Bomb Washed Up on Hurst Spit

click image to enlarge

Whilst walking the dogs along Hurst Spit this afternoon, my wife spotted a Royal Logistic Corps Bomb Disposal Unit alongside Sturt Pond.

It is not often you get the excitement of flashing blue lights charging through Milford on Sea village, so plenty of people must have wondered what was happening.

Yesterday, the country had of course suffered from a major storm, with 99mph winds recorded at The Needles may well have contributed to arrival of the unwanted wartime relic.

Sean Crane at Hurst Castle told us that they had called the bomb disposal team out, as there were a number of shells exposed by the Sunday night storm. He also told us; "You may remember that when the beach was rebuilt some years ago shingle was brought ashore from the shingle bank between Hurst Castle and The Needles. This was the area that was used for practise firing of the guns during WW1 and WW11 and had never been dredged before, so a great number of the practise shells were pumped ashore by the dredger and then bulldozed to form the spit that we know. After a bit of a blow these can be exposed and create a panic but as far as I am aware no really dangerous ones have been found."

In a sensible manoeuvre, and to ensure things were safe, Sean drove his tractor and Jason walked the newly exposed area. All came back in one piece, so the spit remained explosionless.

Living in Milford on Sea, we of course face this type of danger on a daily basis, but being a stoic bunch we never let it affect our daily lives!

That evening my wife & I were having a quiet drink in the village, and we were chatting about the days bomb events with our friendly blond barmaid (who I will not name, but she knows who she is!), when she said; "Was the bomb a new one?". Ah bless! Sometimes we all speak before engaging our brain!

February 2013: On 14th February 2013 the shell in the picture below was found by the Lymington Coastguard on Hurst Castle Spit. 

That particular bomb was dug out and removed by the bomb disposal unit from Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD). The device was later identified as from WW1 and inside was found remains of explosive and ball bearings.



click image to enlarge

January 2011: You can also read a ridiculous story about how another bomb found in 2011 disrupted my pleasant Sunday afternoon. click here to read.

Hurst Castle

Hurst Spit

Milford on Sea

Tel: 01590 642344

www.hurstcastle.co.uk

Hurst Castle can be reached by a 1.5 mile walk along the shingle spit, or by a sensible & comfortable ferry ride from Keyhaven harbour!

Opening Hours

The Castle is currently open weekends only till 31st March when they are open daily | Daily from April to September 10.30 am to 5.30 pm | October Daily: 10.30 am to 4 pm. 

Entry: Adult £4.50 : Child £2.50 : Senior £4.00 - Friendly dogs on leads welcome.