Up to their elbows in mud, these three men are digging a German magnetic mine out of the beach at ...

Up to their elbows in mud, these three men are digging a German magnetic mine out of the beach at Trinity Sands during low tide. The young officer in the centre is Lieutenant (Lt) J L Harris from Canada and the other two men are ratings from Lt Hugh Randall Syme's mine clearance team. This image is from the collection of Lt Hugh Randall Syme, GC, GM and Bar, Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve who was based at HMS Vernon, Portsmouth, from 1940 to 1942. Lt Syme rapidly developed a reputation for bravery, especially in delousing the unfamiliar German magnetic mines. He was awarded the George Cross and the George Medal and Bar for a string of successful mine recoveries. In January 1943 he returned to Australia and was appointed as the Commanding Officer of a bomb disposal section at HMAS Cerberus. He left the Navy in 1944, returning to the family business of running The Age newspaper in Melbourne.