Author Topic: World War II Skeleton found In tree  (Read 625 times)

Offline RoGenT

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World War II Skeleton found In tree
« on: November 26, 2011, 05:24:32 PM »
 I don't recall anyone ever posting about this article but it happened in 2008.  The body was found among a common area for allied aircraft. I found it pretty interesting story so hopefully everyone else does too.






THE skeleton of a World War II pilot is thought to have been discovered hanging in a tree on the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, the Herald Sun reports.

A group of hikers lead by Melbourne man David Collins, of No Roads Expeditions, made the astonishing find on Thursday August 21.

"We had just left Templeton’s Crossing and had walked up over the top of Mt Bellamy and were coming back down to the next camp ground when some of the hikers stopped to take photos of the natural canopy above the trail.

"One of them zoomed in on what appeared to be a body. He had zoomed in on it and when the wind blew you could see what looked like a body, and it appeared to be hanging by a cable.’’

Mr Collins said the body was covered in moss and almost impossible to distinguish initially.

"I couldn’t make it out at first. It was quite high up, about 12 to 15 metres. Then the wind blew again and I saw it move.

"It appears to be sitting in an aluminium harness and hanging from a cable, which leads us to believe it could be an airman.’’

Mr Collins, who was walking the historic track for the seventh time when the discovery was made, said it could be a significant find.

"If it is a body, then it’s a very significant find. There will be a family somewhere who had a family member missing in action who might be able to put that person to rest.’’

"There were a lot of missing soldiers in that area. You know you are walking past the graves of many people.’’

Authorities are now investigating.
« Last Edit: November 26, 2011, 05:42:13 PM by RoGenT »
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Offline cpxxx

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Re: World War II Skeleton found In tree
« Reply #1 on: November 26, 2011, 06:31:53 PM »
It's a bit unlikely, something that might be found a few months after the incident. There is no way a skeleton would remain in a tree in the tropics for more than a few months. Once the flesh rotted away the bones would scatter. Nothing holds them together. It's a rather poignant idea and no doubt it happened to one or two airmen. But the fact that three years later nothing has been reported about this supposed airman leads me to believe  there is some other explanation.

Offline Ack-Ack

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Re: World War II Skeleton found In tree
« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2011, 06:50:06 PM »
Its an old picture from a few years ago and it's already been determined not to be of human remains.  The news article is incorrect.

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Offline oakranger

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Re: World War II Skeleton found In tree
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2011, 09:10:18 PM »
Human or animal body would be decomposed in days-weeks in a jungle environment. After the decomposition, the bones would have been scattered by animals.
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Offline Guppy35

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Re: World War II Skeleton found In tree
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2011, 12:43:22 AM »
Its an old picture from a few years ago and it's already been determined not to be of human remains.  The news article is incorrect.

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Yep, that was a while ago.
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Offline RoGenT

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Re: World War II Skeleton found In tree
« Reply #5 on: November 27, 2011, 10:11:07 AM »
Bummer, I guess it is for the better this wasn't in fact once a human being. Still though, one has to wonder how many people are buried/unburied on that island that have not been found yet.
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Offline cpxxx

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Re: World War II Skeleton found In tree
« Reply #6 on: November 27, 2011, 10:58:48 AM »
Well you only have to look what happened to Steve Fossett. He didn't even come down in a teeming jungle but there wasn't much left to bury by the time he was found.

Any corpse exposed in jungle will rapidly be recycled by the local inhabitants.

Offline RoGenT

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Re: World War II Skeleton found In tree
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2011, 11:49:08 AM »
Well you only have to look what happened to Steve Fossett. He didn't even come down in a teeming jungle but there wasn't much left to bury by the time he was found.

Any corpse exposed in jungle will rapidly be recycled by the local inhabitants.


Name sounds familiar, wasn't he that balloon riding guy?
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Offline guncrasher

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Re: World War II Skeleton found In tree
« Reply #8 on: November 27, 2011, 01:47:46 PM »
it was on yahoo news a few months back too.


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Offline Tupac

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Re: World War II Skeleton found In tree
« Reply #9 on: November 27, 2011, 03:01:46 PM »
Steve Fosset smacked into mountain
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Offline RoGenT

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Re: World War II Skeleton found In tree
« Reply #10 on: November 27, 2011, 04:52:42 PM »
Steve Fosset smacked into mountain


Okay so before he was known as the guy who smacked into a mountain, what was he known pre-mountain auguring?  :headscratch:


Also, your avatar had my kid cracking up  :lol

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Offline Golfer

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Re: World War II Skeleton found In tree
« Reply #11 on: November 27, 2011, 06:01:06 PM »
Well you only have to look what happened to Steve Fossett. He didn't even come down in a teeming jungle but there wasn't much left to bury by the time he was found.

Any corpse exposed in jungle will rapidly be recycled by the local inhabitants.

I believe he was feasted on by critters from the smallest Who's like Cindy Loo up to possibly bears which assisted in the scattering of his remains.

Offline RoGenT

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Re: World War II Skeleton found In tree
« Reply #12 on: November 27, 2011, 06:43:04 PM »
Nevermind, I looked it up on who he was.
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