Tags: Tourist destinations. Bribie Island. Queensland. Brisbane
Gateway Discovery Tours has secured an exciting piece of WW2 memorabilia that will be on permanent display outside its headquarters at 1383 Bribie Island Rd Ningi. Rick Williams, the owner of the company, said that for decades this “Sea Mine” was touted to be German in origin but recent sandblasting revealed an amazing history.
The inscriptions on the mine were MINE MARK XIV A & B NO 8144 A N 7/43 F. This information was forwarded to the Australian Navy Commanding Officer A. J. Walsh LCDR, RAN AUSCDT One, who responded and provided the company with the following information: The Mine is a MarK14 Sea mine manufactured and laid as part of the Australian War Cabinet decision to deploy defensive minefields around Australia and New Zealand, this mine was built in Australia by the Ford Motor Company in Geelong and filled with TNT manufactured in Singapore, this sea mine was stored at the RAN Mine Depot Swan Island.
The markings indicate that it is mine No. 8144 manufactured in July 1943 only 18 months after Pearl Harbour, the Australian war cabinet approved the Naval Mining Policy in the expectation that the Japanese would soon invade the south, hence the Brisbane Line. These mines were deployed throughout Australian Waters which includes Moreton Bay and at Fort Bribie.
It was reported that two sea mines broke free at Fort Bribie only one was recovered. “Our mine is the same as those deployed at Fort Bribie (RAN2) gun emplacements,” said Rick. “Drop in for a photo with our sea mine 1383 Bribie Island Rd Ningi, we do inexpensive 4 ½ hour guided tours into the National Park and visit the WW2 gun emplacements and mine control hut. We have lots of history to share, Japanese Sub deployed mines off the Sunshine Coast and the Port of Brisbane, torpedoed the hospital ship Centaur, torpedos missing the Charles C.Jones merchant ship under escort of HMAS Gympie,” he said.
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Gloss Magazine Bribie Islander 1st Edition Jan 04 2019 Issue 78