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Sunfish...
1. The SITREP.
It is in in Official Records at the AWM. I was not aware that Official Records have to be notarised. Patrol Report is in the AWM In a ledger.
Discovery of an ammo dump has nothing to do with this project and I do not have the particular SITREP for the 19th April '45 in front of me as I gave it to the Journo.... on Tuesday. I need to download another copy. The SITREPS are in the AWM under the 11th Battalion AIF for April 1945 and can be viewed by anyone taking the time. The SITREPS are confusing at times. The GHQ was 5th Division at Jaquinot bay and the Operations were administered by 13 Brigade at TOL. 13 Bde worked two Battalions at WIDE BAY, the 16th and the 11th and they also worked another 36th Battalion at OPEN BAY. The SITREPS in time of war were issued concerning multiple Patrols on a daily basis and the ones in question from 15th April to 19th April concerned not only Patrol A1 but also other Patrols from the other Companies (A, B and C)..... for any of the three Battalions.....so you have to look between the period points (Circle with a dot in it) for mention of "11 Bn D Coy A1". The four Vets I met and spoke to knew nothing about multiple "plates" but only about "one tag" removed from the engine mount. Maybe an Army Officer who formulated the SITREP called it a plate and thought there were two or more. I will say that the "c" in a/c" is faint, yes it is, but it is there and other signals refer to aircraft as "a/c" as in "Beaufort a/c will carry out anti-malarial spraying".
The Patrol Report is also in the AWM In a "Ledger" in the Appendices in the 11Bn records. It describes the topographical features and lists Grid References .It says nothing about the find of an engine and we do think that the report about the engine was contained in SITREP 63A mentioned in the list of SITREPS on the map border. We cannot find 63A, which Lt. Backhouse said would be an "Annex" Report.
2. Alleged Interviews ?
The interviews took place, there is nothing alleged about them. They were videotaped, I have a copy, a donor in L.A. has a copy, National Geographic have a copy they have not returned,…a few others have copies etc, etc, of late a TV Producer has a copy, the Journo from The Australian has a copy.…
3. A “conveniently” marked map ?
4. An “alleged” plate ?
Quite a few alleged points there. I think you need to read the website again and just to repeat myself…. You are entitled to be sceptical, I can’t please everybody..
www.earhartsearchpng.com
David Billings.