Bomb Off Orford

[Elton]

Been following this on the local news. Don't think I'd want to be stranded on the island when they blow this baby up!

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/suffolk/4796216.stm

 

Wasn't you was it, Wurzel?

[wurzel]

No it weren't me.

The biggest bomb I 've ever caught was a hand granade, they are too heavy for my nets, I once had a diver climb a board with a large live shell, about six inches across and two half foot long, the head was missing, he thought it was just a shell case full of mud so he promptly started hacking a way at it with a bloody great divers knife, I pointed out to him that the mud and sand he was hacking at was in fact cordite and gunpowder and I'd rarther he didn't.

[Toerag]

Apparently Portsmouth trawlers tend to deliberately trawl up ordinance when their nets are getting worn out so the nets have to be blown u-p with the bomb or whatever and the insurance pays out for a nice new net! Unfortunately it doesn't always work, 3 belgian fishermen were killed last year when they trawled up a mine. Most WW2 or earlier ordinance is not likely to pose a threat now, but the classic mines with horns all over are always dangerous.

The above info came 1st hand from a navy mine clearance diver.

[MJB]

My Uncle was fishing a match on Chesil years ago, when this oblect came bobbing along in front of him and a mate. Like you do in situations like this, him and his mate starting throwing stones at the floating object. Next day on the news was the story of the WW II mine which was found off Chesil.

[Westie]

It seems that Elton has uncovered my latest attempt at getting a sizeable cod off the beach in Suffolk. Shucks.

[wurzel]

Hello Toerag

Apparently Portsmouth trawlers tend to deliberately trawl up ordinance when their nets are getting worn out so the nets have to be blown u-p with the bomb or whatever and the insurance pays out for a nice new net! Unfortunately it doesn't always work, 3 belgian fishermen were killed last year when they trawled up a mine. Most WW2 or earlier ordinance is not likely to pose a threat now, but the classic mines with horns all over are always dangerous.

The above info came 1st hand from a navy mine clearance diver.

 

I have heard this as well, I rember one time I heard a beamer calling the coastgard to report a mine catch, they sent the navy to him, with in a couple of hours 3 other beamers were claiming they had also caught mines.

[Holmesy]

Perhaps we could seed a few mines for them to catch ? if we all chip in a tenner....

[YoungRod]

apparently, mines and bombs and such have been found in the thames quite regulary. though i have never seen one, most people say that wreckage from ships and planes still have explosives (live and ready) still inside!

[chesters1]

Apparently Portsmouth trawlers tend to deliberately trawl up ordinance when their nets are getting worn out so the nets have to be blown u-p with the bomb or whatever and the insurance pays out for a nice new net! Unfortunately it doesn't always work, 3 belgian fishermen were killed last year when they trawled up a mine. Most WW2 or earlier ordinance is not likely to pose a threat now, but the classic mines with horns all over are always dangerous.

The above info came 1st hand from a navy mine clearance diver.

 

i quite believe it theres a few hot spots nearby where ordnance was dumped (shown on the charts)

folkestone has yearly catchings of ww2 bits and bobs and lots of fragments used to be found when the bomb disposal detonated mines etc .

the biggest bomb i have come across was in a very unlikely place ,a british 500lb one in the basingstoke canal when i helped with its restoration ,hand grenades were hourly finds and 303 bullets found by the sack full ,at least 10 rifles a day were found and the bomb disposal got so peed off sawing them up the hi-macs crushed them at the end of each day ,how so many were never missed i havent a clue but bomb disposal had plenty of practice .

the grenades were defused most times (they didnt rust much underwater in deep silt) and then set on fire the cases were chucked in the mud where it was dumped ,i wish i had spirited a few away .

in the thames estuary is a wreck filled to the brink with explosives and clearly marked to allow vessels to give it a wide berth.

i used to meet a chap fishing who worked in folkestone salvage ,they found a submarine in the channel ,to ket inside they weld a hatch to the conning tower as an airlock ,on going inside the crew was still in there ,the sub must have had a clorine accident (sea water in the batteries) and the lot died ,they had to leave it because its a designated war grave if theres bodies on board.

he also dashed off in the recovery vessel to grab the proppellers of a recently sunk ship ,on finding it the propellers were gone ,he blamed the french

Edited March 15, 2006 by chesters1

[DJMCJERICO]

Yupp theres about one every year found around the southend area and theres also a no fish zone where an old ship carrying explosives has sunk, apparently if it does expload Canvey Island will be under water, although everytime someone parps off an air biscuit Canvey will either flood or expload