines at Alice Springs. Mr. Johnson said today Cabinet, decision to encourage the search for radio-active ores with payments of £10,000 or more probably would cause other prospectors to report finds. He believed some prospectors had been ‘keeping quiet’ about their discoveries until the Government declared its policy on rewards.”
Good work Mr deveson.
Nice. 🙂
Clifton – How about a little info on Reardon? Where did that name crop up? Do you remember anything about that?
Reardon was present at JEstyn and prospers wedding. As a witness. Christine Reardon
While I was “following a line of inquiry” concerning William Sherwood Duffield I found that the W. Duffield & Company of Adelaide, a large flour milling concern, had it’s own commercial code in 1882. Could the SM cipher be commercial code? I could not remember this being suggested previously. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any connection between William Sherwood Duffield and the Duffield family who owned the flour milling company.
I had previously noted that the SM cipher appears to have been written down in a moving vehicle. The SM cipher may have been a draft of a telegraph message. Maybe news about a uranium prospect in the Harts Ranges perhaps? Various industries had their own commercial codes and I expect that this would have been the case with the mining industry in Australia.
South Australian private cable code, from W. Duffield & Co., millers and merchants, Adelaide, S.A. Published Adelaide : Goodfellow and Hele, 1882.
I note that commercial codes came with many different structures, most of which are not consistent with the apparent long and variable length of each the SM cipher lines (ie. 9,11,11,13 letters). However, it seems that some commercial codes tack on additional information, and the basic code “word” can be long, and of variable length. There is an example in the Wikipedia, commercial code (communications) article that demonstrates a code “word” of twelve letters or more (if I am reading it correctly). “In codes such as the ABC Code, code words could contain blanks. For example, in the “Freight and tonnage requirements” section, ANTITACTE means “Mozambique, loading at not more than two places, to ____, steamer for about ____ tons general cargo at ____ per ton on the d/w capacity to cargo”. The telegrapher would then fill in the three parameters: the destination, the number of tons, and the price per ton.”
None of this is helpful because it is conjecture. Jessica’s life is well documented and she is dead and cannot sue. Let us pick over the bones of her existence and find what we are looking for. There are traces.
She may have passed away from this world but her soul is well and truly alive my courageous friend.
Stay away from JEstyn 😉
Never smile at a crocodile 🙂
Sm was a private investigator sent from prospers previous wife to track them down. He had a medical condition that ended his mortal coil .
Sm was a crooked double agent bent on revenge. He crossed both his handlers and was under serious amounts of pressure to behave . He was a naughty man .
Oh yeh. He just happened to be Jestyns father also.
“The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose.”
“As a rose among the thorns, so is my beloved among the daughters.”
The world is a wedding 🙂
We see the world not as it is but as we are
I first encountered Jessica in 2002. Having worked out who she was, I set about ingratiating myself into the periphery of her small social circle. Eventually we became acquaintances. I can tell you that she was a hectoring, moralising old prude with an ultra inflated sense of her own ego. Left wing as they come with an obsession with the Labor Party. Probably a complete fantasist. Boasted about her involvement with this case and the attendant secrecy. When she died, I smiled. Her secret went to the grave with her. Or did it?
Dream on tripper. U wish u had the pleasure. Pop another cork you dork.
The only thing you could get close to is your back passage.
Your a JEstynphile 🙂
conjecture, psychobabble , fantasies and pure dribble . I have something u can nibble.
Any more light on the second phone number ?
Indeed Smerdon. Unfortunately, not so gleeful for many. Yet another one slipped through. BLACK, isn’t it?
Jessica was a loyal attendee at my Synagogue. She helped foster understanding between Christians and Jews and was a humble servant of Y-weh. Bless her eternal soul. Thankyou, Rabbi Schmenuel Addams.
What synagogue was that Rabbi ? Shalom
Adelaide Free Synagogue is a private group whose members prefer to remain anonymous.
None of what you will read about us published by xlamb is true. We are not Golden Dawn.
Amen to that Schmenny
Pete – If you take a look at Boxall’s file, he makes a submission in 1960 for a Pacific Star Award. He talks about “official operations under the direct orders of G O C Norforce”…including “small craft operations in the Timor”…”during the timor campaign”…”carried out by Captain David Herbert OC “A”CO NAOU, his brother and myself.” There does not seem to be mention of this in his official files and the lack of it’s documentation is made clear with the response he gets.
Xavier Herbert’s brother was David Francis Herbert.
I’m not sure if this is helpful???
Good spotting.
Excuse my ignorance but was Herbert’s a spy ?
Thanks misca, Alf had quite a tour up there. I had a conversation with one if his old crew, Alf didn’t muck around, he was a hard head.
