that the float and sailor were of naval origin and had come from Sydney. A post-war RAN investigation determined that this claim was incorrect because the raft's description did not match those manufactured for the RAN. Subsequent writers on the subject have disagreed: Winter states that a Carley float from Sydney would have been propelled by currents into proximity of Christmas Island around the time of its discovery, while Olson claims that the description of the float's rope and markings matched those used on British ships (from whose supplies Sydney could have drawn), the boiler suit indicated a naval rating, and that the quantity of marine growth corresponded with the time such a float would have been at sea.Olson, Bitter Victory, pp. 329–32 The JCFADT inquiry concluded "on the balance of probability, that the body and the Carley float ... were most likely from HMAS Sydney", and while Frame was initially skeptical of the raft's origins, the evidence presented to that inquiry changed his mind.Olson, Bitter Victory, p. 330 The inquiry recommended that the grave be found, the body exhumed, and its DNA compared to relatives of Sydney personnel. A 2001 search by the RAN failed to find the grave, but they were more successful during a second search in 2006.Cole, The Loss of HMAS Sydney II, vol. 2, pp. 332 During an autopsy, a metal fragment was found embedded in the skull, which was believed to have killed the man through brain trauma. Although seized upon by believers in the massacre of Sydneys sailors, the fragment was found to be German shell shrapnel.Dennis, in Zombie Myths of Australian Military History, p. 132 Extensive DNA comparison testing was able to identify living relatives, and genealogical and service records were used to identify the sailor. On 19 November 2021, staff at the Australian War Memorial announced that the body had been formally identified as 20-year-old AB Thomas Welsby Clark of the HMAS Sydney. Why Burnett approached so close By manoeuvring close to Kormoran, Burnett removed the advantage of his longer-ranged primary armament and put Sydney in a position where the raider's main guns could penetrate the cruiser's armour. Because there were no Australian survivors, Burnett's decision is inexplicable; writers on the subject can only speculate on his reasoning and indicate what factors they believe influenced him. Up until the 1980s, most of the material published relating to the loss of Sydney