December 1st 1948 Recalled. Status & Where To Now? UPDATE 3.

Today is December 1st. It’s an appropriate time to take a snapshot of where the case stands from this blog’ perspective. In essence, this is how I see the Somerton Man Blog Space:

ISLANDS OF FACTS ADRIFT IN A SEA OF 
THOUGHT BUBBLES, UNSUPPORTED THEORIES & GUESSES

It applies to several blogs but not all, and certainly not this one. The focus here is was, and always will be, the pursuit of truth.

In the case of others, some think they can guess their way to the solution of the case but they won't. Some think because an interesting thought enters their mind, that it will solve the case, but it won't Some may think that their latest theory will be the answer to the questions surrounding the Somerton Man Mystery, but, unless they substantiate it, they have little to no hope. I would encourage the latter to work hard and dig deep into the evidence that exists, once you have corroborative or other evidence that supports your theory get it out there and don't be put off by the various naysayers.

About the Carl Webb claim, no evidence supports that theory The sample used to make the claim no longer exists and therefore it cannot be verified.

Do I think Carl Webb was the Somerton Man? I don't believe so, when there is evidence to support that claim then that's a different matter. It may come down to the colour of his hair if no useable DNA can be found amongst the exhumed remains.

What is known is that the colour of the man's hair was stated first in a newspaper article dated December 1st 1948, it was greying, ginger hair, Professor Cleland stated as much in his comments dated January 1949, please note that this was some weeks after the embalming process had begun. 

As far as I am aware we do not know what chemicals were applied and in what sequence for the process. Thus we cannot say whether or not the chemicals would have had an effect on the colour of the man's hair. 

Gerry Feltus, after extracting and examining the hair agreed with the earlier finding made by Journalist Patrick Burgess in 19968 and 1970 that the hair was a pale ginger colour. 

Please note that in Professor Abbot's article in the IEEE Spectrum magazine, he now refers to the colour of the hair as 'mousey' making no mention of ginger as was earlier mentioned in an Adelaide University Wiki. 

It appears that the report from Astrea Labs on the 50 mm rootless shaft of hair based on which the Carl Webb claim was eventually made, did not mention its colour nor any other aspect of the donor of the hair which from my understanding, could have been ascertained. I am referring to the gender of the person, their likely height and eye colour. And no mention was made of where, when, how or by whom that rootless hair shaft was found and extracted.

Hair Colour Comparison:

I thought that it might be a useful exercise to see how light ginger or pale ginger would appear if we examined examples of those colours and compared them with a black and white version of the same image:

The image above is of 1940s/50s Holywood star Mickey Rooney. His hair colour is described as mousey. Basically, 'mousey'  hair is the same colour as that of a mouse. Sometimes darker and sometimes lighter. I've removed the background so that it almost matches the white background in the Somerton Man images

The next image above is that of Robert Redford, a mid-ginger colour, noting the greying hair at the temples isn't grey, it's white. Those with natural red hair don’t go grey, their hair turns white or silver. Again I have removed the background colours for Mr. Redford's hair so that it is close to the background for the Somerton Man photographs.

Here's we can see one reason why photographs can be deceiving, is the black/white version of pale ginger correct? Is the Somerton Man's hair colour correct? So now consider what colour was the Somerton Man's hair? Was his hair wet when the photo was taken? Unlikely because the photo was taken the day after the post-mortem was performed. But it is possible.

Is it just the lighting and background colours? Or is the colour of the man in the picture dark brown/black?

According to numerous searches, red hair is unlikely to turn blond as the result of exposure to the sun. The hair may become lighter but its colour is not changed

This photograph is believed to be of a young Charlie Webb with blond hair but is it sun bleached blond hair?  Hard to say because this is a black and white photograph. Research thus far supports the view that dyeing the hair was not a male thing in the 20s and 30s In fact, the process had been largely abandoned by women at that time. Does that make it improbable that ‘Carl’ had changed his hair colour? No but it is unlikely.