It seems very probable that the unknown man was a relation to Jessica. For even Derek Abbott would know now that the genetics similarities with the larger upper cymba being bigger than the cavum runs in the family . His new daughter is a perfect example because she is the great granddaughter of Jessie. I also note that other great granchildren of Jessie’s have the same ear as the unknown man.
Sorry about all the typo errors , I’m boating. 🙂
Yes – The professor has had a baby with Robin the ballet dancers Daughter
Nick, I hear you’re looking for an image of the Detectives inspecting the clothing. Here’s one at 300 DPI, stock standard for newspapers I think, sorry I have nothing better:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4FgVwct8qNURUlxZUxrR2NDQ2s/view?usp=sharing
I did some close ups on the laundry marks, both faded and the third one hardly visible.
I seriously think that these marks belong to a smart individual shop and just possibly two different ones, the third set is quite different to the other two.
You should be able to make out the Elasta Strap brand name on the pocket but not the detail of the smaller writing surrounding it.
If you look closely at the edge of the forward pocket, you will be able to see what appears to be stitching/repair work as per the Autopsy docs.
With regards to the stitching it is a little puzzling because it appears to be black in colour and not the sepia colour on the card. Could be an image thing but then again there are so many inconsistencies that it wouldn’t surprise me if there were some other reason.
Interestingly in one Police letter I once saw, a Detective Sergeant stated that they had conclusive proof that the suitcase belonged to SM, He didn’t specify what that was but it is generally thought that he was referring to the Barbour’s waxed thread. Fingerprints would have been ideal but for some reason they were overlooked.
Timing is interesting, when was the book handed in and when was the suitcase ‘discovered’ ?
Lady Ruth boat – You have read Boxall’s file very closely.
While his file does not include his mentioning of the “Lady Ruth”, this ship is mentioned in one of the army’s response to his request. They state that there are no records of a ship by that name.
So, clearly, Boxall had written or verbally explained other information to back up his request, but it is not in his file.
There was a ship by that name as can be seen on Wikipedia “List of ships of the Australian Army”. That same ship, the AS 129 Lady Ruth was destroyed by fire December 1943.
I like your brain misca. It is firing on all cylinders 🙂 . Do you know about the second copy of the sha’ir of omar khayyam? Or am I barking up the wrong tree ? The Barbour thread I believe was the contributing factor for the suitcase being linked to Sm by the police indeed ,and the time in which it was checked in . I’m sure fingerprints were taken/lifted from the suitcase gordo just not from the state police.
I find it strange that Patrick James Durham wasn’t questioned at the inquest and that he has never made a single statement about this case in any way shape or form. He was the “expert” that took fingerprints and photographs of the deceased. Why didn’t anyone ever ask him anything about it???
Lady Ruth – Are you here to “play” or to contribute? If the latter (to contribute – hopefully), can you share what you might know about the boat and what role it plays in the scheme of things???
Greetings Misca, it just stood out to me a little . I thought it was odd that it didn’t show up on any manifests during it’s time in service . ” There is no record of this ship calling at any port in the prescribed area .” I note that he did two legs into Timor during his service. Possible that they were transporting secret individuals from Timor back to australia. Only a theory.
NAA- AWM54 963/22/9 [Transport – Sea (Allied) – Small Ship Coys and Small Ship Log Books:] Loss by fire of launch AM 129 “LADY RUTH” 15 Australian Water Transport, Operating Company – Report of legal officer on investigation, December 1944
Access status: Open Location: Australian War Memorial
1943 – 1944 477667
Lady Ruth Boab
Source: Go to the Register of the National Estate for more information.
Identifier: 100543
Location: Timber Creek
Local
Government: Unicorporated NT
State: NT
Country: Australia
Statement of
Significance: The tree has historical significance as a reminder of the presence of the NAOU in the Northern Territory during World War Two.
Description: The tree is a small boab in dense bush 600m-700m north of the bank of the Victoria River, due east of the northern end of Bradshaw’s Tomb, and the Dome lies at a bearing of 60 degrees. Carved on the trunk is ‘Lady Ruth 3 6-43’.
Lady Ruth was one of a number of launches commandeered by members of the NAOU during World War Two. The 10m launch was allocated to B Company to replace the Bondi which had been abandoned in Blunder Bay on the Victoria River. The Lady Ruth was in service for only six months before it was destroyed by fire. Presumably the boab tree was inscribed by a member (or members) of the ship’s NAOU crew.
The NAOU was established by anthropologist W H Stanner in June 1942 and initially consisted of over 400 men, all volunteers from the 2nd Australian Imperial Force. The unit’s role was to provide early warning in the event of a Japanese invasion and to form a guerilla force to attack invading Japanese. The unit was divided into three field companies dispersed in groups across northern Australia.
