THE SOMERTON MAN MYSTERY: UPDATED: THE CODE PAGE LINE 1 LETTER M. WITH CONCEALED CODE IMAGES, SOE PLUS CIA MANUAL DOWNLOADS...

...CONCEALED MICRO CODE...

Line 1 Letter M...

 

The images of the letter M from the first line on the code page show the presence of microcode. 

When you rotate the image on the left, the tiny lettering is more obvious.

What does this mean? It means that you are looking at evidence of the use of the SOE technique of code concealment known as INK H.

More examples of the letter M:

                       

INK H DESCRIBED & DOWNLOAD:

That technique is described in part of the SOE manual 'HOW TO BE AN AGENT IN OCCUPIED EUROPE' that was published in 1943. The method is described in detail within the part of the manual that describes codes and ciphers. Essentially, the code is concealed in the following way:

1. A 'normal' letter is written in ink. That letter could be a poem for example.

2. Using a sharp pencil, code is written into some or all of the individual letters of the poem.

3. In order to avoid detection by a strong light which would reflect on the graphite in the penciled code, another layer of ink is added to the initial words and letters.

4. To develop the concealed code, the paper on which the poem is written, the whole is immersed in a strong household bleach (Sodium hypochlorite 10%).

5. The bleach has the effect of removing the ink but leaving the penciled code visible.

You will find information on other concealment techniques in the part manual including the makeup and use of secret inks.

DOWNLOAD CODES AND CIPHERS MANUAL 

DOWNLOAD FULL MANUAL

NEWSPAPER ADVERT CONCEALMENTS & DOWNLOAD:

A similar method was used to conceal code within newspaper adverts. In the early cold war years, newspapers were not printed in colour but in various shades of black and grey. Using a sharpened pencil, agents would write code in very small writing, in the shaded areas of adverts. The adverts could include, for example, cars, furniture, clothing, etc.

...and an example of where codes could be concealed, coincidentally from FREEMAN MOTORS in ADELAIDE..

One question would be how would an agent know which newspaper and which adverts to look for? It was simple really, they would use 'dead end' adverts, adverts that were just not going to be responded to. Perhaps even the now well-known SOMERTON MAN case advert for the 'lost gold watch'? The dead-end ad would, in code, inform the intended recipient just in which advert they would find the first piece of code. That first ad would then serve the purpose of directing the recipient to second and subsequent ads in the same newspaper. It was also known that in some cases, a coded message could be spread across a number of publications.

This method is described in a document made available from CIA files, you can download the document here

SECRET INKS CASE STUDIES & DOWNLOAD

And here's a third download it's a document from 1932 that discusses secret inks in more detail with case studies. Some ingenious methods are described including using special inks to write on shells of eggs without detection.

DOWNLOAD HERE

This is a small collection of examples of concealment used in both world wars and into the Cold War. In fact, if you have watched Bridge of Spies, a fairly recent Tom Hanks movie. There is a scene as stated was in a scene in which the Soviet spy, who was known by different names but in the press at least he was called Rudolf Abel (his real name was William Fisher) picked up a newspaper from a park bench. His story alone would make a fascinating movie but the part he played in the Bridge of Spies story was that he was exchanged for Gary Powers, the U2 spy plane pilot who had been shot down over Russia. In Powers's case amongst other items of note was the fact that he had a poison pill ready to take if he thought that he might be forced into revealing US secrets. But, we digress.

Abel, having picked up the newspaper from the bench (a variation on the tradecraft 'brush past' technique), was later shown in his apartment examining the newspaper through a magnifying glass. No prizes for guessing what he was looking for.

The Somerton Casse has a number of examples of codes and concealments within it. The case is far from over despite what I believe and can prove to be erroneous claims made regarding Charles Carl Webb. At this stage, there is no proof and no evidence that Charles (Carl) Webb was the Somerton Man.

More Somerton Man code concealments and evidence to come.

This post will be updated with more images of the letter M and more detailed information...