An artillery shell dating back to World War II (WWII) was discovered on a farm in Scotland on Monday (July 16) prompting plenty of excitement locally.
The explosive was found on a farm in Moray, near Forres on the north-east coast.
The unexploded ammunition prompted police to be called, who in turn alerted a Royal Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, according to UXO (Unexploded Ordnance) specialist Zetica UXO.
The EOD team removed the shell to a nearby secluded area, Roseisle Beach, where the squad destroyed the bomb in a controlled explosion.
The farmer reportedly found the artillery artifact in one of his fields and phoned the police, according to UK publication The Press and Journal.
The Press and Journal adds that police arrived at about 11:30am on Monday morning, secured the area around the explosive, and waited for the specialist unit to come in and remove it in the afternoon.
According to Zetica, an estimated 10% of bombs dropped in the UK during World War II failed to explode.
Such artillery still poses a threat to activities such as piling, drilling, tunnelling and excavations in high-risk areas, the company warns.
Since Monday’s unwelcome discovery, a second such device was also discovered in an area near Dolwyddelan in Conwy, north Wales – resulting in another controlled explosion in a local field.
Apparently large tracts of rural land in Wales were used for military training during both world wars and such discoveries periodically occur in remote areas, according to Zetica.
Compared to this, having to pick stones in your field doesn’t seem quite so bad…
