Papua New Guinea

Keef King

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Some guys are digging here already. There is a story passed down from WW2 about the Japanese stashing treasure in this area. A group of professional treasure hunters will be traveling here towards the end of the summer with a drone based magnetometer, GPR and other high-end equipment worth over $200,000 to check out any targets that can be identified. Any help would be much appreciated.
 

Crow

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Hello Keef King

I have not heard the story of Japanese burying gold? The following newspaper reported the following.

Riverine Grazier (Hay, NSW : 1873 - 1954), Friday 20 February 1942, page 2

NEW GUINEA GOLD MINERS Plant Their Gold SYDNEY, Friday.
Gold miners who returned to Australia from New Guinea and Papua, estimate that nearly a million pounds worth of gold was securely hidden in the bush before the miners left their holdings.

Naturally all are hopeful of returning after the war and retrieving the treasure? One man says that the 'planes which evacuated men from the heart of the gold country had room only for passengers; gold was worth nothing.
nla.news-page000015702969-nla.news-article137372583-L3-3061b2cc065336d4d950bd54fc942376-0001.jpg


Maybe this sparked off the story of Japanese burying gold when they was actually looking for gold left behind by fleeing miners from the Japanese invasion?

I would be searching near the old airfield as per map below. At 'snake river emergency landing ground." See map below. Going on today prices if the story was true? Quite a fortune. But the gold would be scattered in small caches. Many caches most likey was recoverd after the war? But many other are where was buried since 1942 if they was not dug up by the Japanese?


Crow

snake river emergency landing ground..jpg
 

smokeythecat

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They are going to find a lot of rusty WWII equipment.
 

Crow

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They are going to find a lot of rusty WWII equipment.
Yes indeed and a lot of mining equipment. But if the treasure hunting gods shine on them they might get lucky.

Newcastle Sun (NSW : 1918 - 1954), Tuesday 15 April 1947, page 3 reported the following blaming Australia soldiers But it could of be Japaneses who held the area for over a year. A bucket of gold dust valued at 50000 pounds stering at 1947 gold prices 8.61 pound sterling. that that gold would be worth around 11 million in today's value.

Newcastle Sun NSW  1918  to 1954 Tuesday 15 April 1947, page 3 stolen gold.jpg

Here is the abandoned mining dredge below in 1947

z4.JPG

Crow
 

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Keef King

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Jul 2, 2023
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Hello Keef King

I have not heard the story of Japanese burying gold? The following newspaper reported the following.

Riverine Grazier (Hay, NSW : 1873 - 1954), Friday 20 February 1942, page 2

NEW GUINEA GOLD MINERS Plant Their Gold SYDNEY, Friday.
Gold miners who returned to Australia from New Guinea and Papua, estimate that nearly a million pounds worth of gold was securely hidden in the bush before the miners left their holdings.

Naturally all are hopeful of returning after the war and retrieving the treasure? One man says that the 'planes which evacuated men from the heart of the gold country had room only for passengers; gold was worth nothing.
View attachment 2092731

Maybe this sparked off the story of Japanese burying gold when they was actually looking for gold left behind by fleeing miners from the Japanese invasion?

I would be searching near the old airfield as per map below. At 'snake river emergency landing ground." See map below. Going on today prices if the story was true? Quite a fortune. But the gold would be scattered in small caches. Many caches most likey was recoverd after the war? But many other are where was buried since 1942 if they was not dug up by the Japanese?


Crow

View attachment 2092732
You are more than likely correct about the story. Thanks for digging up all this info! Very interesting!
 

Red_desert

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Interesting, started to get involved with the WW2 Japanese site in New Guinea (more than 1 year ago) the treasure hunter I helped soon got out of the project. If this is the same story a mining company owns the property. I'm thinking Australians were supposed to have reburied the gold. Also heard the authorities were looking for the mine owner for a serious crime he committed.
 

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Red_desert

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From what I understand about it, a lawyer had possession of a map. If the Australians made a map of where they buried the WW2 Japanese gold bars, lawyer claimed to have lost it. Question is... was this map actually lost or the more likely scenario just stolen?
 

Red_desert

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I tried using AI (artificial intelligence) to get some answers.

Based on the search results, there are several mentions of Japanese companies and organizations that are involved in mining related activities in Papua New Guinea. However, there is no clear indication of Japanese mining activities in Papua New Guinea during World War II. The search results suggest that the mining operations in Papua New Guinea involve companies from various countries including China and Australia. Some of the companies mentioned in the search results that are involved in mining in Papua New Guinea include Newcrest Mining and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.

Yes, AI believes gold was hidden there by Japanese during WW2.

