London homes near Wembley evacuated after WWII bomb is found (link fixed)

[Omaha Steve]

Source: NY Times

LONDON (AP) — British police have closed roads and evacuated hundreds of homes near London's Wembley Stadium as the army works to defuse an unexploded World War II bomb.

The 50-kilogram (110-pound) bomb was discovered by builders working near the stadium. It is believed to have been dropped over London during German bombing raids in the early 1940s.

An army spokesman said the bomb is in a "potentially dangerous condition" and that even under a controlled explosion it could cause significant damage to property and a "genuine risk to life." A cordon has been placed around the site and bomb disposal experts were working Friday to defuse the device.



Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_BRITAIN_WWII_BOMB?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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OOPS.

[marym625]

1. Wow!

Glad they saw it before the construction company accidentally set it off.

How scary to think a 50 year old bomb could blow up now. I would imagine there are others that didn't explode that have not been found.

[sarge43]

3. UXBs (unexploded bombs) can stay lethal for decades, even centuries.

Last edited Fri May 22, 2015, 09:50 AM - Edit history (1)

They're still turning up in German cities. The gift that keeps on giving.

Particularly dangerous are the buried pockets of mustard gas left over from WWI. The gas would settled in craters and an explosion would cause dirt to cover it. When they're uncovered and occasionally they still are, the gas can still do its thing.

[marym625]

5. damn!

I knew that bombs were a problem, just didn't know they were in the UK. Though I guess I should have.

But mustard gas! Holy shit.

I hate war. When are leaders going to get that it's no answer?

[melm00se]

10. here is a story about on going efforts

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2497732/The-iron-harvest-Meet-soldiers-tasked-clearing-hundreds-tonnes-deadly-World-War-I-shells-mines-beneath-fields-Flanders.html

[sarge43]

11. Thanks for posting this. n/t

[marym625]

17. Thanks for the info

I appreciate it

[MADem]

13. When I was living in Japan, they found one about a hundred yards from my place!

Not a lotta fun, but they managed to defuse the thing in short order.

[sarge43]

15. Any area that was bombed or shelled will have duds lurking around

"Alive and well and living in sin."

[Warpy]

27. During the Blitz, so many bombs fell that they lost track of them

and will probably keep discovering them from time to time for many decades.

I wonder if they discovered it during one of these:

[Eleanors38]

12. According to Wiki, UXOs date back to the American Civil War.

[marym625]

18. wow

I had no idea

[Eleanors38]

21. Old black powder was used then; went the way of the Do-Do by the 1890s in favor

Of more "stable" and far more powerful smokeless powders. Blackpowder lasting that long is a bit mind-boggling.

[marym625]

22. and frightening

[melm00se]

2. During the early months of the London Blitz

the Nazis dropped approximately 30,000 bombs in the London area.

There are probably quite a few unexploded bombs still laying in wait.

[PatSeg]

8. I've heard about them

ever since I was kid. It is mind-boggling that over 70 years later, they are still finding them. Must be very unsettling for people living in London or other cities where they were dropped.

Constant reminders of the stupidity of war.

[dembotoz]

4. and I was worried about my car's airbags...

[Javaman]

6. Link doesn't match the story. nt

[Omaha Steve]

7. Thanks

Fixed.

[csziggy]

9. Are they absolutely SURE it's a World War II bomb?

It could be something worse!

[MADem]

14. DANGER UXB!!!!!!!

About 35 years ago, there used to be a show on UK tv called DANGER UXB....you can relive those thrilling episodes on YOUTUBE today! Such fun!

&list=PLgO7Y1YUrAh28K6QJLWhQNROJtglGF3nv

[dembotoz]

16. i loved that show

on you tube.....binge on the way

looked at getting the dvds

always cost too much

most big time thanks

[MADem]

23. It's interesting how much stuff is going up on YT. Good old stuff, too! nt

[dembotoz]

24. now 2 episodes in. lovely way to spend men day weekend

Thanks
Made my week

[MADem]

25. Happy to have helped you out! nt

[Telcontar]

19. When i lived in German (early 80s) there was an EOD unit

tasked with recovering and destroying UXOd and abandoned munitions left from second half of the Great European Civil War. I remember an interview with their commander, an American major IIRC, that said they would stay busy well into the next century. Looks like he was right.

[sarge43]

20. Yup

One day in the life of a ammo man, Vietnam mid sixties: Fourteen hours straight, uncrating and storing Mk 82s (500lbs GP bombs). Figuring one in a thousand will dud out. Multiply that by the millions of times that went on through out the world during the 20th century. That's a lot of UXOs.

[GliderGuider]

28. "second half of the Great European Civil War"

What an appropriate way of framing it!

[Telcontar]

29. Thanks

You can really lump in all conflict from Franco-Prussian War 1870 through the end of the Cold War as a single conflict. It was a struggle on how Europe was going to be governed and by whom. Funny thing is, you can really make the case that Germany ultimately won. But only by losing.

[allan01]

26. !!!!! hope the bomb squad does good work