MoD launches appeal to find two men pictured carrying 'unexploded bombs'

The Ministry of Defence has launched an appeal to find two men photographed walking in Dorset with two "unexploded bombs" on their shoulders.

The men were spotted near Worbarrow Bay "nonchalantly" walking awawy from the beach holding the 120-millimetre tank shells. A shocked woman, who has not been named, took a photograph of the men with her mobile phone, saying: “I thought they were carrying rugs, but as they walked past, I saw they were enormous shells" she said.

The shells were found on the 7,000-acre Lulworth Military Range used by the Army for tank firing practice.
It is not yet certain whether they are live bombs, but it is thought the two men took them hoping to sell them for scrap metal.
A spokesman for the MoD said the shells would have probably been fired from a Chieftain tank or a Wombat anti-tank rifle used by the Army during the Cold War.

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I wonder if those guys know what they have, An how much they would sell for scrap value lol?

reply to post by Lady_Tuatha


They better get enough money out of them for their bail......

Natural selection at it's finest!!

What on earth would possess someone to take these?! Surely the fact that they're still in tact is a hint that maybe you shouldn't be picking them up...

Is it even possible that the shells are still dangerous after sitting in a field exposed to the elements for the last 60+ years? I'm not saying I would pick them up, especially given that there are signs posted that prohibit such a thing. I just wonder if they should be considered "unexploded bombs" if the explosive content has deteriorated and become inert. How long does that stuff stay dangerous?

reply to post by Slugworth


Hmm I'm not sure how long they can sit tere for before turning into a dud. But now and again fishermen drag up old sea mines used during the war from the Thames. The Royal Navy bomb disposal still class them as active and blow them up

Once back in the early 80s I was stationed in Tchad. Our company replaced some french troops in a place called Ati. Where the unit before us lost about 20 guys to a unexploded 120m shell. They were posing with it on their shoulders and it slipped off hit the deck and exploded. When I got there and it was explained how they lost their mates. I thought to myself , what a bunch of rubber heads. So these guys carrying their booty home from the beach are the same. Bloody half wits. A danger to every one arround them, I hope they get charged with some thing. Find a bomb on the beach an take it home?

Darwin Awards anyone.....?
2nd

reply to post by Lady_Tuatha


When I saw 'mod' I was thinking an ATS mod was involved!

(maybe i spend 2 much free time on this site.)

reply to post by Slugworth


They're more dangerous now than ever. The older an explosive gets the more unstable it becomes. There have been numerous people killed by WWII shells, and these are younger, so there is a very real danger.

Originally posted by Slugworth
Is it even possible that the shells are still dangerous after sitting in a field exposed to the elements for the last 60+ years? I'm not saying I would pick them up, especially given that there are signs posted that prohibit such a thing. I just wonder if they should be considered "unexploded bombs" if the explosive content has deteriorated and become inert. How long does that stuff stay dangerous?

Actually, over time, explosives internally breakdown and become unstable, and even more dangerous. Not only are these knuckleheads endangering themselves, but everyone in at least a 20 yard radius of them too.

ETA: Sorry Zaphod, looks like we posted the same thought at the same time, and you beat me to the post.

Darwin at his best.

cant fix stupid.

The moment i walk next to those dudes and notice what they have, i would be running like crazy away from them screaming like a little girl.

Thank you Zaphod58 and Krakatoa for clarifying that. It is surprising information. It probably would have been a big surprise to the guys in the article too if they blew up, because they probably made the same assumption that I did. However, if I had found those things I still wouldn't have touched them because assumptions are dangerous when handling weapons.

Originally posted by Slugworth
Thank you Zaphod58 and Krakatoa for clarifying that. It is surprising information. It probably would have been a big surprise to the guys in the article too if they blew up, because they probably made the same assumption that I did. However, if I had found those things I still wouldn't have touched them because assumptions are dangerous when handling weapons.

Yeah, the worst is old dynamite found in abandoned mine shafts out west. The nitro will seep out and the slightest jolt will trigger an explosion and cave-in on whomever is in there at the time.