Major evacuation follows discovery of WW2 munition
More than 100 personnel from the British Army and Royal Navy were involved in a ‘complex operation’ to remove a WW2 bomb discovered at a Devon home.
Around 30 of the Armed Forces’ most experienced bomb disposal experts led the highly complex disposal operation following its’ discovery last Tuesday.
More than 80 Royal Navy personnel supported Plymouth City Council and emergency services in one of the largest evacuation operations since the end of the war. The 500kg bomb discovered in the back garden of a residential property in Plymouth.
It has now been safely destroyed by bomb disposal experts from the British Army and Royal Navy.
Around 30 of the Armed Forces’ most experienced bomb disposal specialists worked around the clock following its discovery last week.
It was successfully removed from a densely populated residential area, and towed out to sea, where it was detonated.
The Ministry of Defence says the munition was ‘identified as an air-dropped German bomb from World War Two.’
It was assessed as ‘posing a significant risk to public safety, prompting the evacuation of residents within a radius of approximately 300 metres.’
Evacuation of 10,000 residents
More than 10,000 residents were evacuated to safety in an operation involving the Armed Forces, Plymouth City Council, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service plus Devon and Cornwall Police.
The surrounding area of the route was secured before it was safely transported to a waterway and taken out to sea – where it was subsequently destroyed.
‘I would like to express my thanks to all our personnel involved in this highly complex operation, who worked both night and day this week to keep the public safe and minimise the risk of damage, as well as the public for their patience and cooperation,’ said Grant Shapps, UK Defence Secretary.
‘The success of this operation is testament to the level of skill and expertise across our Armed Forces, as well as the bravery and fortitude of our personnel when faced with high-risk situations and working under extreme pressure.’
The complex disposal operation required hours of careful analysis by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) experts from both the British Army and the Royal Navy.
They were supported by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) which allowed teams to establish the condition of the explosive payload contained within the bomb, and the status of its fuse, before further action could be taken.
Experts say that, if the fuse, or the explosive payload had significantly degraded, it may not have been possible to move the bomb and there would have been a significant risk of an ‘uncontrolled explosion.’
After careful assessment, it was decided that moving the bomb would present a lower risk to the residential area – and it was transported in a convoy to a slipway near the HMNB Devonport base.
Military operation
It was then towed behind a Royal Navy vessel and submerged to a safe depth at sea. Royal Navy divers planted an explosive charge on the bomb to allow for its safe disposal.
The disposal team was comprised of members of the Army’s 11 EOD and Search Regiment, who are often the first responders from the Armed Forces when called upon by local authorities to assist with disposal of unexploded munitions.
They were supported by elements from 35 Engineer Regiment (EOD&S) and 42 Engineer Regiment (Geographic).
The team was further supported by members of the Royal Navy’s Diving and Threat Exploitation Group which is based nearby at Plymouth’s HMNB Devonport.
More than 80 further Navy personnel from HMNB Devonport provided support to the Council and emergency services.
The actions carried out prompted the first ever use of the Government’s Emergency Alert system in a non-test context.
Residents in Plymouth received an update to their phones warning them of the transportation of the bomb to the Torpoint Ferry slipway.
The system is activated in instances that may present a risk to life, where essential information can help keep the public safe.
