bobdina
08-20-2009, 11:56 AM
RAF team detonates massive WWII bomb
A Military Operations news article
20 Aug 09
An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team from RAF Wittering successfully detonated a live World War II bomb this week which was discovered near Pickering in North Yorkshire. Report by Leigh Morrison.
The 500lb bomb was discovered in a field near Pickering in North Yorkshire
The 500lb bomb was discovered in a field near Pickering in North Yorkshire
[Picture: Corporal Chris Ball, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Aviation enthusiast Mr Ken Ward was investigating an old crash site on Sunday 16 August 2009 and while he was digging he found the 500lb (227kg) bomb.
Local police called the Joint EOD Task Group in Didcot and the Army team from Catterick then attended the scene. Upon discovering that it was an airborne bomb, 5131 Bomb Disposal Squadron based at RAF Wittering, comprising of Sergeant Dave Fry and Corporal Chris Ball, was re-tasked to the site where they confirmed that the device was live.
Two nearby villages, Ebberston and Allerston, were completely evacuated which resulted in around 1,000 people leaving the area for their personal protection.
On Monday 17 August 2009, 100 one-tonne sandbags were ordered, as a nearby garden nursery was within the cordon distance and was extremely close to the site of the bomb. In order to cause as little damage as possible, the team built a wall of sandbags around the greenhouses with additional manpower which had to be brought in.
Although the detonation was scheduled for 1500hrs on Tuesday 18 August 2009, the team were well ahead of schedule and had completed their preparations by 1100hrs that morning. The team worked closely with the local authorities and police to ensure that all members of the public were beyond the cordon and as safe as possible.
The 500lb World War II bomb
The bomb was discovered by Mr Ken Ward while he was digging on an old aircraft crash site
[Picture: Corporal Chris Ball, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Due to the size of the bomb, the team elected to put five pounds (2.2kg) of explosives on the case of the device in order to detonate it sufficiently. The local roads were closed off to traffic 15 minutes before the scheduled detonation and, once the team were given the go ahead from local police at 1502hrs, the detonation was made.
The detonation caused little disruption to the local area and residents and the nearby roads were open again by 1510hrs.
Flight Sergeant Stewart Mills was the EOD Officer in charge of the detonation. He said:
"Although there were obviously bomb fragments, the sandbags contained the fragmentation and were able to direct it as much as possible.
"We managed to save the nearby nurseries which the owner was extremely pleased about, although some panes of glass were slightly damaged.
"After the detonation, the remnants of the sandbags and the sand needed to be cleared up and the clear-up operation was completed by 1830hrs."
Two standby teams operate from RAF Wittering - the EOD team which are on 30 minutes notice to move, and cover the whole of the UK, and a two-man IED (improvised explosive device) team who are on ten minutes notice to move, and cover the local area.
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/RafTeamDetonatesMassiveWwiiBomb.htm
A Military Operations news article
20 Aug 09
An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team from RAF Wittering successfully detonated a live World War II bomb this week which was discovered near Pickering in North Yorkshire. Report by Leigh Morrison.
The 500lb bomb was discovered in a field near Pickering in North Yorkshire
The 500lb bomb was discovered in a field near Pickering in North Yorkshire
[Picture: Corporal Chris Ball, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Aviation enthusiast Mr Ken Ward was investigating an old crash site on Sunday 16 August 2009 and while he was digging he found the 500lb (227kg) bomb.
Local police called the Joint EOD Task Group in Didcot and the Army team from Catterick then attended the scene. Upon discovering that it was an airborne bomb, 5131 Bomb Disposal Squadron based at RAF Wittering, comprising of Sergeant Dave Fry and Corporal Chris Ball, was re-tasked to the site where they confirmed that the device was live.
Two nearby villages, Ebberston and Allerston, were completely evacuated which resulted in around 1,000 people leaving the area for their personal protection.
On Monday 17 August 2009, 100 one-tonne sandbags were ordered, as a nearby garden nursery was within the cordon distance and was extremely close to the site of the bomb. In order to cause as little damage as possible, the team built a wall of sandbags around the greenhouses with additional manpower which had to be brought in.
Although the detonation was scheduled for 1500hrs on Tuesday 18 August 2009, the team were well ahead of schedule and had completed their preparations by 1100hrs that morning. The team worked closely with the local authorities and police to ensure that all members of the public were beyond the cordon and as safe as possible.
The 500lb World War II bomb
The bomb was discovered by Mr Ken Ward while he was digging on an old aircraft crash site
[Picture: Corporal Chris Ball, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Due to the size of the bomb, the team elected to put five pounds (2.2kg) of explosives on the case of the device in order to detonate it sufficiently. The local roads were closed off to traffic 15 minutes before the scheduled detonation and, once the team were given the go ahead from local police at 1502hrs, the detonation was made.
The detonation caused little disruption to the local area and residents and the nearby roads were open again by 1510hrs.
Flight Sergeant Stewart Mills was the EOD Officer in charge of the detonation. He said:
"Although there were obviously bomb fragments, the sandbags contained the fragmentation and were able to direct it as much as possible.
"We managed to save the nearby nurseries which the owner was extremely pleased about, although some panes of glass were slightly damaged.
"After the detonation, the remnants of the sandbags and the sand needed to be cleared up and the clear-up operation was completed by 1830hrs."
Two standby teams operate from RAF Wittering - the EOD team which are on 30 minutes notice to move, and cover the whole of the UK, and a two-man IED (improvised explosive device) team who are on ten minutes notice to move, and cover the local area.
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/RafTeamDetonatesMassiveWwiiBomb.htm