Beachport: Casualties of War
We think of you in
silence.
With a heart that is
sincere.
And cherish all
the memories
Of the days when you
were here.
The 19th of February 1942, the Japanese bombed Darwin, the
first attack on the Australian mainland by a foreign invader in a major global
conflict. The two air raids on Darwin killed 235 people with a further 300 to
400 wounded.
7th months earlier, in the southern coastal town
of Beachport, South Australia, two other deaths, directly associated with the
war occurred on the 14th of July 1941. The deaths of Able Seaman
W.L. Danswan and Seaman T.W. Todd of the Royal Australian Navy.
Sea mines, laid by the
enemy, had begun to be found along the shipping routes of South Australia’s
southern coast, with two sea mines found previously to this one. The mine was
found 8 miles out at sea from Beachport, by local fisherman, Mr Stephens, who
reported the find to the local constable.
The navy was called, and three men, Lieut. Commander Greening, Able Seaman Danswan and Seaman Todd were sent from Adelaide to defuse or detonate the 4ft diameter iron sea mine.
The navy was called, and three men, Lieut. Commander Greening, Able Seaman Danswan and Seaman Todd were sent from Adelaide to defuse or detonate the 4ft diameter iron sea mine.
 |
Photo: An unidentified man standing next to the enemy mine
which exploded and killed Junee serviceman
William Danswan, as well as Thomas
Todd.
(Source in Bibliography)
|
The Navy men arrived in Beachport on Sunday the 13th,
and with the help of four local fisher boats, headed out to sea to tow the mine
back to the shore and examine it. On Monday the 14th the mine was
pulled ashore at Beachport for dismantling, but instead, it was decided that it
would be easier to blow it up, so the mine was pulled across the bay by a boat,
and taken ashore near an old piling to be destroyed.
A demolition charge was connected to the mine, with a mile of cable ran out towards the cemetery, over a railway line, to ensure the safety of the 3 navy men. They pushed the plunger to detonate the mine, but it didn’t work, so a second line of cable was run out. This time, as the plunger was pushed, a passing railway truck disconnected the cable, and again the bomb did not explode.
The two Seamen waited 15 minutes, and made their way down to inspect the mine. They got within a few feet of it when it suddenly exploded, killing them almost instantly. Their Lieut. Commander, who had not descended the sand dunes, remained unharmed.
Many locals, standing on the local jetty and beach front witnessed the large explosion and death of the Seamen, and many more came out to see what was going on after hearing the concussive blast of the detonation.,
A demolition charge was connected to the mine, with a mile of cable ran out towards the cemetery, over a railway line, to ensure the safety of the 3 navy men. They pushed the plunger to detonate the mine, but it didn’t work, so a second line of cable was run out. This time, as the plunger was pushed, a passing railway truck disconnected the cable, and again the bomb did not explode.
The two Seamen waited 15 minutes, and made their way down to inspect the mine. They got within a few feet of it when it suddenly exploded, killing them almost instantly. Their Lieut. Commander, who had not descended the sand dunes, remained unharmed.
Many locals, standing on the local jetty and beach front witnessed the large explosion and death of the Seamen, and many more came out to see what was going on after hearing the concussive blast of the detonation.,
Able Seaman W.L.E.
Danswan, who was from the town of Junee in New South Wales, was transferred
from the H.M.A.S. Canberra to the Birkenhead Naval Base only 4 months
previously. He left behind a widow.
Seaman T.W. Todd, who was from Rosewater, S.A. left behind a
wife, Gwendoline Todd, and a young son, Ronald.
A monument to the men, the first two casualties on Australian
soil of World War Two, stands at the eastern end of the surf beach carpark on
the Millicent-Beachport road
© 2018 Allen Tiller
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Bibliography:
1941 'MILLICENT NEWS.', Southern Cross
(Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1954), 25 July, p. 6. , viewed 01 Jan 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article167770740
1941 'MINE EXPLOSION AT BEACHPORT.', The
South Eastern Times (Millicent, SA : 1906 - 1954), 18 July, p. 2. , viewed
01 Jan 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article200099123
1941 'No Title', The South Eastern Times
(Millicent, SA : 1906 - 1954), 22 July, p. 1. , viewed 01 Jan 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article200099143
1949 'Family Notices', The Advertiser
(Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), 14 July, p. 14. , viewed 01 Jan 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36675976
National Archives of Australia, 2018, The bombing of Darwin – Fact sheet 195, National Archives of
Australia, Australian Government, viewed 01 Jan 2018, http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs195.aspx
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