Gary,
Your first point that a wheels down landing is more dangerous on a rough surface than a wheels up landing makes sense, but the resulting conjecture that it is therefore implausible is contradicted by the simple fact that both the Brits in the "Croydon" and your friend Bob did precisely that. Your second point, that flight accidents and magazines are ten a penny and therefore likely to remain unknown was, I believe, made out of historical context. Those were pioneering days. If what you say was as true then as it is today, Amelia would not have been the media star she was, her demise would not have been news in her day and we probably wouldn't be talking about her now. So sorry, but I prefer your technical and scientific challenges to your behavioural and historical critique.