Les Kinney is a friend to the Hawaii Clipper Project and has conducted research for us at the National Archives just outside Washington DC. We felt compelled to share a recent note on an attack by TIGHAR on his theory:
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Gillespie (TIGHAR) does not tell you the following information about his theory:
In October of 1937, Nikumaroro (Gardner Island) was colonized by over 50 natives who stayed on the island for several years. At least one died on the island and possibly more. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume there was a substantial amount of human trash on the island. (The natives were supplied with provisions every few month by ship)
In the early 1950’s, the US Coast Guard built a Loran station …on the island. For several years, dozens of Coast Guardsmen called Gardner home. They were often bored and hiked over every inch of the island. Not one ever came forward and said they found evidence of Earhart and Noonan.
A few days after Earhart and Noonan disappeared, three U.S. open cockpit bi-planes each with a pilot and observer flew from 50 feet to 500 hundred feet over Gardner Island (two miles long and less than 400 yards wide) at its fattest point) for 30 minutes looking for signs of Earhart and Noonan. These planes were noisy. They spent enough time to fly five passes back and forth over the island. Guess what? Earhart never came out of the jungle. Maybe Amelia was applying freckle cream and thought that was more important?
There are enough coconut palms, fish, large crabs, and edible plants on Gardner to sustain human life for years. In 1937, the fish were so thick swimming inside the rusted hulk of an abandoned ship, you could catch them with your hands. Yet, somehow Gillespie and TIGHAR seem to think Earhart and Noonan might have died of starvation.
Gillespie claims a small piece of aluminum, no bigger than a car window came from the Electra. It was found on the island in 1992, half buried by sand on the beach. Yet again, somehow the Electra itself was washed away into the depth of the ocean.
Enough said.
The earwitnesses Thelma,Mablee,Nina and Betty all says Amelia talked about water trees on a nearby Island ,a bleak Place Noonan is injured,BUT NOT ONE WORD about a big SHIP stranded on the beach some hundred yards away.WHY?? There where no ship stranded on Mili atoll
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The shoe that Thigar found on gardner was laced .No flyer uses laced shoes,the laces can come loose and get entangled in the pedals.my father was a flyer so nI know NO LACES when flying
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Bones look more than four years old to me but there seems to be very slight chance that this may be remains of Amelia Earhardt. Telegram from Gallagher to Jack Barley, Resident Commissioner, Ocean Island. GBG02
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Upon the arrival of the rescue vessels, in the search for a suitable rescue site, the original survivors’ camp was abandoned. Equipment and provisions were collected and stored at that location. At no time did the survivors return to this site. three bodies was recovered, and afforded a burial on the beach. Lott’s testimony states that both lifeboats were washed ashore. It is also clear from the available accounts that equipment and provisions were also recovered.On the night of Friday, 29th November 1929, whilst on passage from Melbourne to Vancouver, the SS Norwich City was wrecked on Gardner Island, with the loss of 11 lives. Before leaving their camp the survivors placed “all provisions etc…. in the shelter, Sufficient equipment was recovered to assist in the construction of a shelter.This where the Boones and boxes and signs of recent habitation came from
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Lands Commissioner Henry E. “Harry” Maude, assisted by Cadet Officer Eric R. Bevington, and accompanied by 19 Gilbertese “delegates” made a visit to the Phoenix Islands. In his book Of Islands and Men Maude says, of Gardner Island (Nikumaroro), that “… the island was thoroughly explored from end to end.” There is noway they Cold have missed finding taces of A_E and Noonan
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Anders Atterberg Anders Atterberg How about Maude and Bevington they and their men spent 3 Days on Gardner,digging wells and exploring the whole Island in Oktober 37 just a few month after A-E disapered,and they didn´t find one trace of people or airplane.Had A-E and Noonan been on gardner something would have turned up.FACTS..Lambrecht,Maude,Bevington and two canoes of people didn´t find anything…Conclusion THEY WERE NEVER ON GARDNER
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mable Duncklees and Nina Paxtons letters
Nina and Mable Heard the same distresscall ,and that there are two letters with the same content makes them 100% true,the only difrence is that NINA Paxtons letter tells us exactly where they Went down.
South of Three small islands MULGRAVE ISLANDS is VERY NEAR..Nina had no way of knowing that Mulgrave islands and Mili atoll was the same Place,but they are.
There where no mordern charts of that part of the Pacific and NOONAN had too reely on old naval charts that refered mili to mulgrave Island.
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by the way those bones that thigar found on gardner might very well be a-e,s missing bones from her gravesite on Saipan brought there by the US goverment to cover up the fact that they know that a-e and Noonan died on Saipan
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that Nina Paxton writes about Mulgrave Islands makes her story 100% true,there is no way she could have known that .IT must have come from Noonans OLD charts
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se Matsumoto, who worked for the Japanese at their secret seaplane base at Tanapag Harbor on the Western shore of the Island. As she neared the gate of the facility, she saw a large, two motored plane fly overhead and disappear in the vicinity of the harbor. A little while later when she reached the beach area, she found a large group of people gathered around the two white persons.
