action stations The claim that Sydney was not at action stations originates from an observation by Detmers; as Sydney approached, the cruiser's guns were unmanned, and sailors in aprons (which he describes as pantrymen) were standing on deck watching the German ship. Followers of alternative engagement theories interpret this as evidence that Sydney was not at action stations, therefore unable to react when Kormoran unmasked. Olson lists two groups of sailors that could have been mistaken for pantrymen but had a reason to be where Detmers saw them. Ammunition handlers from the 4-inch guns, who wore protective aprons, could have been standing clear of their weapons because of the planned catapult launch of the Walrus amphibian or the direction "X" turret was facing when trained on Kormoran, both of which could have injured the unprotected gunners. A second group would have been a cutter party preparing to launch a boat to rescue the Walrus crew if it ditched, or to board Kormoran, with their life jackets mistaken for aprons. The JCFADT report suggests a third group: a damage control party in fire-fighting gear. Conversely, the Cole report stated that Sydney may not have been at action stations. Ship's logs for several Australian warships showed that it was not common practice to do so when approaching unidentified merchant vessels in home waters. This, combined with Detmers' observation and the belief that Sydneys approach followed procedures for an 'innocent' instead of a 'suspicious' vessel, prompted Cole to conclude that the Australian cruiser was not at action stations. The Christmas Island corpse On the afternoon of 6 February 1942, lookouts on Christmas Island spotted an object out at sea, which on closer inspection turned out to be a Carley float carrying the body of a Caucasian man wearing a blue boiler suit that had been sun-bleached white. The flesh of his right arm had been eaten away by fish, and his eyes and nose consumed by birds. Shrapnel was embedded in the float's outer covering, while the proliferation of marine growth indicated that it had been adrift for some time. As the island was under threat of Japanese invasion, after a brief examination, the body was buried in an unmarked grave near Flying Fish Cove. Evacuation began on 17 February, with Japanese forces occupying the island on 23 March.Cole, The Loss of HMAS Sydney II, vol. 2, pp. 324–6 The island's inhabitants believed