Earhart Project in PNG
Chimbu:
Dave's the name Mate....
I didn't know there were that many books ! There can be a thousand books all espousing their theory as far as I'm concerned but none of them have any documentary evidence that what they say is true.
When I stood at the fax machine at PX in 1994 and a reduced copy of the map came through showing "600H/P S3H1 C/N1055", what was left of my hair stood on end. The map is genuine and had been kept by a Veteran from the same unit that carried out the patrol for 48 years. He handed it to the Veteran who first saw the engine on the jungle floor and that veteran picked off the tape covering the writing (which is in indelible pencil). He did that so as to have the "whole" map photocopied for me as I was scheduled to meet with him in Perth W.A.
I had a problem with the 600H.P. at first as the engine was rated at 550 in all the books but with 100 Octane it did produce 600 for Take-off. Tying the metal tag removed off the engine mount with the letters and number on the map edge is also a problem as we do not have the tag. The ex-W.O. said to me in 1995, "The tag had letters and numbers on it which didn't mean anything to me....but I handed it in with the patrol report".
What we had then was the words of the Vets when they were at Tol plantation when an Officer approached them witha piece of paper in his hand and told them the U.S. Army were not interested because they said, "It's not one of ours".... The date on the map is five weeks after the find of the wreck and it would take that long for the U.S. Army to get back to them. There is the annotation "Ref:" before the "600 H/P S3H1 C/N 1055" so whoever wrote the words on the edge of the map stated that the string of letters and numbers was a "Reference" and I deduce that the reference came from the signal that the Officer was reading out to the men.
We know that the Tag was given to their Brigade HQ because there is a signal in the AWM that states, "The patrol report will be available at 0900 Hrs together with a/c plates". Plates ? Maybe more than one tag or plate was removed, but the Vets have no knowledge of a second tag or plate
There you are, a little bit more to think about.
Regards,
Dave Billings.
Last edited by David Billings; 25th Feb 2018 at 11:16.