Push for memorial to two men killed in sea mine tragedy on home soil

A campaign is gaining momentum to establish a permanent memorial in Port Adelaide for Able Seamen Thomas Todd and William Danswan, who were killed in 1941 by a German sea mine explosion at Rivoli Bay, South Australia. Their deaths marked the first Australian casualties on home soil due to enemy action during World War II, as they worked to decommission the mine.

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Over the years, I've held that shrapnel and wondered what kind of man he was, and how things could have been so much different.

Descendants, like Deb Filippone, whose grandfather was Able Seaman Todd, are leading the charge. Filippone holds a piece of shrapnel from the mine, a tangible link to the tragedy that claimed the lives of Todd, 30, and William Danswan, 23. She emphasizes that the story, despite its national significance, remains largely unknown, even to military historians, often overshadowed by events like the Darwin bombings or the Sydney Harbour mini-submarine attack.

While memorials exist in Beachport and Canberra, Filippone advocates for a dedicated monument in Port Adelaide, Todd's hometown. She is continuing her father's lifelong effort to secure this recognition. She is collaborating with veteran volunteers and Megan Spencer, a contributor to Virtual War Memorial Australia, who previously produced a series on the event.

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To this day, the tragedy remains little-known, even by military historians.

Spencer expressed astonishment at the story's obscurity, likening it to a "wreck, waiting to be discovered." She attributes the lack of widespread knowledge to a media blackout at the time and the incident's occurrence in South Australia, away from the major eastern media centers. "People are amazed to hear the story, and [are] very moved by it," Spencer noted, calling the absence of a Port Adelaide memorial a "national disgrace."

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When we think of enemy action on the home front, we think of the Darwin bombings and the Japanese mini-submarine attack on Sydney Harbour, but this is a story of national significance too.

Supporters aim to place a monument at the Birkenhead Naval Reserve or along the Port Riverfront. They stress that memorialization is not pro-war but about remembrance, offering the Port Adelaide council a chance to rectify the oversight and honor the sacrifice of these two servicemen.

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My father tried right up until his death to get a memorial in Port Adelaide [for his father], now I'm taking on the fight.