WWII Mines found off the Townsville Coast

The Central Queensland Herald (Rockhampton), Thu 5 April 1945

BREAKAWAY MINES

BRISBANE, April 1.- Mines are drifting in the sea off the North Queensland coast. All shipping has been warned to be on the lookout. The mines broke away in the gale which raged along the coast more than a week ago.

Several mines have already been located and have been destroyed by the Australian Navy mine squad, which is standing by for reports of further finds.

Aircraft, service and civil, flying north, have been asked to watch for other mines, which may be drifting towards the shore or in shipping lanes.

One of these mines was washed up on Green Island, east of Cairns, but did not explode when it struck the shore. It was demolished. Earlier this year a mine blew up on Green Island shore, damaging the kiosk and residence.

Two of last week's breakaway mines have been washed up on Magnetic Island, Townsville holiday resort. They were demolished, and caused no damage to property.

Some time just before 23 March 1945, a WWII mine washed up in Rocky Bay on Magnetic Island which is located about 5 miles off Townsville in north Queensland. Residents on the island immediately notified the Army authorities who who sent a bomb disposal squad to the island. They decided not to delouse the mine but to explode it where it was located. House in the immediate vicinity were rocked by the explosion and in some cases window panes were cracked.

On Sunday 24 November 1946, a 45 foot fishing launch named "Topsy A" was blown a few hundred feet in the air by a floating WWII mine at Rib Reef off Palm Island killing the three men onboard the launch. James Riley the owner of the launch was one of those killed. The other men killed were 26 year old Vernon Jennings and Carl Heers. James Riley's fox terrier "Junior" was also killed in the explosion. Shrapnel struck the vessel "Lone Hand" and a large bolt was embedded in the wheel of the boat. The crew of the "Defiance" including a former police constable, Ivor Ernest Wardrop, was forced to take cover below deck to escape the numerous flying splinters. Wardop said they heard a terrific explosion and saw the "Topsy A" flung almost 300 feet into the air as it disintegrated.

On Monday night 25 November, the Minister for the Navy, Mr. Riordan, advised that the launch was located in a prohibited minefield area at the time of the tragic accident. The Navy advised that it did not strike a floating mine (i.e. broken away from its anchored position). Mr. Riordan stated that details of prohibited minefields had been advertised in notices to mariners and to harbour masters.

The three men that were killed on the launch "Topsy A",
L to R:- Carl Heers, James Riley and Vernon Jennings

At a special meeting of the Queensland Professional Fishermen's League held in Townsville on the evening of Monday 25 November, the Chairman, Mr. R. Prentice admitted that Rib Reef was in a prohibited area. "But" he said, "if fishermen did not fish in mined waters no fish would be caught in Queensland! We have been fishing in other prohibited areas during the five years of war"

Mr. L. Fidden who was at the meeting said "At least 50 fishermen were present and saw the explosion. They can prove there was a floating mine." The meeting decided to request the Prime Minister to bring pressure to bear on the Navy Department to sweep the mines and to have a boat in readiness in the Townsville area so that mines could be destroyed as soon as they were reported. A Courier Mail article indicated that "most of Townsville's mackerel fishing fleet of more than 60 boats are likely to cease operations following Sunday's tragedy. Several owners however say that they must go out again to earn their livelihood."

Townsville fishermen claimed that Rib, Bramble and other reefs were strewn with stranded WWII mines, the location of which had been reported to the authorities. The boat service to Magnetic Island did not operate at night time and crews of passenger launches were in daily fear of striking a mine.

Mr. Riordan said that a Navy Mine-sweeping Flotilla may be diverted from New Guinea to Queensland waters, or an additional Flotilla may be specially commissioned to clear the coastal waters of mines. At that time three vessels were searching for mines off the Queensland coast and disposing of them and ten vessels were sweeping waters off New Guinea. Two hundred mines had washed ashore so far and had been disposed. Apparently a safety device in all of these mines was activated when they came adrift from their moorings which made the mines harmless, otherwise they would have exploded when they struck the shore.

A WWII mine was spotted about 7 miles from the entrance to Townsville Harbour, drifting in Cleveland Bay between Cape Cleveland and Magnetic Island on Wednesday 27 November 1946. The RAN corvette HMAS Cowra left Townsville Harbour that afternoon at about 2pm on its way to Sydney and soon sighted the mine. HMAS Cowra destroyed the mine with its 40mm Bofors gun. It was assumed that this was the same mine that was sighted about 3 miles west of Cape Cleveland late on the previous Sunday afternoon. Five weeks previously five WWII mines washed ashore on nearby Palm Island and were detonated on the rocky foreshore on the north east side of Great Palm Island. They were spread over a distance of about 5 miles.

The Secretary of the Townsville Trades and Labour Council, Mr. J. W. Clubley, and the Secretary of the Seaman's Union arranged to meet the local Naval Commander at 10:30am on 28 November 1946 regarding their concerns about WWII mines continually being found in shipping lanes. The Minister for the Navy, Mr. Riordan, sent a Telegram to the Prime Minister Mr. Chifley on 27 November 1946 stating that "everything possible was being done to expedite the clearance of mines along the Queensland coast." Mr. Clubley indicated that Mr. Riordan's reply was most unsatisfactory and would not alter the Townsville Trades and Labour Council's attitude on the imposition of the "Black Ban" on shipping inn the area within a fortnight.

Members of the Queensland Professional Fishermen's League in Townsville sent a telegram on 27 November 1946 to their General Secretary in Brisbane, Mr. H. Miller, requesting that he be present in Townsville on Tuesday 3 December 1946 to attend a public meeting convened by the Townsville Mayor, Mr. J. S. Gill.

A spokesman for the fishermen, Mr. R. Prentice, making reference to the Minister for the Navy, Mr. Riordan's statement that mines on reefs inaccessible to general purpose vessels and fishing vessels were not dangerous, said "The fishermen disagree with this view and we consider that any mine that has broken from its moorings is a potential danger anywhere."

On 27 November 1946, the Premier of Queensland, Mr. Hanlon asked the Prime Minister, Mr. Chifley, to give urgent attention to the removal of the floating mine menace in north Queensland and to advise what action had been taken.

In response to threats by the Townsville Trades and Labour Council to black ban shipping between Bowen and Cairns unless mines were cleared within a fortnight, the Minister for the Navy, Mr. Riordan, gave an assurance that everything possible was being done. He added that the time taken to clear the mines would be dependent upon the availability of ships, the number of which he was trying to increase as rapidly as possible. Mr. Riordan indicated that so far three minesweeping vessels had been operating north of Cairns. One of them left Cairns for Townsville on Sunday 24 November 1946 for Townsville to clear away mines reported in that area.

Mr. Riordan added that it was unlikely that the Navy would be able to dispose of all mines between Cairns and Townsville within a fortnight. Mr. Riordan indicated that the Navy was investigating the possibility of increasing the number of vessels for mine sweeping off the Australian coast from nine to twelve.

NOTE:- There are many other newspaper articles covering the destruction of more WWII mines that were located and destroyed. I've decided not to continue to add them to this web page and move onto researching other WWII topics.

I need your help

Copyright

Disclaimer

Please e-mail me
any information or photographs

"Australia @ War"
8GB USB Memory Stick