SOMERTON MAN: THE LAUNDRY MARKS, CHASING THE NUMBERS YIELDS SOME RESULTS

TROVE RESULTS....

3 SEPARATE ADS & A SHIP

As many will know, Trove (trove.nla.gov.au) is an invaluable resource for both new and experienced researchers/investigators.  The last few days I have spent what spare time I have had liaising with Clive and following up on some of the comments that have been generated.

The outcome is interesting, Clive came across a ship that had departed Fremantle in April 1948 and it had a link to a number 7171, the name of the ship was 'William A Graham', it was headed to the UK. Being the thorough bloke that he is, he quickly uncovered that the number referred to the tonnage of the vessel. It doesn't necessarily rule it out but it looks less promising than at first thought.

I carried out a search on all three sets of numbers, removing the forward slash and just treating them all as 5 digit numbers. In cryptology, there is a precedent for surplus numbers or characters being inserted into some kinds of messages.

Here's what we turned up:

Dated September 1947, the ad above relates to second-hand motor vehicles and a Government tender in Western Australia. Followers of the SM case will recognise the significance of second-hand vehicles there being a possible link to Jestyn's husband who was in that business.

Next, 

The ad below relates to a property portfolio that contained a Pin number, 43933 from Perth Western Australia, a name to follow up on perhaps?

This final ad below was found in an issue of the Melbourne Age dated 10th April 1948, a chemist and his wife looking for accommodation in Melbourne. Chemists have always been persons of interest in this case due mostly to the suspected use of a rare poison on the Somerton Man. The box number is 71717.

Our recent anonymous commenter thought that the numbers referred to, in sequence, dates, that being so it would mean that the numbers on the pocket were written in reverse order?

That's all we have for now, will update this post as and when we manage to retrieve items of possible interest.