Defence

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Unravelling a World War II mystery

The first set of trenches dug by the team on Christmas Island
Photo provided by Public Affairs

Those with an interest in military history may recall the story of HMAS Sydney II, which was last seen aflame off the coast of Western Australia in 1941, following an action with the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran. None of the 645 crew survived and no trace of the ship was ever found. Three months later, the body of a young man washed up on the shores of Christmas Island. Now, 65 years later, a Navy team has set out to discover the story of the man who, up until now, has been dubbed 'the unknown sailor'. Katharina Chase explains.

On 6 February 1942, a carley float life-raft was recovered close inshore at Christmas Island. On the float was a corpse, somewhat decomposed, wearing a blue boiler suit, bleached white by the sun. There were no personal effects or identifying items on the body although, when examined, the clothing was deemed consistent with that worn by sailors. The carley float was clearly from an Australian ship, as it was clearly marked 'made in NSW' on the inside canvas lining. An examination of the body by a medical practitioner was conducted who, according to eyewitness accounts contained in two shipping intelligence reports, was satisfied that it was that of a white male. An autopsy was also conducted, however, no records of it remain. It is assumed they were destroyed during the Japanese occupation of the island shortly afterwards. The body of the unknown sailor was formally buried with military honours in the old European cemetery on Christmas Island. Sixty five years later, a Royal Australian Navy team is finding some answers. Was this man one of the crew of the HMAS Sydney and, therefore, the only body ever to be recovered?

An unmarked grave

On 23 September 2006, a Navy team arrived at Christmas Island with an aim to exhume and analyse the remains of the unknown sailor. This may seem like a relatively simple task, however, there was one small problem. The grave was unmarked and its location had been debated over many years. One of only two known living witnesses to the grave's location, Mr Brian O'Shannassy, accompanied the team, composed of experienced and well-respected experts including an archaeologist, a physical anthropologist and two forensic odontologists (dental experts). Mr O'Shannassy, who had photographed the grave site in 1950, as a reminder to himself of its location, was a former Navy signalman in World War II and worked as an accountant-bookkeeper on Christmas Island from 1950-52. He became acquainted with Mr Jack Pettigrew who had attended the burial in 1942. Mr O'Shannassy's photograph doesn't seem like much to the casual observer, however, when used in conjunction with his explanation of why he took the photograph, it provided the evidence needed to mount an expedition.

A previous expedition to locate the grave in 2001 had proved fruitless, and it was clear that there was no point in undertaking any further investigations without some hard evidence; the photograph and eyewitness account proved invaluable.

Digging a grave with a satay stick

The team, led by Captain Jim Parsons, RANR, spent two weeks undertaking the painstaking process of excavating the site identified by Mr O'Shannassy. The initial excavation, which consisted of six trenches across 30m, revealed nothing but rock hard ground. The unusual slope of the land, the incredibly dense soil full of rocks and the inability of getting any mechanical diggers through the dense rainforest-like foliage, all meant that the exercise was long and arduous for all involved. The hot and humid conditions just added to the difficult task. The team effectively dug six 'graves' by hand.

The whole team was extremely perplexed at finding nothing, and proceeded to dig additional trenches between those already dug, just in case they had missed something. Again, this proved unsuccessful, yet all of the evidence indicated that this should have been the right area. It was now time to re-examine the evidence. The area they had been digging was in fact to one side of the photograph but the frame was centred on a different section of the cemetery, a small area directly in front of a large marked grave. On digging in this smaller area, the team’s luck began to turn, and bits of wood, nails and eventually bone were triumphantly removed from the trench, now 2.2m square. The lower part was done with tiny ‘satay stick’ implements, in the slowest and most laborious method, in order to ensure nothing was missed or destroyed. The burial itself appeared very unusual. The ‘coffin’, a short, wide construction, of dimensions unlike any conventional coffin, seemed to have been built around the body. In addition, the grave was located right in the centre of a cemetery, surrounded by marked graves, yet it had no identifying markers of any kind.

