Sunday, March 22, 2009

HMAS Sydney-- More on the Christmas Island Sailor

Australia's March 19th Daily Telegram had an article about the dead sailor who washed up on the shore of Christmas Island in a life raft several months after the Sydney sank.

It is now believed that he lived for several days after he got on the raft before dying. The Sydney was sunk Nov. 19, 1941, and he washed ashore in Feb. 1942.

The general belief is that the HMAS Sydney got in too close to the German raider Kormoran which would explain the vessel's loss with her entire crew.

ABC says that the Australian War Museum textile conservation specialist, Catherine Challenger, says that fabric from the sailor's uniform did not match that worn by Australian sailors at the time, but x-rays on the stud reveal words saying that it was made in Australia. According to her, the sailor's uniform does not give conclusive evidence that the sailor was from the Sydney.

An Ongoing Story. --Cooter

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