Lady Ruth boat – Thanks so much for your replies/sharing your research. Lots of interesting information…We seem to be down to a six month window between June and December 1943.
My pleasure misca. It might be totally off track. But im slowly going back over the whole thing from the beginning , incase I have missed something obvious.
Byron: Your Tom Keane, subject of the 1950 Victorian look into communist party infiltration of state run workshops, could be one of the following. My first thought had been of our old favourite Thomas Leonard Keane, the Qld railway clerk of Newport Vic.,who worked at 115 Hospital, suspiciously taking off to Japan for a few months in 1947 and whom I mentioned in this connection quite recently. I believe I’ve now found another more likely candidate also from Newport, in the form of Tom Ambrose Keane, whose ASIO file (reviewed 2016) dating from 1945 (CIS), still remains mostly underwraps, giving us only his his E.Y.L. classification and a 1945 Brisbane address. I did find another small mention from 1927 which gives his pre war occupation of Victorian railways (wkshps) with yet another Newport address and a possible date of birth but little else. There were two other communistic type labour/trade union organisers around in ’48 that I can only identify as J. & R.V. Keane, without any specifics at this juncture.
It seems that Tommy Reade’s crew-mates aboard a coaster named ‘Cycle’, came down to West Terrace morgue for an SM viewing, acting on some information that the body could be that of a crib buddy. Apart from attempts to explain this all away, relative to a name mix up with a crew member named Keane, a stuff by one of Derreks team or else merely a failed identification attempt, we have been left somewhat hanging. On the evidence of a couple of unamed swabbies, saying that the body viewed was definately not their bosom pal, might not always be the most reliable of evidence to sign off on. Epecially if we are looking at the possibility of an unwelcome, delaying inquiry into a shipboard death, be it natural, accidental or suspicious..So anyhow, Thomas Clarence Reade, bn. 1906, was a marine engineer from Dulwich, a suburb of Adelaide, although originally from York Peninsular and was married to Dulcie. He’d served in both the AIF as an instructor and in the RAN as ships mechanic, having been a motor sales manager prior to Army inlistment in ’43. He had a recorded height of just 5′ 7″ with blue/brown/fresh facials, and some vaccination scars on his left arm. That’s all we know at this point, apart of course from his successful defence of a petty traffic violation back in ’31 and it may be that we can search for possible SM connections, then file Tommy Reade away.
Thomas Clarence Reade died 15/11/73, Glenelg East, Centenial Park..Done and dusted.
John, I think you recently mentioned that Mr Moss Keipitz was a mystery man. Read on.
Hmm. Mr Moss Keipitz, an “Egyptian employed in Adelaide”, gave information concerning the name Keanic (a possible reading of the name on one of the ties found in the suitcase) to the SA police. And Mr Keipitz seems to have come out of smoke and disappeared back into smoke? Have I got that right?
Extensive research by Misca several years ago disclosed that a Herbert Kopit, the “mail train killer” murdered two men in 1936. OK, so what? Kopit and Keipitz may possibly be variants of the same rare Jewish surname, but so what? Well, several years ago an anonymous source claimed that Jessie attended at the marriage of the notorious KGB spy Frances Bernie in Sydney 1945. Again, so what? Well, extensive research by Misca uncovered the ancestry of Frances Bernie and her father’s original name was Kopit (Anglicised to Scott), and he was born in Egypt and probably of Jewish descent.
Abraham Kopit AKA Scott born Cairo, Egypt 1886, died 19th February 1944 at Fitzroy, Victoria, Married May J. Darragh at Newcastle, NSW, 1911. Father of Frances Gluck/Garrett nee Scott AKA Bernie (“Sestra” of Venona). Father of Herbert Kopit.
I note that an A. Kopit, Citizens Chambers, Melbourne is the subject of a 1918 Intelligence case file.
So, just who was Mr Moss Keipitz who seems to have materialised out of thin air and disappeared just as quickly? All very sus IMHO.
I note that a KGB agent and policeman Alfred Hughes headed up military intelligence in Sydney during WW2 so KGB/GRU agents in the State police forces is not fanciful. A recent example is ex-policeman, now convicted murderer Roger Rogerson who set up the “Croatian Six” case for Yugoslav intelligence in the 1970s. Rogerson is now suspected of being a paid assassin and he was a communist in his youth. Among other things he had Sally Ann Huckstep murdered to protect his heroin ring. Wonderful, Sydney’s “finest cop”, with many medals for bravery, was a long time communist, a drug baron, a KGB/GRU agent and probable a paid assassin, and nobody noticed. No wonder the country is rooted.
