Human remains
"Tom, Dick and Harry"
The skeletal remains of three of the 35 men who died in the Pandora shipwreck have been recovered from the wreck so far. Because they have not yet been identified, they have been affectionately called "Tom, Dick and Harry".
Dick has already been re-interred. This was done during a special burial service-by RAN chaplain Mark Wallbank who conducted a service for burial at sea-during the Queensland Museum's 1993 expedition, after which a consecrated obelisk containing Dick's skeletal remains was lowered onto the Pandora wreck site.
One day, a similar ceremony may also be performed for Tom and Harry. However, before this is done it may be possible to identify Tom and Harry through scientific and historical research-which may enable a match-up of DNA extracted from their remains with DNA samples from living descendants. That is, if these descendants can be traced, and if a DNA sequence can be extracted from the skeletal remains.
Undoubtedly, as experimental techniques to extract and sequence DNA from human remains are perfected, one day it may be possible to do so, no matter how old or deteriorated, nor how affected by long immersion in seawater the bones may be.
Anatomical analysis of the three sets of skeletal remains has determined the following basic details about these seamen:
Age at death |
Height |
|
|---|---|---|
Tom |
17 +/- 2 |
168 cm +/- 4 |
Dick |
22 +/- 2 |
165 cm +/- 3 |
Harry |
30 +/- 2 |
166 cm +/- 4 |