>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> X <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<...

...This post is not about an Elon Musk social media platform, it is purely about the letter X as found on the Somerton Man code page. It's quite prominent on the page being just to the left of centre and it sits on top of the two lines again in the middle of the page.,,

But what could it mean and what is its significance?

Part of the answer is to put it into context, and in this case, the context is that of a page with lines of letters written on it and said to be associated with the body of the man found on Somerton Beach. The so-called 'Code Page'.

The context also includes the following facts:

• There was no identification found with the body nor in the later-found suitcase associated with the man
• Labels had been removed from the clothing the man was wearing when found
• Despite efforts, the man was not identified at the time nor since
• At an inquest held in June 1949, it was found that the man had died of an unknown poison although there were theories advanced on that subject

In many ways, the event and the related facts bear the hallmarks of an assassination.

And so, within that context, what could the letter X mean?

There is one possible explanation to be found in tradecraft and military parlance. These days it's also found in commercial training scenarios but to my knowledge, not in the 1940s.

'GET OFF THE X'

"Get off the X" is used mainly in military and tactical training. It means you must move quickly from where you are to avoid danger, especially where you are likely to be attacked or ambushed. The "X" represents the spot where you're most vulnerable. Staying there makes you an easy target, you must move to a safer place immediately.

This idea has been part of military training for many years, especially among counter-espionage elements of organisations like the SOE, CIA, FBI, and MOSSAD, as well as the SAS, Green Berets, and US Navy SEALs. You can find more if you search the web using the term 'Get off the X military, intelligence'.

These days, books and trainers use the phrase commercially and often talk about the concept, however, it is more widely known through military biographies and survival guides. It’s all about staying safe by not staying still.

'You have been ambushed/targeted/compromised and must move now or you are finished'

Perhaps a bit dramatic but it could have that meaning in the case of the Somerton Man.

There is another meaning for the X in this case but I will leave that for now...

(I use the words 'could have' quite often because I have no absolute proof that something was used or an event occurred in a specific instance, readers should know that there may be other possible explanations. I recall using the term around 10 years ago when discussing the use of Iodine vapour as a method to lift fingerprints from paper. I was criticised for using the term at the time due to another's lack of knowledge. I think that in that instance, the person concerned believed that Iodine vapour would only work on fresh fingerprints as within 24 hours, which was true to an extent but that period extends to 2 months when you add steam to the process and place the item into a special 'chamber'. There is another post shortly in which we will look again at Iodine vapour and where it could have been used in the SM case)