WWII unexploded bomb explosion - GIF

WWII unexploded bomb explosion in Norfolk, England.

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Previously:

https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...051#post195161
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...892#post129342
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...183#post203757
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...621#post155452
https://www.homemadetools.net/forum/...282#post161513

We didn't get to see the bomb only have the person's word that it was unexploded WWII ordinance.

Agree'd Frank. Bummer. I'd like to see that. Looks like the made some sort of containment structure around and over it. (Trying to mitigate shrapnel?) When it lit off it appears that it made quite the show! I'd buy a ticket for that show. You don't get to see that that often. (Well , in peace time.) Would not want to be on the receiving end during war time either. Ant body else know about this kind of stuff?

Doug. D.C. Smithing

Assuming 1942ish. 81 years later . . . that's a pretty good shelf-life!

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Originally Posted by Saltfever

Assuming 1942ish. 81 years later . . . that's a pretty good shelf-life!

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Yes and very unstable. When I was stationed in Germany in the mid 1970s, several times we happened on old lost and forgotten ordinance that had to be destroyed in place because it was determined too unstable to handle. You don't make many friends when you set off a bomb near a residential neighborhood.

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Originally Posted by Frank S

Yes and very unstable. When I was stationed in Germany in the mid 1970s, several times we happened on old lost and forgotten ordinance that had to be destroyed in place because it was determined too unstable to handle. You don't make many friends when you set off a bomb near a residential neighborhood.

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I had a friend, an ex RN Clearance Diver who had been in a bomb disposal team in the UK in the early 1950’s. It was mostly mines that they cleared, both German and British mines were still washing up on beaches. He assured me that it wasn’t that dangerous, they had all the plans, knew which plugs to remove to gain access and simply inserted a steam hose and steamed the charge until it ran out onto the beach. I think he said it was then burnt on the beach and they then set off a small charge to make the locals feel good. The normal routine was to evacuate and cordon off the neighbourhood, tape up windows etc then get to work. He also told me that 90% of their call outs were false alarms, mostly steel objects half buried in the sand that people had reported as possible “mines”. With such objects they often did their normal evacuate the civilians and cordon off the neighbourhood routine, then they would blow up the offending chunk of metal, (mostly manhole covers), clean up the mess and become instant Naval heroes. When they let the civilians back in they were all so grateful that a disaster had been averted that there would free food, beer and hot and cold running women for the sailors for the next few days. Then on to repeat it all in the next town that reported a “mine” on their beach. Contrary to your last sentence, they made lots of friends by setting of bombs next to residential areas. Best two years of his life he claimed.

In the late 1960’s I had a tour of a Naval Armament Depot underground storage facility full of old WW2 and earlier Depth Charges. Many of the drum shaped depth charges were oozing a pink jelly like substance onto the concrete floor and drains. A couple of years later a decision was made to dispose of these “extremely dangerous munitions”. Experts from the Armament Depot confirmed that it would be extremely dangerous to move. One slight knock and the whole area will be totally devastated. Their solution was to build a wharf at a nearby beach, move it by truck to this new wharf and load it onto barges for disposal at sea. Wharf building would have cost millions of dollars so this wasn’t a popular idea with the powers that be. Eventually after much debate involving trade unions and safety experts it was agreed that for 20 cents an hour extra pay, Armament Depot staff would load it, and truck it on multiple trucks, about 30 miles through heavily built up residential and business areas to an existing wharf, then load it onto the same barges for disposal at sea. I’ve always wondered how something so dangerous that it couldn’t be safely moved, suddenly became safe again for 20 cents an hour, and how such a small amount of money was enough to make people risk their lives. It was all done without incident.

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Originally Posted by Dry Creek Smithing

Ant body else know about this kind of stuff?

Doug. D.C. Smithing

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Unexploded bombs are still being found, not as common as it used to be but it still happens. They are usually dealt with in similar manner.