All,
Amazing, how did the History Channel get a picture that they claim was taken in July 1937 + with the same cast and crew that were in a published book dated 1935 - ?
Take the above question out of the History’s Channel presentation and let’s see where one ins up: The plane on the barge being towed can not be AE’s plane, AE/FN stated presence in the photo is probably not correct (however, they may have taken an earlier Pan Am Clipper flight to the island - highly unlikely), I believe AE was puttsing around the Atlantic at the time , the face likeness of FN (reversed photo) shows he parted his hair on the right side but earlier pictures shows a left side part, etc.
However, the balance of the History Channel’s presentation does, in my mind, bring up an interesting hypothesis, and that is; could both the TIGHAR and the HC theories be correct! Think about it; a great deal of radio traffic in the area in July 1937 looking for AE, the Japanese listening in and finally the air waves go silent. The Japanese see an opportunity and they start a search of their own and find AE on Gardner and the plane down slope on the reef, rescue both but by the time they get back to Japanese territory AE dies and a cover up begins. Plus, in 1937 early plans by the Japanese were being developed for WWII and the AE issue became an insignificant matter. There is no way of proving this but it is a great mind bender!
Ted Campbell