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[richie conroy]

Tighar

If the wreckage of the Electra is found "fingers crossed" , on reef face of Gardner on upcoming Rov dive.

But while surveying wreck site, bones were discovered presumably to be Noonan's 

would the wreck site be classed as a burial - memorial site, i.e untouchable

or would, parts be raised for forensic and physical proof, for closure of were the flight ended ?

[Andrew M McKenna]

Richie

Fingers crossed, the odds of finding any kind of remains is pretty remote, the organic matter would most likely have been consumed by sea critters of all kinds, small and large.

Most archaeological sites have the potential for remains, and that usually does not stop the process unless there is some cultural or other reason that dictates the work should not go forward.  In this case, I don't think that scenario will apply, so if any remains are found, they will be recovered and examined in the context of the archaeological science.  After that, they would be re-interred, so to speak, with the properly due respect just as the other graves we've excavated on Niku have been treated.

I hope that helps.

Andrew

[Tom Swearengen]

maybe our archaeological members can answer this? Maybe this is part of Richies question? Bones, in salt water for 75 years, what is a remote possibility that some sort of identification (dna or otherwise) be made? Assuming of course that our shark friends didnt get there first. Does salt water deterioate the bone structure to where nothing can be determined?
That would be interesting.
And IF, remains are found, I would think it would a hallowed ground, like Titanic, Bismark, and MANY others like it in the Pacific Theatre. If found, identify if possible, then return properly.
Tom

[Malcolm McKay]

Bone degrades pretty quickly in the sea. Either hastened decay or the activity of scavengers. It is possible that if there was a body on the Electra and that body was somehow cocooned by the wreckage then some small parts, such as teeth might have survived. However even that depends upon finding a wreck.

[Tom Swearengen]

Thanks Malcolm. Just thinking outloud here, its been 'speculated' that FB didnt get out of the Electra do to injuries. Maybe so. IF and only IF, the forward fuselege is intact (if found), there might be a possibility of finding some sort of clue to Fred's demise.

[richie conroy]

 :)Thanks for reply's

Was just a random thought, on wether it was possible bones would survive in that enviroment.

[Monty Fowler]

No, no, no, you're all wrong. Ric is going to reveal for the first time to the entire world at the Earhart 75 symposium the true nature of Amelia and Fred's flight - it was a spy flight, but for His Brittanic Majesty's goverment at the direct request of the King, who wasn't a cheap arse like the US government when it came to funding such sneaky potentially "messy" things.

Which neatly explains the Brit's anxiety about all the searching about for the lost "aviators" in their colonia backyard, and their "failure" to find anything on Niku. When TIGHAR does find the Electra this summer Great Britain will swoop in at the last minute and announce that the wreckage cannot be disturbed or molested in any way since it falls under Protected War Graves Act because Amelia and Fred were on a combat mission and they might well still be inside.

LTM, who hates to keep cats in bags,

Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 CER

P.S. - I have some beachfront property for sale on WV (cheap!) if somone should be so inclined.

[JC Sain]

Frankly given how things seem to have gone so far with the flight and looking for clues so far. If they did land on the island then I would expect the airplane to be under tons of the Norwich. I mean that just seems to be par for the course. It looks like the currents would push it that way and the back half broke off later and continued to deteriorate. If they can actually see it in I expect there to be tonnage on top of it making recovery next to impossible.

At least thats my view of how Murphys law has gone with this investigation so far. I wish the team all the luck this summer anyway.