Press studs

A full skeleton was recovered from the grave, as well as some tiny, yet vital, pieces of evidence that could provide important clues as to the identity of the unknown sailor. These included some eyelets and press studs, which may have been part of the sailor’s clothing. The fabric had long since rotted away, and the moist conditions present on Christmas Island accelerated this; however, tiny fragments of fibre were attached to the press studs. These are now being examined by expert textiles conservators from the Australian War Memorial, and may prove invaluable in determining whether the boiler suit worn by the sailor was of Australian naval issue and, in turn, prove once and for all that the unknown sailor was Australian. In addition to the other objects found in the grave, the skeleton had one particularly interesting and previously unknown aspect. An object was found lodged in the skull. A ballistics expert is attempting to determine the nature of this object and where it may have originated.

In addition, there is a team of experts working on examining other aspects of the skeleton.

• Two forensic dentists, Commander Matt Blenkin, RAN, and Lieutenant Russell Lain, RANR, are analysing the dental remains for markings like fillings and missing teeth, which can be considered the dental equivalent of fingerprints. The unknown sailor happens to have a rather interesting dental profile, which may prove invaluable in the process of identifying him.
• Anthropological analysis, being undertaken by Squadron Leader Denise Donlon, a forensic anthropologist, will confirm the gender, age, race and height of the person.
• A forensic pathologist, Wing Commander Jo Du Flou (Air Force Special Reserve), is working to identify signs of trauma anywhere on the skeleton. Not only would this include trauma experienced shortly prior to death, or the cause of death, but any trauma experienced by the person during his life, such as diseases or injuries he may have had as a child.

The excavation was difficult work in hot and humid conditions.
Photo provided by Public Affairs

It’s not like on TV

There is a possibility that these investigations will not yield sufficient evidence to identify the remains. If this occurs, the final step will be to examine DNA evidence. There is a common misconception among the general public (perhaps encouraged by some highly imaginative crime scene investigation television programs) that extracting and examining DNA is a common and straightforward activity in forensic science. DNA is in fact not easy to extract, particularly from old bones. Moisture degrades DNA evidence, and the humid atmosphere on Christmas Island means that the remains would have been subject to constant exposure to water. The hope among the team is that the ballistic, pathological, dental and anthropological evidence, as well as the evidence collected from analysis of the press stud fibres, will be enough to provide a clear picture of who this person was. The dental analysis will probably provide the best lead as far as identifying the remains; however, there are complications in that area too. The medical records of the crew that were current at the time were lost with the ship, and only half of the medical records taken at the time of conscription are available. The possibility that the unknown sailor’s only medical records went down with the ship is likely.

The remains have been transported to Australia and are now at the Shellshear Museum of Physical Anthropology and Comparative Anatomy at the University of Sydney's Department of Anatomy and Histology.

From initial investigations, it can be confirmed that the remains are that of a young, Caucasian male, who was taller than average, with distinctive dental characteristics.

Will the mystery ever be solved?

Speaking at the 4 October annual Navy commemoration service in Canberra, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, Senator Sandy Macdonald, said that from a personal point of view he was delighted with the possibility of another positive development in what was a fascinating story.

CAPT Jim Parsons, team leader for the Christmas Island Project, hands over artefacts, including this piece of wood from the coffin, to the Australian War Memorial's Assistant Registrar, Georgia Cunningham.
Photo provided by Public Affairs

Senator Macdonald, involved in the 1999 inquiry that recommended that another attempt be made to find the body, said the mystery surrounding the Sydney and its loss was one that many people felt quite strongly about and were particularly interested in the unanswered questions.

“This is a little piece of the jigsaw of history, a little piece of evidence,” he said. “It has been a big effort to try to find some closure and where the HMAS Sydney (II) and the German ship Kormoran lie.”

The National Archives of Australia research guide, The sinking of HMAS Sydney (Richard Summerrell, 1999), puts the enormity of the Sydney's loss into perspective.

“In terms of lives lost, the sinking of HMAS Sydney remains to this day Australia's worst naval disaster. The enormity of the tragedy was felt by the entire nation, with few cities and towns unaffected by the loss of friends or relatives.”

19 November 2006 marked the 65^th anniversary of the disappearance of the HMAS Sydney II. With the help of experts, and a bit of luck, it will be the last that the young man, apparently killed in action on the Sydney, will remain the unknown sailor. He may be the only person of the 645 crew aboard the Sydney to be confirmed dead. Keep reading the Defence magazine next year for an update on the outcomes of the investigations into this enduring mystery.

Katharina Chase is Deputy Editor, Defence magazine.

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