It has been just over a month since an Adelaide academic claimed to have solved the enduring mystery of the Somerton Man’s identity. And new images have emerged of the man’s family, including a possible link to the clothing worn by the man when he was discovered.
In late July, Professor Derek Abbott announced that he and US-based investigator Colleen Fitzpatrick had solved the decades-old mystery of the man found slumped at Somerton beach in 1948.
While police are still running their own independent investigation into identifying the Somerton Man after exhuming his remains last year, Prof. Abbott says the Somerton Man is Melbourne-born engineer Carl ‘Charles’ Webb.
Prof. Abbott has been piecing together the life of Carl Webb in an effort to understand how and why he may have died.
Last month, it was discovered Carl Webb was born on 16 November 1905, in Footscray, and had five older siblings named Russell, Freda, Gladys, Doris and Roy.
Brother Roy, who bears a striking resemblance to the Somerton Man, enlisted in the Australian military in July 1940, before his death in 1943.
Prof. Abbott has been able to uncover images of other members of the Webb family and piece together a lot more of their history.
“We’re finding out stuff all the time,” he said.
He says one of the most interesting finds were images of Carl Webb’s nephew, John Russell Keane, who served in the RAAF and also looks quite similar to the Somerton Man.
John Keane died during the war in Europe, and his possessions were sent home to his parents Gerald and Freda Keane.
“When the Somerton Man was found, he had a tie with the name ‘Keane’ on it and some undervests with ‘Keane’ on it,” Prof. Abbott said.
“At the time the police wondered why this name ‘Keane’ was on the Somerton Man’s possessions when they couldn’t find a Keane who had gone missing.”
Prof. Abbott believes the Somerton Man was wearing hand-me-downs from his late nephew.
“They were both roughly the same size … it seems that John Keane was just three-quarters of an inch shorter than Charles Webb, so they would fit each other’s clothes,” he said.
He has also uncovered a copy of John Keane’s signature. Prof. Abbott believes the handwriting looks similar to that of the writing found on the Somerton Man’s clothes.
“The ‘J’ looks very odd because there isn’t a curve in the bottom of the ‘J’ and the cops in the 1940s always thought that said ‘T Keane’,” Prof. Abbott said.
The Webb family
From newspaper articles found on Trove, Prof. Abbott has been able to uncover more details about the Webb family who owned and ran a bakery in Springvale, Victoria, through the 1930s.
“We’ve found evidence that they all kind of pitched in and helped with the bakery when they were growing up, until they left home,” Prof. Abbott said.
“What’s strange about Charles though is he didn’t get married until he was 36.
“In those days that was considered quite late. Usually you’re off and married in your 20s back in those days.”
Prof. Abbott said it was unclear what Carl did at the bakery, whether he was involved in baking or in deliveries.
“Something we do know about the Somerton Man from his autopsy is apparently he did have some scars on his left arm that did look like burns or something, so maybe that is a sign he did some baking,” he said.
His father sold the business in 1939 due to ill health, and died a short time later.
It has also been uncovered that Carl Webb played community football and had injured himself a couple of times.
Last month, amateur sleuths uncovered a photo of a Swinburne University football team, which may include Carl Webb.
However, Prof. Abbott has not been able to verify that photo as yet.
“The other thing we have found out is it seems he was a keen bridge player and he did send in bridge solutions to bridge problems in the local paper … he had sent in a solution more than once,” he said.
“And this is consistent with what we know from his divorce papers. His wife did say he was into playing cards.”
Newspaper ads also paint a picture
Prof. Abbott has also found four newspaper ads placed by Carl Webb selling a number of items, including tennis rackets, billiard cues, an electric shaver and a car – a 1937 Morris 8/40 Roadster.
“Only two private owners, mechanically splendid,” the ad stated.
Webb was looking to sell the car for 110 pounds.
“I looked that particular model of Roadster up … it’s quite a classy car for the day; it was probably his chick magnet before getting married,” Prof. Abbott said.
Prof. Abbott said electric shavers in that era were very expensive, leading him to think the Webb family were fairly well-to-do.
The adverts also show Carl Webb was likely sporty.
“That’s consistent with what we know about the Somerton Man. [He] did have a very sporty physique,” he said.
In 1941, Carl Webb married Dorothy Robertson, and the pair was listed as living on Domain Road in South Yarra.
The following year, they moved to a unit on Bromby Street.
Was Carl Webb a spy?
The Somerton Man has all but been identified as Melbourne-born electrical engineer Carl ‘Charles’ Webb — but not everyone is convinced.
In 1951, his wife filed for divorce on the grounds of desertion.
Despite having a big, well-known family in Victoria, Prof. Abbott does not find it strange nobody identified Carl when the Somerton Man was found.
Prof. Abbott said while the case was widely circulated in the South Australian press – the articles were far smaller and buried in Victorian newspapers.
“I think there’s only one article that anyone has been able to find in a Melbourne newspaper that had his photo,” he said.
“Something appears once in a newspaper, and you can miss it.”
Prof. Abbott is still investigating many aspects of Carl Webb’s life, including his potential enrolment at Swinburne University.
While it will be up to the SA Coroner to formally identify him, Prof. Abbott hopes to find a verified photo of the elusive Webb very soon.
Have you been following developments in the mystery? Do you marvel at the doggedness of such investigations? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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