Mine found on beach at Pt Cook

By Peter Johnson

Major Daniel Rowe, the Army’s Senior Ammunitions Technical Officer in Victoria, inspects a WWII sea mine before fixing a 500g explosive charge.

Photo by SGT Dave Grant

A Corporal takes part in a sweep of the area after the discovery of the mine.

Photo by FLTLT James Badgery

WHEN Point Cook was selected in 1913 as the site for a military flying school, its access by sea as well as land was a telling factor. One of the few disadvantages of direct sea access was revealed on October 16 when a World War II-era mine was discovered on Point Cook beach.

It is believed the contact-type, moored sea mine was washed ashore during the war and covered by sand but had been exposed during recent erosion.

An off-duty Air Force offi cer found the Shear Horn mine during a walk, initiating a reporting chain that included the Victoria Police and the Senior Ammunition Technical Officer Victoria/Tasmania, Major Danny Rowe.

MAJ Rowe and his explosive ordnance disposal team examined the 1100mm-long and 430mm-wide cylindrical mine and decided to take no chances.

Either the mine could contain up to 100kg of explosive, or the explosive could have leached out because of exposure to seawater.

After a 1500m safety zone was declared in all directions, a 500g explosive charge was placed on the mine and detonated. The aim was to punch a hole in the casing and detonate any explosive filling.

The result was a small explosion from the charge. Examination showed the mine was empty. The detonation followed a sweep of the surrounding area by about 20 service personnel, a Notice to Airmen that cleared the airspace above the site and patrols by Water Police on Port Phillip Bay and by the Police Air Wing.

“Our major concern is the safety of the public with all explosive devices we find, and the second concern is complete disposal of them,” MAJ Rowe said.

He said the mine’s make was difficult to identify but it was possibly British. With this one, “we have found all the insides have corroded away, the explosives have leached out, and it is just a lump of metal we can take away.”

Discovery of the mine and its disposal attracted substantial interest from Melbourne media.

The out-of-use Point Cook control tower provided a panoramic view of the area of interest for photographers and cameramen. One local remarked that the tower had not seen such activity since the days of No. 1 Flying Training School, which ended 11 years ago.

.