I kept what I thought was ordinary garden ornament but it turned out to be live BOMB… it could have exploded at any time
A PENSIONER had what he thought was a nice ornament in his garden but it turned out to be a live bomb which could have gone off at any time.
Jeff Edwards was amazed that the shell was taken away to be detonated by the bomb squad after it had been sitting outside his home for more than 70 years.
The 64lb naval bomb had been outside the house in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales, since just after World War 2.
Jeff, 77, said the bomb had been found by the previous occupants of his house, the Morris family.
“The father used to go round delivering lemonade on a horse and cart and was known as Pops Morris,” said Jeffrey.
“He found it on Broad Haven beach and brought it back on his horse and cart, it has been in front of the house ever since.”
The bomb which dates from 1880 to 1890 is believed to have been fired from a warship using Broad Haven beach as target practice.
The bomb had become part of the house’s features.
The couple who lived there after the Morris family sunk it into cement in the front garden and when Jeffrey and wife Sian moved in in 1982, they painted it red to match their windowsills.
Nobody thought the bomb had any charge and after gardening Sian used to bang her trowel on it to get rid of any loose earth.
All was well until Jeffrey and Sian got a knock on the door on Wednesday evening.
A police officer said that it would be necessary to take photos of the device and send them onto the MOD.
Within an hour the officer was back on Jeffrey and Sian’s doorstep saying that the bomb squad would be arriving the next day.
At 8.30am on Thursday the police arrived on the street, followed by the bomb squad and the fire brigade.
There was some talk of the street being evacuated and Jeffrey told the officers that he and Sian would stay in the house regardless.
“If the house goes up, we are going up with it,” he told them.
In the end it was not necessary to evacuate but, after an x-ray, the bomb disposal experts did find that the shell still had a small charge.
“There was still a little bit of life in the old girl,” said Jeffrey. “They couldn’t leave it here just in case it decided to blow.”
The experts worked throughout the day slowly digging the bomb out of the concrete.
It was then taken under police escort to a quarry in Walwyn’s Castle where it was covered in five tonnes of sand and detonated the next day.
“I was sorry to see It go,” said Jeffrey. “It’s been part of my life all those years. It was sad to think of being blown to smithereens.”
Jeffrey said that he was delighted to hear that the bomb had split clean in half when detonated.
The markings on it revealed that it dated back to 1880 or 1890 and it is now likely that it will be acquired by a museum.
“It’s causing so much interest,” said Jeff. “I like to think it will go to a far far better home.”
The Ministry of Defence said: “We can confirm that on 30 November 23, Ashchurch Troop, 721 EOD Sqn, 11 EOD&S Regt RLC, responded at the request of Dyfed-Powys Police to a suspect item of ordnance.
“The EOD team assessed the item and determined it to be a 64lb naval projectile which was removed from the scene for subsequent explosive demolition.”