Byron: All I’ve got to say re the state of your once luck bloody country is: ‘Fellas of Australia, blokes and coves and coots, heave yer flamin loins up and grab yer bloody boots…Slope yer faithful 303s and say farewell to mum; fan out in a cooee line, marching to the drum…When yez get to flamin Can-berra it’ll be time to have some fun, yez can poke yer sticks at pollie pricks then watch the moungrels run”.
Stumbled across this post because it was linked to the latest John Keane one. I’m guessing it was a dead end, but regarding Sherwood Motors::
The only one currently existing (as far as I can tell) is on South Road, Mile End (ie just out of the Adelaide CBD).
The Canberra “Sherwood Motors” referred to above was (as far as I can tell) owned by a Philip Lindsay Byrne at around the time that Robin might have worked there. I’m not really sure where the Sherwood name came from (whether it was a previous owner or whether this guy just wanted a Robin Hood connection). For those familiar with Canberra, Josephson St Belconnen (where Sherwood motors was at the time) is a street near the Bus Depot that is wall to wall car dealerships (I think 3 quarters of one side is National Capital Motors (and subsidiaries), and the other big name Canberra dealers take up most of the rest (Gerard Slaven Holden, John McGrath Ford, Rollfe Honda/Mazda).
As a slight side, I was told by a dealer that the success of Canberra dealerships is the price differential between Canberra and Adelaide (and Hobart, and originally Perth). Basically because Canberra is mainly a white-collar town and has a relatively high average disposable income it means more people buy new cars, so the resale value on used cars is low (there’s no demand). Through the 80s and 90s NCM (and probably other large dealerships) made a fortune buying near-new used cars cheap in Canberra, and sending them on trucks to places like Adelaide (where the less affluent working classes wanted something newish but couldn’t necessarily afford a brand-spanker.
Interestingly, a Philip Lindsay Byrne (I *think* the same, but haven’t verified) was accused (and I think found guilty) of obtaining a fake passport by deception in around 2012.
Of course, none of this really connects to SM other than I don’t think Robin’s stint as a car salesman in Canberra was related to Duffield of Adelaide.
A final thought that randomly hits me. Why did Robin live in Canberra? Was it related to his work with the ballet, or was there another reason he moved there. Drawing a very long bow I recall that Alf lived his later years in the Holt (a Canberra suburb also in the Belconnen district)….but I’m not sure the times they were in Canberra necessarily overlap.
As ever, coincidences abound.
Milongal,
I feel that the following is Interesting, and pregnant with possibilities.
http://barnoldlaw.blogspot.c*m/2012_07_22_archive.html
“The Canberra Times reports yesterday’s conviction in ACT Magistrates Court of a man who obtained a passport under a false name and travelled on it for eight years.
Philip Lindsay Byrne pleaded guilty to one charge of making a false statement to obtain a passport and another charge of producing a false or misleading document. He apparently purchased a fake birth certificate in Queensland for $500 and used it to apply for a passport under the name Philip Byne in November 2004.
During the following eight years he used that passport to enter and leave Australia 27 times. After detection (not discussed in the report) Byrne indicated that he “obtained the passport because he had been the subject of an extortion attempt in the Philippines”.
The court heard he readily admitted the offence to authorities and gave them a full explanation, pleading guilty at the first opportunity. Byrne’s lawyer told the court his client had family and a partner in the Philippines and regarded the country as his home. He had only returned to Australia to receive treatment for cancer and to visit his elderly father.
Byrne had since been issued with a legitimate passport.”
IMHO there is a chance that emerging events in US/Russian relations will open up a lot of the KGB/GRU archives. And that might shed some light on the SM case. IMHO the USA and Russia are close to a rapprochement that will see Russia burn most of her previous “asserts” in the West. It has been very clear in Australia where prior to 1990 criticism of the Soviet paradise was met with almost total condemnation from academics, journalists and most opinion makers. Thirty years on and you would have difficulty finding any support for post 1990 Russia amongst the previous supporters of pre 1990 Russia. These people now support China and I am sure the Russians have noticed.
IMHO Russian think tanks have realised that any continuation of the covert war against the West that started in Tsarist times has to stop. Russia is the natural enemy of modern China. Russia in the future will be a poor third behind China and the USA, and maybe even behind Europe by all measures. What is in it for Russia to be an enemy of the West, and particularly an enemy of the USA? But there would be too much opposition in the USA for any such rapprochement at present; unless many of the anti-Russian forces are removed or neutralised. I am sure the KGB/GRU archives plus the intel that the Russians must have, particularly on their enemies, will be offered to the current US Administration as a peace offering. So start drafting your questions to the Russian archives.