And For Good Measure:

Red hair can turn brown or black over time, though this process varies from person to person. Several factors contribute to this change:

1. Genetics: The genetic makeup of an individual plays a significant role in hair color. As people age, the expression of certain genes can change, leading to darker hair.
2. Age: As individuals get older, the amount of melanin (the pigment responsible for hair color) can decrease. While this often leads to gray hair, the remaining pigment can also change, resulting in a darker shade.
3. Environmental Factors: Sun exposure, pollution, and other environmental factors can affect hair color. For example, prolonged exposure to sunlight can lighten hair, while certain conditions might darken it.
4. Hormonal Changes: Hormonal fluctuations, such as those that occur during puberty, pregnancy, or menopause, can also affect hair color.
5. Health and Diet: Changes in health or diet can impact hair pigmentation. Nutritional deficiencies or health conditions can lead to changes in hair color.

While some individuals may experience a shift from red to brown or black hair, others may retain their red hair throughout their lives.

Final Photo Comparison & A Most Interesting Fact
The image here shows the service record photograph of Charles Richard Webb, the original being in a sepia tinge on the left as you; view it. The comparison image to the right has been colorised using an online tool. You will notice that the entire colourized photo has a reddish tinge.  As a consequence, the man's hair looks to be distinctly red/ginger. This conflicts with the service record for him which shows his hair as being 'Dark' in colour and his eyes as being brown.

 The eye colour of the Somerton Man is noted as Grey although, in one newspaper article, the eye colour was described as Green.

The Colourized image came from the cipher mysteries blog, view here: 
https://ciphermysteries.com/2022/12/03/my-name-is-charles-charles-richard-webb

And here's the Service photograph of Roy Webb, Carl Webb's brother:

His service number was VX45944, you can access the file on NAA. Please be cognisant that Roy Webb gave his life, he died ina POW camp and you should treat the information with the respect that it deserves. In that record, his hair is described as being 'Fair' and his eyes described as 'Hazel'. Comparing this to the details we have on the Somerton Man, note that Roy's eye color differs from the 'Grey' colour for the Somerton Man, The question is what colour eyes and hair did Casrl Webb have? The DNA sample sent to Astrea or perhaps even the earlier one may have told us this information.  If there is any usable DNA found in the exhumed remains should provide the answer for that body.

In the meantime, here's some researched information regarding siblings and hair and eye colour:

Hair color is determined by a combination of genes from both parents, and the outcome is more complex than a simple dominant-recessive pattern. Hair color can also skip generations and affect siblings randomly. Environmental factors like sunlight and age can also influence hair color. 

The following link provides some detailed information regarding Hair color:

https://www.crigenetics.com/blog/do-you-get-your-hair-genes-from-mom-or-dad#:~:text=It%20may%20also%20skip%20generations,Diesel%20look%2C%20or%20visa%20versa.

Eye color inheritance pattern

Due to the number of genes involved in eye color, the inheritance pattern is complex. Although a child’s eye color can generally be predicted by looking at the color of the parent’s eyes, the polymorphisms that can arise mean a child may well have an unexpected eye color.

A child’s eye color depends on the pairing of genes passed on from each parent, which is thought to involve at least three gene pairs. The two main gene pairs geneticists have focused on are EYCL1 (also called the gey gene) and EYCL3 (also called the bey2 gene).

Here's a link for more information on this issue:
https://www.news-medical.net/health/Genetics-of-Eye-Color.aspx#:~:text=The%20gey%20gene%20has%20one,the%20other%20three%20alleles%20were.&text=However%2C%20this%20does%20not%20explain,other%20factors%20cause%20such%20variations.

What Lies Ahead?
As for the future, I believe that 2025 will bring several unexpected results by way of the Inquest results and other channels.

The Somerton Man book that I've been writing for some time will be published in the first quarter, a little later than originally planned.

In closing this update, there may even be a surprise this coming week.