An inventory was made after the disaster at Luke Field on the first round-the-world attempt.
Thanks for the link.
That looks like considerable material that could have been used for rainwater collection. For example, there are several waterproof bags listed, along with the pocket knife, rubber hoses and three canteens; it doesn't take extensive survival training to think of ways to utilize those for rainwater collection and storage.
We have to follow the evidence where it leads. The things collected by Gallagher seem to have come from the Seven Site. It seems to fit Gallagher's description of where his search was made.I completely agree; that's where the evidence suggests that AE apparently wound up. I am just wondering WHY she would go there.
As even a quick glance at the Google Earth images of the island show, it's quite a trek (3+ miles) to that location from the hypothetical Electra landing site. Unless the Seven Site location offered advantages over the immediate area of the landing site on the northwest coast of the atoll, I can't see any reason to relocate. Was there better access to food (clam beds, lagoon fishing) and water (freshwater lens?) and / or shade there? If not, I see no real advantage to relocating. You'd have to transport whatever materials you salvaged. You'd have to walk all that way; with the inherent injury and exertion / dehydration risks that are associated with that effort. It puts you miles away from the most likely place a search party would gravitate towards - the wreckage of the aircraft (at least until it disappeared), and of the SS Norwich City.
It is highly doubtful that AE and FN would have expected an air search in 1937. Search and rescue was in its infancy. There weren't a lot of aircraft that could go looking for them. The planes that flew over Niku may have caught them completely off guard. No other searches of the island were done by airplane.I must respectfully disagree. As aviators, AE and FN would have probably both known about the state of naval aviation during their era. Not only were aircraft carriers and seaplane tenders available, but most battleships and cruisers carried and utilized catapult launched floatplanes (like the Vought O3U-3 from the USS Colorado that overflew Gardner as part of the search) for reconnaissance purposes; greatly extending the range of their search capabilities. It would have been highly surprising for them to be unaware of these aviation related facts. If a search was to be conducted - and again, considering her fame, a search NOT being conducted would have been unlikely - aircraft being a component of that search would have to at least been something they would have thought of as possible, if not likely.
In light of that fact, not keeping the signal pistol and at least a few rounds for it (and according to the inventory, there were over a dozen; including two parachute flares) with them at all times would have been unthinkable.
One wonders many things about how AE's mind worked. Why did she make such a complete and total hash of advance planning for communications and RDF? Not knowing how much time might have elapsed from July 2nd until her demise at the Seven Site (if indeed it was she who left the skeleton there) makes it hard for us to second-guess what she should and should not have done. If she collected the clams, fish, and birds, and if she lit the fires in which such bones were found, that may suggest that the move was not entirely fruitless.An excellent point. FN should have known better too; it's not like he was inexperienced in terms of navigation and long overwater flights. But most tragedies are a result of a combination of errors and bad circumstances as opposed to any single error or engineering casualty. Change one thing here or there, and the outcome completely changes. Had the reception antenna not been knocked off the Electra (if indeed that occurred) when it took off at Lae, they would have been able to hear the Itasca's radio instructions to broadcast on a different frequency, thus allowing them to home in on Itasca, or for Itasca to get a fix on the Electra and guide them in. Had AE made better advance preparations, then the RDF issue may not have arisen. Had she undertaken more extensive RDF training, she would have had a better knowledge of the capabilities and limitations of her equipment, made better arrangements with the Coast Guard and had a better understanding in terms of the Itasca's transmission, reception and RDF capabilities, etc. etc.
I suspect no single failure or error in judgment sealed their fate, but a unique combination of them.
IF the aircraft landed on the reef near the Norwich City, then any material from the plane brought ashore probably got swept away in storms or picked up by natives. TIGHAR has been over that ground many times. It's doubtful that your surmise would lead to finding any new materials today, even if that is what AE and FN did.No; if TIGHAR has searched that area extensively, then such items are probably not there. I'm not suggesting otherwise - only that such a location near to the (probable) Electra landing site would be the most logical location for anyone stranded on that island to set up camp. If you land on the reef just north of the SSNC, then you'd head for the beach immediately to your east. It's the closest location to set up camp. The crew of the Norwich City set up camp in that general area; near the abandoned and collapsed structures from the 1890s era Arundel project. It's also the location of the coconut trees which the Arundel colony planted, and from what I've read, some of the tallest (and best shade producing?) trees on the atoll. Walking to the northwestern tip of the atoll, and then all the way around and down to the far southeastern end of the island to the Seven Site doesn't make much sense... especially if you're carrying bottles, a sextant box, etc. etc. Why take a three or four mile trek over rugged terrain and in hot weather if you don't have to?
If one one (or both) of them survived for months (as Ric theorized) or even weeks, then I would suspect some exploration of the atoll would have been undertaken. If they felt the Seven Site offered them some advantage, then it would make sense for them to consider the move. But again, such an advantage would have to have been significant to justify the effort involved in the relocation from the point of their initial landing.
It just doesn't make sense to me.
But again, just because I don't understand the reasons doesn't mean they didn't have any for undertaking that move, and even though I may not find it logical, if the evidence suggests otherwise, then you have to side with that.
Thanks again for your reply and the links. I find the whole subject fascinating!
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