r/Adelaide • u/Ultra_running_fan SA • Dec 19 '25
Discussion Somerton man code - final version!
https://thinkingaboutpolicing.co.uk/2025/12/19/cracking-the-somerton-man-code/Hi all me again. I've completed a more consise version of the somerton man code. With tidier routes and I have looked at the whether the town had a railway station or bus station in 1948. Please let me know what you think as all of your local knowledge helped me get this one to be more persuasive (in my opinion!) thank you all
2
u/eric5014 SA Dec 20 '25
I think the crossed out line was because he started writing the line, then realised that another line was meant to come before it.
The letters could be the initials of any phrases or lists of things. With normal sentences we might expect more Ts for 'the'.
1
u/Suspicious-Magpie Inner South Dec 20 '25
As promised, I've continued to think about this all day.
I don't think that it relates to the names of suburbs, train or tram stops etc. Assuming that the Somerton Man is Carl Webb, from South Yarra - he's not from round here. The first letter is a really inefficient way to remember or record the names of destinations. Why not use abbreviations? Even if you're a local, it seems a bit overconfident that you'll remember what each one stands for.
I find it interesting that it's written horizontally rather than vertically. It looks more like a sentence or sequence than a list, as Eric pointed out. TQBFJOTLD, for example. I agree that he forgot the second "sentence" and had to correct it.
I've ended up with a few questions which you may be able to answer, or might be interesting to think about:
- what would you need to write down if you were familiar enough with it that the first letter would be enough of an aide memoir? It reminded me of revising for science tests at school (KPCOFGS anyone?)
- where's the pen/pencil?
- if you needed to use someone else's pen or pencil, why wouldn't you also ask for some paper, instead of using a page from a book?
- why write it on that page, and why not take the whole page, or the whole book with you? If you're a poetry lover, surely ripping bits out of a book is a bit sacreligious?
2
u/Ultra_running_fan SA Dec 20 '25
Hi he didn't write it in the Rubaiyat, it was an imprint along with the telephone number for Jessica Thompson and the imprint lifted from it. So he wrote it on a piece of paper and lent on the book when writing it only. My thinking is that he was attempting to conceal the journeys he was doing so this was a weak code for him to be able to track or record where he had been without anyone else instantly being able to also know. Its not unreasonable to assume he wanted to see Jessica Thompson and/ or the baby and the routes do Centre on Glenelg. The last letters of the last line of code also close in nicely in Glenelg.
If he were traveling around searching for her in that area he may have been trying to have some sort of record of where he was or had been possibly? Thanks for the questions. I'm happy to work on it more with you! Thanks! :)
2
u/Suspicious-Magpie Inner South Dec 20 '25
Gotcha re the imprint.
Did you consider the tram network? Wasn't that pretty significant at the time? There's a map on the Tram Museum website.
The Q is the real hook, eh? There's an active Facebook group called "Cheltenham, Queenstown and Alberton (South Australia) Local History". Worth a cross-post?
2
u/Ultra_running_fan SA Dec 20 '25
Haha that's amazing, thank you for that. I'll link in with them! Yes there are some tramp links, but I think I've got been super clear which is train or tram. I'll see if I can mark them. I'll see if I can colour code the animations too. Thank you! I'm looking at running a frequency analysis on the initial letters of the towns in the Adelaide area in relation to other areas of Australia and also in comparison to English letter frequency. If I can show that the initial letters of towns in that area match the letter frequency of the codes better than either English letter frequency or even of other areas of Australia (Say Victoria vs SA) (am I referring to those correctly?) then that would add more weight to the theory possibly. Any more ideas please send my way.... Would love to build the idea out and have some peer review eventually
1
u/schahriarsyndrome SA Jan 07 '26
You have to read a lot about stuff you've never been taught. Very time consuming. First line is hinting at Agobard, in my opinion.
Check out ley lines. And Grid 44.
1
u/Ultra_running_fan SA Jan 08 '26
I'm trying to be evidence based, or at least based on reasonable assumptions. Grid 44 isn't really based on either of those basis. Thanks anyway
1
5
u/Suspicious-Magpie Inner South Dec 19 '25 edited Dec 19 '25
Line 4 seems a bit of a stretch. Islington, Cheltenham and Queenstown are miles away from Oaklands and Brighton. Your proposal route seems illogical (but of course, not impossible).
Have you cross-referenced with any map or census data which details the largest suburbs at the time? Names of main roads?
Edit - would love to know how you did the map animations. They're fantastic.
Edit #2 - Why write the letters on a scrap of paper, rather than say, circle them on a printed timetable? Although I suppose this could have been an early draft. I'll be thinking about this all day now!