Bomb squad called to museum over fears pensioner's WWII shell could go off

 
A bomb team looks at the shell at the Museum in this picture posted on its Facebook page
Anna Dubuis9 April 2014

A bomb disposal squad carried out an emergency evacuation at a London museum amid fears a World War II shell donated by a well-meaning pensioner was still live.

The shell had been on display in a cabinet after being given to Chertsey Museum as a piece of wartime memorabilia.

It was only after curator Emma Warren sent a photograph of the eight-inch metal case to a friend that workers realised the potential danger.

A unit from The Royal Logistic Corps Bomb Squad was sent

A unit from The Royal Logistic Corps Bomb Squad was rushed to the Victorian museum which was immediately evacuated and closed. Explosives experts examined the shell - and two others on display - before removing them from the premises. It emerged that the device had been retrieved from a gravel pit where a number of shells dropped during the Blitz had failed to detonate on impact.

Mrs Warren told a local news website: “A member of the public had brought in an old shell to use for the World War II collection and told us it was perfectly safe.

“We had no reason to doubt him but when we did some research into it we found out that it fell in a gravel pit which was bombed on October 19 1940, and a report said there were a number of bombs that didn’t detonate in that area.

The bomb disposal team's van outside the museum Picture: Facebook Chertsey Museum

“I sent her a picture of it to one of the local councillor’s whose husband works in bomb disposal and at that point we started evacuating the museum.”

She added: “We had a couple of other shells that were on display which we don’t have any paperwork for so they have taken all three items away, they were fairly certain they were absolutely OK and they will return them to us next week.

“We have been asking for people to bring in their First World War memorabilia but maybe next time we ask members of the public for war related items, we should maybe specify not bombs!”

The museum was closed for around an hour on Saturday while the police and bomb disposal unit arrived.

A hand-written sign was hastily taped to the front door reading: “Museum closed due to unforeseen circumstances.”

Bomb squad officers handle the shell Picture: Facebook Chertsey Museum

Captain Rob Marshall, a quartermaster in the Army, said: “It was potentially something that could have been dangerous. It’s definitely safe but it’s always worth getting it check out.

“The item is being examined now and a safety certificate will be issued.”

Mrs Warren added: “It was our first Saturday with a new member of staff and I told her it wouldn’t be a normal day as we had a half-term craft activity going on in the afternoon, but I don’t think she was expecting this.”

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