“At first she thought they were both men, but someone told her one was a woman. They were both thin and looked very tired,” said Mrs. Akiyama. “The woman had short cut hair like a man, and she was dressed like a man. I think I remember the man had his head hurt in some way. I remembered the year because 1937 was the year I graduated from Japanese school. I was eleven years old.”
“I asked her why she was sure they were American flyers. She answered, “That’s what the people said and later the Japanese guards said it.” The guards, according to Mrs. Akiyama, had taken the pair away, and later there was a rumor they had been executed by the Japanese. Her memory of the plane was hazy. She could remember seeing it in the water by the shoreline, but she could not recall if it was damaged or what happened to it after that day.”
The plane was probably a japanes Hiro h2/h4 that brougth A-E and Noonan from Mili to Saipan (http://aviastar.org/air/japan/hiro_h4h.php)
AND they didn´t go by boat via jaluit
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We are having an important meeting later this month with some retired experts form the gov who may have some NEW news to share. If they do – we will share it here with you all. Thanks all for your comments!
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The search for Amelia Earhart.
When A-E thought she was near Howland she was infact far to the north and and probably beyond
Howland..She starts going south“We are on the line 157 337…” and the signal strength on Itasca goes up,but she don´t go far enough and turns NORTH and the signal strength goes down .When they give up they are probably far to the north.Then they do what they said they would do if they didn´t find Howland they turn west in search of an island and end up on Mili atoll.(on corall south of three small islands )near mulgrave islands (mili and knox atolls where named mulgrave islands bu Krusenstern in 1823) There were no modern charts of that part of the pacific and Nonan probably had old naval charts that refered Mili to Mulgrave islands.
Then local fischermen pick them up and bring them into ”town”.There are eyewitnessis folklore and ewen stamps to that fact,and on the way in they probbably SAW proof of Japanes fortifikations and then their fate was sealed,and they were treated as spys
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Either Amelia was already 200 miles NW off course Reports claim that there was a storm that had come up and was partly responsible for pushing the plane on its path. As noted here on this site, she “often was 200 miles NE of her destination (once in Burbank, another time in Dakkar) as if she “leaned on the joystick” in such a way that kept her going to the left. “(Mulgrave or Musgrave) Island is very near
https://www.geographic.org/geographic_names/name.php?uni=-4977725&fid=4911&c=marshall_islands
NOTE: See photo above – these three islands are on the north end of Mili Atoll. Another detail left out of the above.)Mili and Knox Atolls were designated the Mulgrave Islands by Adam Johann von Krusenstern. In 1823
July 5 0638ZMIDWAY Bearing approx 201, quick shot, on faint wobbly phone between NRUI and NECR on dial. Duration too short to narrow down. Mili is 201degr.from midway
Here signs of recent habitation were clearly visible but repeated circling and zooming failed to elicit any answering wave from possible inhabitants and it was finally taken for granted that none were there. GARDNER SEARCH,NO SIGNS NO SOS NO FIRE NOTHING ANd NO A-E Lt. John Lambrecht’s Report on the Search of gardner
there is ONE place on earth where A_E is NOT and that is Gardner island.
The Japanese were so secretive about these islands (and their fortifications) that two British citizens were beheaded for spying, and numerous other people were arrested, their boats sunk or confiscated by the Japanese for observing their fortifications.
If she couldn’t find Howland, Plan B was to cut off communications and head for the Marshall Islands and ditch her airplane there,”
Bearing 175 on strong carrier near 3105, lasting over 2 hours. Proved to be some UID station probably in South America or Russia
“”Miss Earhart mentioned three little islands.” See photo above – these three islands are on the north end of Mili Atoll. Another detail left out of the above.)
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postlosssignals in A-E search bearing 4 from Midway a faint and wobbly phone male voice bearing 201 degrees from Midway that is smack on mili atoll
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Les, you there? I don’t care about the beef with TIGHAR… no answer to my previous post? National Geographic has debunked this – and they are no friend of TIGHAR, either.
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/07/amelia-earhart-lost-photograph-discredited-spd/
Keep up the fight, JohnB
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Loving the discussion!
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â¦publishing date is listed on page 113 as October 10 in the year Showa 10 (1935) in the Picture book Ric G. mentions in his press release; the caption on screen 99 doesnât mention a dateâ¦but the pub date is indeed 1935. Pretty definitive, Iâd say.
Back to the drawing board for the Mili Atoll theory, it looks like.
John B.
âThere will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.â – Louis LâAmour
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…publishing date is listed on page 113 as October 10 in the year Showa 10 (1935); the caption on screen 99 doesn’t mention a date…but the pub date is indeed 1935. Pretty definitive, I’d say.
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…and the book link online… http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1223403/99?platform=hootsuite
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Les, how do we square things if the photo book Ric cites was published in 1935 – should be real easy for you to answer. Just need a Japanese speaker to look at the book online…http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/presser_07_11_2017.html
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“Maybe Amelia was applying freckle cream and thought that was more important”
A cheap shot comment that’s inept, seems rather low-rent, and not funny at all, at least to folks of the female type.
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The freckle cream comment is completely unnecessary.
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