As the poor weather continues to cause misery for much of the South West of Britain, for some it has proved to uncover some amazing finds as bombs dating from the World War Two era have been found washed up. Storms that have ravaged and reshaped parts of the British coastline have led to the discovery of wartime shells long-buried on beaches. Police say that high tides and huge waves have either exposed devices or brought them closer to the surface.
In South West England and West Wales, which bore the brunt of the storms, six devices have been handled by bomb disposal units in six weeks. The Navy’s Southern Diving Group said it had received a 20 per cent increase in reports of unexploded bombs since January. A 100lb Mk XIX Second World War British anti-submarine mine was found by surfers at Watwick Bay, Haverfordwest, while a rare First World War German mine surfaced on a beach near Newquay.
Two mortar shells were found in Poole Harbour, and mortars have emerged on the shore at Mountbatten Point, Plymouth, and Crow Point, North Devon. Other glimpses of wartime Britain have been uncovered at Woolacombe, North Devon, one of the key training beaches for the D-Day landings. The storms revealed an old pill box together with concrete anchorages and pile-driven iron girders. It is expected that such items will continue to be found as the bad weather continues to blight much of Britain.