An audio podcast about the explosion of the German sea mine at Beachport in 1941 is now available on the Virtual War Memorial site.
Running for 75 minutes, “When the War Comes Home: The Beachport Mine Tragedy” was recently launched at the Naval Association of Australia sub-branch in Port Adelaide by local MP and Acting Premier Dr Susan Close.
The launch took place exactly 82 years to the day, after this tragic wartime incident when the mine exploded on a quiet stretch of beach just outside Beachport.
This mine killed two young Royal Australian Navy sailors, Able Seaman Thomas Todd and Able Seaman William Danswan.
Seven months before the bombing of Darwin, they were the first Australian servicemen to die on home soil as a result of enemy action in World War II.
The launch was attended by members of the Todd and Danswan families.
The 80th anniversary of the mine explosion was commemorated in 2021 by the Millicent and Robe RSL branches and the Royal Australian Navy headed by Commander Alistair Cooper, of Naval Headquarters in Adelaide.
Researchers from the Virtual War Memorial Australia project conducted interviews for the podcast on this day.
Among those interviewed were wartime sailor Fred Ellis and The SE Voice reporter “Fred” Smith, both of Millicent.
The opinions of such Beachport locals as Elaine Donaldson, David Stehbens, Maryanne Loxton and Frank Corigliano Junior (now deceased) were included in the podcast.
Researchers also accessed a 1984 interview of Frank Corigliano Senior which was conducted by community volunteer Joan Chewings for the Millicent/Beachport Local History Group at the Millicent Public Library.
He was one of the Beachport fishermen who brought the mine to shore.
Meanwhile, Alan Wallis from Greenways, has recently donated some sea mine items to the Beachport National Trust Museum.
His late mother, Mrs Noble of Beachport, collected some shrapnel after the explosion and the bits have been kept in a tin ever since.
Mr Wallis brought them into the museum to add to the local historical collection which includes a display dedicated to the 1941 tragedy.
