Great War in The Sun?

[PoW1988]

I was bored today on my break at work, so I thought I would flick through a newspaper...I couldn't believe my eyes when I read an article featuring the Great War. I couldn't bring the article home with me but I found it on a website and copied and pasted:

Navy bomb disposal experts were called to a house in Paignton yesterday after a 'doorstop' turned out to be a live World War I German artillery shell.

Packed full of explosives, it had been used by a pensioner as a doorstop for more than 20 years - until yesterday.Then a four-man Royal Navy bomb disposal squad from Plymouth was called to a property in the quiet Waterleat Avenue to remove the potentially explosive device.

Bomb experts and neighbours say if the explosive had gone off it would have had 'disastrous' consequences.

The small cylindrical mortar shell, about seven inches long, had been spotted being used as a porch doorstop outside Thelma Bonnett's home by a neighbour on Thursday.

Her son Steve Bonnett was contacted immediately and police and bomb experts were drafted in yesterday morning.

The bomb squad say a firing mechanism had been activated during the First World War but the shell failed to go off. The firing mechanism had since fallen off but experts say the 'live' explosive could have exploded at any moment.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "The danger was the shell was packed full of explosives and it could have gone off at any time.

"It was brought back from France in 1914 and had been used in battle when it had been fired but failed to go off.

"There is a time delay on these type of shells which meant a brass ring could be turned on top which gave them enough time to fire it to go off in the air or on the ground."

You learn something new everyday!

Lynz

[centurion]

I have seen many similar stories down the years that one wonders if they are not all one long urban myth ... but--

My uncle at one time worked as an ordinance disposal officer in the RAF - not dealing with UXBs but disposing of tons and tons of explosive devices left over from WW2 (let alone WW1) - everything from Sten gun rounds to 1,000 lb bombs. one thing he was very clear about was that even after a mere 20 years or less many modern explosives become unstable (they crystalise) and no longer need a detonator to set them off - a good sharp shock (as from a hammer as one thoughtles AC plonk demonstrated with a 50 pounder - they never found any bits) will do the job. Anything as old as WW1 needs to be treated with great care whether of not it has been defused if there is any risk that it still contains explosive.

[PoW1988]

Yeah hence why I am scared of buying any artefacts, especially ammunition etc...

Lynz

[Dave1914]

It would certainly but a "bang" into your day lol.

[truthergw]

Centurion points out a real danger. The explosives become extremely unstable if not stored properly and burying them in the ground or using them as a doorstop does not help. An added danger for WW1 munitions is the vast amount of gas shells being used towards the end of the war. The contents are still very dangerous and can burn or kill. Frans of De Diggers pointed out that a lot of the materials are also carcinogens. After WW2 it was commonplace for years, to hear of and read of people being killed here in Britain by UXBs. Very often washed up on the beach. A danger, of which I as a small boy was well aware, but now is thankfully very rare.

[trenchtrotter]

Definately not urban myths. I have personally dealt with incidents involving wartime munitions souvenired and turning up in houses and even on waste ground.

Slightly different, I visited one pensioners house three or four years ago following a report he was being burgled. He had a large shell fragment on his mantlepiece which he stated was fired at his ship in WW2 from the Scharnhorst. It did for his mates in the turret he was in but he survived and kept the fragment. I had no reason to disbelieve him. His house was a time warp having had no modernisation since the war!!!

TT

[Pete1052]

From 1903 until 1962 the state house of Rhode Island, U.S., in Providence, R.I., had a loaded Civil War cannon in the rotunda beneath its dome. During the battle of Gettysburg the gun, which had been loaded with a powder charge, was by a freak shot hit on the muzzle by a Confederate cannon ball, which effectively plugged the muzzle shut. For 59 years kids played on the gun and cigar-smoking politicians flicked their ashes on it, until in 1962 it was decided that the powder charge had to be removed. I don't know how it was done, but I assume the cannon ball wedged in the muzzle was somehow removed so the charge could be withdrawn.

The link here has more detail. The gun is the one pictured on the right.

[daveo]

Whilst cleaning out my grans garage in Gloucestershire some years ago my Dad came across 2 Live 20mm bullets with 1942 stamped around the Primer they had blue paint on the actual bullet part and as I said were live. Have since been disarmed, unloaded not sure of the phrase. and are in my possession. Not sure how they got there though. No military connection to my gran or gramp in WW2 both to young so