Importance Score: 55 / 100 🔵
WWII Bomb Casing Found in Garden During Lawn Mowing to Become Beer Cooler
A man in Putley, Herefordshire, unearthed a piece of history in his backyard – a World War II era bomb casing. Initially disrupting his weekend barbecue plans, Ross Miller now intends to repurpose the vintage ordnance as a novel beer cooler.
Discovery of the WWII Relic
Ross Miller was tending to his lawn on Saturday when he unexpectedly discovered the heavy, 11kg bomb casing from the 1940s. The previous homeowners had mentioned a buried metallic object in the garden, speculating it was related to the water system.
Upon closer examination, Mr. Miller noticed a percussion cap, resembling that of ammunition, along with the year ‘1940’ inscribed on the shell.
Safety Concerns and Emergency Response
Prioritizing the safety of his young daughter, Hannah, aged nine, Mr. Miller contacted emergency services. West Mercia Police responded by advising him to maintain a safe distance and to provide photographic evidence of his discovery.
Law enforcement promptly established a 100-meter exclusion zone around the premises, leading to the temporary closure of the street in Putley, Herefordshire.
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit Intervention
The area was secured for approximately two hours before the arrival of a specialized Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit. Accompanied by a trained explosives detection dog, the team conducted a thorough inspection of the unearthed bomb casing.
According to Mr. Miller, the EOD specialists identified the item as a 25-pounder shell. Crucially, they confirmed that the casing was devoid of any residual explosives.
Following a safety assessment, the EOD unit deemed the casing safe, cleaned it, and returned it to Mr. Miller as an unusual memento.
From Bombshell to Beer Cooler
Mr. Miller now plans to clean and polish the historic shell casing, transforming it into a unique beer cooling device for his rescheduled barbecue.
“I’m going to fill it with ice and use it to chill bottles of beer,” he stated, anticipating it will be a “great conversation starter” for guests.
Reflecting on the unexpected garden discovery, Mr. Miller remarked, “When you unearth something like that in your garden, you have to do something with it.”
Despite the disruption to his day, Mr. Miller expressed relief that the situation was resolved safely.