SOMERTON MAN: AFTER 70 YEARS THE CODE IS CRACKED WIDE OPEN, Part 1.

HMAS DELORAINE & USS NEW ORLEANS MATCHED 

& 

SOMERTON MAN CODE CRACKED

On 7th March 1943, HMAS Deloraine passed close by the
USS New Orleans, CA 32 near Sydney.

This day, Sunday, March 7th 943 on Sydney Harbour was the only time that we have been able to categorically say that these two vessels were in close proximity. This was the only time that our 'writer' could have committed what he saw to paper. 

Thanks to intensive research we have found this match, as was described in the letter Q.  My original reading of the code sequence showed what I thought was the sequence: CA 25 or 35, however, I now know that it is CA 32 and not CA 35, the sequence can easily be misread. A closer examination I made yesterday and ahead of finding the Deloraine log reference shown above, confirmed that to be the case.

This result is thanks to some great teamwork with Clive, there were literally hundreds of pages to read and cross-reference and to track down the various locations of a number ships including the New Orleans, the Houston and the Pensacola. In fact, the Deloraine and the Pensacola had crossed paths on December 28th, 1941, not long after Pearl Harbor and again near Darwin in February 1942. Similarly, the Deloraine was in Darwin at the same time as the Houston.

We never thought for one moment that we would find a document like this where the event would actually be confirmed by a log entry, just amazing.

The above is from the log of HMAS Deloraine, J232 on 28th December 1941, you can see that it clearly states that they are to Anchor at Cape Morton and wait for the arrival of a US Convoy and TAKE ORDERS FROM USS PENSACOLA. The Hull number for the Pensacola is CA24.

Second Sighting USS Pensacola

This information absolutely confirms not only that the Delorraine would have been seen to be physically close to US Navy Cruisers but it also confirms the fact that, in one instance, they were being put in contact with one of them.

The information found in the letter Q is correct, HMAS Deloraine, J232, and the US Cruiser  USS New Orleans, CA 32 passed close by each other near Sydney, someone recorded that in microcode and subsequently that code has been cracked open. We now know for certain that microcode has existed all along and it was placed inside the large letters of the so-called 'code'.

Relevant USN Cruiser movements:

USS Houston (CA 30)  Arrived at Darwin 28 Dec 41. Departed Darwin on 10 
Feb 42 sailed to Koepang.

USS New Orleans  (CA 32)  Departed SFO on 13 Jan 42 and arrived at 
Brisbane 12 Feb 42, damaged on 30 Nov 42 at Tassafaronga, sailed on 10 
Dec 42 to Cockatoo Island, Sydney-arrived on 24 Dec 42,  On 7 Mar 43 
Sailed from Sydney to Puget Sound Navy Yard, WA

USS Pensacola  (CA 24)  Arrived at Brisbane 22 Dec 41, On 19 Jan 42 
sailed to Pearl Harbour. Sighted by HMAS Deloraine 4th January 1941 near Heath Point Lighthouse
headed South.

You will notice that mention is made of another ship, the Empire Hope. It was a British Merchant Navy ship one of a series of 'Empire' ships built for convoy work. It had been used for carrying ammunition and explosives on previous journeys. This ship was sunk just months later near Malta.

Not shown in these images is the presence of yet another Allied ship, a Destroyer, that the Deloraine crew saw on their journeys; this vessel was later to have a lengthy layover in Australia lasting for many months. We will discuss this more in our next post.

The Burning Question

One question, of course, is who saw the event and where from? Lieutenant Surgeon Robson may possibly have seen it. But, as JS very kindly pointed out, at this time he was stationed a long way North in Port Moresby at that time. The date 7th March 1943 was a Sunday and it was, therefore, a day of rest, one would think that around the harbour there would be quite a few people, families, and friends on the way to or from Church services. Quite probably, some would have been service members maybe home on leave, others would be going about their daily work, military or otherwise, on and around the harbour and its shores. Perhaps it was someone on board one of the two ships in question or maybe on board yet another ship? You would think that for someone publicly to be seen furtively writing notes down whilst watching the various ship movements on Sydney Harbour would, in those days have attracted some attention. More likely that our writer was sitting in some advantageous position close to the heads either on a ship or a land-based vantage point. All of this is yet to be examined, interesting times ahead.

When was the Rubaiyat published?

The question relates to the availability of the book ahead of the time when the two ships passed each other.

The first advert for the book for sale was on 5th December 1942, it was placed by Whitcombe and Tombs, 332 Collins Street, Melbourne. (A Tibor Kaldor haunt perhaps?)  So, as far as Australia is concerned it appears that it may not have been sold here until much later on 5th December 1942 in the Argus:

NOTE THE TITLES IN THE SERIES ( GOLDEN THREADS ANOTHER COINCIDENCE?)

The same edition of the book had in fact been advertised for sale in November 1941 in New Zealand. Credit to Nick Pelling for his post made in 2016 to that effect.

The date 7th March 1943 was quite a propitious one, as no doubt all will remember it was the day that Prince Franz Joseph ll of Lichtenstein married Countess Gina von Wildczek.  Interestingly they received messages of congratulations from both sides. Lichtenstein was and is a neutral country. I imagine my family's invitation was lost in the post.

Keep a look out for the next post, things are moving at a pace.