Yes, according to the search results, there are several reports of Japanese gold being hidden in Papua New Guinea during World War II. One article from the South China Morning Post in 2003 mentions a secret stash of up to 10 tonnes of gold believed to have been hidden by retreating Japanese forces 1. Another article from the BBC in the same year estimates the value of the gold at $375 million and states that it was mined and processed by the Japanese during their occupation of the island 2. However, it is not clear whether any of this gold has been found or recovered.
Based on the search results, the answer to the question "Was any Japanese WW2 gold hidden in Papua New Guinea?" is yes. Some reports suggest that Japanese forces hid up to 10 tonnes of gold in Papua New Guinea during World War II, worth an estimated $375 million. It is not clear whether any of this gold has been found or recovered.
 

robertk

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Yes, AI believes gold was hidden there by Japanese during WW2.
Bear in mind that A.I., at least at this point, is just a glorified search engine with a language processor bolted onto it. So if the data it "learned" from says there is gold there, it will repeat that info, whether it's true or not. (I'm not saying there is or isn't, as I have no idea -- I'm just saying A.I. is only as "reliable" as the data it trains on.)
 

Red_desert

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It could be there but knowing where to find it, not so simple. I've been told the Japanese marker code can change from one area to the next. I personally, don't know how to identify a safe treasure marker from a bomb treasure. Here is a treasure with a bomb marker used at a certain Japanese WW2 site.
 

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Crow

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Bear in mind that A.I., at least at this point, is just a glorified search engine with a language processor bolted onto it. So if the data it "learned" from says there is gold there, it will repeat that info, whether it's true or not. (I'm not saying there is or isn't, as I have no idea -- I'm just saying A.I. is only as "reliable" as the data it trains on.)
That 100% exactly true. In Australia Robo debt cause suicide of people that was not actually owning any thing to the government. In the UK 1000 post masters was deemed to have been engaging in fraud it later turned out AI there used fault information. But people had blind faith the AI is infallible. That scandal caused suicide and people to get fired and others sent to prison from a computer glitch.

BBC covered the gold story but of alleged gold discovered in a cave by one many near Rabaul. There was no proof what so ever. Yet AI still deems it as fact?

IF i was there if would not fantasizing about what Japanease did but actually get into mining areas that have no been exploited much get in dredging.

Crow
 

Red_desert

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That 100% exactly true. In Australia Robo debt cause suicide of people that was not actually owning any thing to the government. In the UK 1000 post masters was deemed to have been engaging in fraud it later turned out AI there used fault information. But people had blind faith the AI is infallible. That scandal caused suicide and people to get fired and others sent to prison from a computer glitch.

BBC covered the gold story but of alleged gold discovered in a cave by one many near Rabaul. There was no proof what so ever. Yet AI still deems it as fact?

IF i was there if would not fantasizing about what Japanease did but actually get into mining areas that have no been exploited much get in dredging.

Crow
I'd be happy enough just to do some simple gold mining. Google Earth Pro now has linked the locations of all the Japanese WW2 ships sunk around an Island in Philippines (where rich gold deposits still are mined). The gold mining might be possible except the remote area has frequent earthquakes. We torpedoed many of those Japanese vessels. You have to wonder how many unexploded torpedoes are resting on the sea floor.
 

Crow

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Here is some links to ww2 ordinate still deadly after 80 years.
Bomb on a beach

And here is one going off in a english village 70 years after it was dropped. Builders excavating found it.

Bomb detonated Exeter

Underwater explosions are just as devastating.

WW2 Sea mine detonated off Hongkong.

The Philippines would be still covered with such ordinance., mines torpedo bombs and artillery shells. Rabaul in New guinea was covered in unexploded ordinance.

Here is the Solomon islands bombs.

Solomon island Bombs.

So messing around WW2 ships on the off chance the some thing of value on them can pay a heavy price.

Crow
 

Red_desert

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Bombs are very dangerous and any type of unexploded military ordinance. Most people don't realize, Japanese also made deeper caches, packed the gold in poisoned ash covered with cement.
 

okiedowser

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View attachment 2092682

Some guys are digging here already. There is a story passed down from WW2 about the Japanese stashing treasure in this area. A group of professional treasure hunters will be traveling here towards the end of the summer with a drone based magnetometer, GPR and other high-end equipment worth over $200,000 to check out any targets that can be identified. Any help would be much appreciated.
I sent you a message.
 

Red_desert

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Because of WW2 we have a lot of space satellite technology. Our government got the idea, to select a team of expert photographers. Those men were flown over France to take aerial photos. Back in the US a large print was made of each. Then it was sectioned to maybe 2 or 3 columns of 3 or 4 (don't know how many for sure). Taking a photo of a print exposure correction is needed or they become balanced toward darker colors. German V launch ramps became visible and even damage on the roofs from take-off. Digital technology enables us to do the same.
 

Red_desert

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I have processed the satellite image for better surface detail.
 

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Red_desert

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First section A1 broken down 1/4 size.
 

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Red_desert

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Section A2 4 images.
 

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