Amelia in the news again..bit more interesting this time

A major nail in the coffin…Japanese researcher finds original photo dated 1935 in archives..No holiday..
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/blogger-discredits-claim-amelia-earhart-091327166.html

They are looking for a needle in a haystack ! Unfortunately for them even finding the haystack has been problematical !

So we’re left waiting for the next (unfact checked, unproven…and unprovable) assumption from TIGHAR.

The infamous Amelia-and-Fred-on-the-dock photo appears in a Japanese travel book that was published in 1935, two years before Amelia’s flight. So much for that theory.

Was that deliberate?

Doggon right it was.

Anyway: I’ve a new theory. The Electra ran out of fuel and ditched near Howland Island. It, along with Earhart and Noonan were rescued by a passing Japanese freighter – and taken to Saipan, where they were photographed. The Electra was repaired – and our heroes subsequently managed to escape, seize the aircraft and fly to New Britain, where they crashed in the jungle. Un deterred, they rebuilt it again, “Flight of the Phoenix style – leaving some wreckage behind them to be later discovered by a passing Australian army patrol – before heading off for Howland( again) – missing (again) – and crashing and dying as castaways on Gardener.

So – everyone’s right.

Regarding the photo;

As someone pointed out on another forum I visit, look at the horizon directly to the right of Noonan, and then follow it on from the other people to his right. It doesn’t line up!

I do hope that the dogs had a nice holiday though.

those dogged sleuths

Was that deliberate? 😀

Apparently ‘cadaver dogs’ have now found the tree where she or Fred passed away…

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4680580/Dogs-proof-Amelia-Earhart-s-remains-experts-claim.html

I just wasted 40 minutes watching part of the show. Total farce. I was impressed as they trekked through thick jungle for quite a distance… & then a bit later it shows the area they had *discovered* was actually right next to a road in someones back yard in a small village. There was a car parked about 10ft away.

Being In ‘the wrong envelope’ carries as much weight proof-wise as anything else in this tale …

Everyone as you were: it’s not Amelia – those dogged sleuths at the Daily Mail have an update…. the picture was taken aftern 1940.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4670468/Photo-showing-Amelia-Earhart-NOT-aviator.html

Anyone could tell it’s not her anyway: If it was Earhart she’d be holding a jar of freckle cream.

Quote from the Daily Mail article (underlining is mine ):

“In the image, Earhart has her back to the camera and is seen speaking to Noonan as they prepare to board a boat.”

Yet the photo printed clearly shows the woman in question looking in the completely opposite direction to the man they have circled…that’s a very odd way of ‘speaking to someone’……

Wonder why the journo used those particular words, rather than the more obvious interpretation that “In the image Earhart has her back to the camera and is waiting with Noonan as they prepare to board a boat…”

Can’t help but wonder why the supposed aircraft (looks like a Supermarine Attacker to me :dev2:) is still dangling from the ship’s stern, and has not been unloaded – unless of course, the photo was taken very soon after the ship arrived, and they land the rescued crew first, and unload the aircraft later, after that photo was taken….

I wonder where the ship’s log went, as I am sure the Officer of the Watch, or the Captain, would have recorded the rescue and recovery of a ditched/stranded aircraft and such a famous pilot. Can anyone track down the ship, and it’s Captain’s name, as I am sure he would have told his family about this..even if he didn’t see them for many months after the event.

And, given this seems to have happened soon after the likely forced landing (or Amelia had access to a local hairdresser who could maintain her unusual for the period hair style?), then why didn’t she make contact with ‘home’ form Jaluit before later vanishing… or was there a total lack of communications blackout (by sea, air, wireless, mail etc) between Jaluit Atoll and anywhere else between the date the photo was taken and the outbreak of hostilities. Or, is the suggestion perhaps that the Japanese took them prisoner on Jaluit, and then kept their celebrity prisoner under the radar, well before the outbreak of WW2?

Still, despite the doubts, this is perhaps a little more plausible, and slightly stronger evidence, than empty jars of face cream, shadows in coral reefs that look vaguely aircraft-like, a few fragments of aluminium and a shin bone or two.

Anyway, anyone want to fund an all expenses paid jolly, sorry, research trip, to the Jaluit Atoll..I’m sure there must be a jar or two of face cream to be found in the harbour…

If a cargo vessel was to pick up a downed aircraft, surely the crew would use the cargo derricks rather than try to rig up some sort of cats cradle over the stern?

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story. That Daily Fail article is embarrassing in its childish disregard of facts, evidence or historical context. Remember that all this happened in 1937 and not 1943: The Fail’s use of the words ‘enemy’ and ‘prisoners of war’ are a deliberate attempt to skew this flimsy non-story into some convoluted re-writing of what really occurred and attribute it with a respect it does not deserve in any way.

Interesting to see that her aircraft appears to have lost its compound tail unit and acquired a single fin and rudder.

Rob P

Not belittling it, but it’s rather circumstantial evidence.
When in doubt ask yourself…if I were on a jury, is this “evidence” good enough to convict a man beyond reasonable doubt?
It shows a slight person wearing a shirt and slacks with short dark hair. When I was in Japan, that description fit most of the population. 🙂

Remember, the producers of the special…and the Today show which produced the clip you put a link to, can cherry pick what to include or not include to make their case.

I’m not saying it isn’t true, that I’d like more evidence.

The Japanese say they have no records…any serious students of the Pacific war here know if they were as methodical about their paperwork as the Germans…and would an area commander capture a famous American and NOT tell Tokyo?

Seems a bit of a stretch for mid-1937 (four years before the outbreak of hostilities with the US/UK)…considering Japan was still trying to come across as benign and was still a full trading partner (including aircraft, oil, metal) with the US…would they have risked it?

Unless EA flew over a secret base (and were there any in the area?), I’m not convinced they had motive to keep her.
And I’m not going to assume the Japanese were automatically evil just because of their later actions.

As tantalising as the prospect of this mystery finally being solved is, I find myself agreeing wholeheartedly with J Boyle above:
“I rather hope (but doubt) it’s true, if for no other reason than to make TIGHAR go away.”

Before belittling it, take a look at this, especially at 2:15 and 2:58:

http://www.today.com/video/amelia-earhart-mystery-may-have-new-clue-in-never-before-seen-photo-983703107827

They have also found her aircraft engine and prop :highly_amused: