By John Smith • Published: 05 Mar 2024 • 12:58
The crater left after one of the bombs was exploded Credit: DOVO Facebook
One would have thought that almost 80 years after the end of the Second World War, there would be very little dangerous unexploded ordnance left to be discovered.
A maritime agency in Belgium feared that there may still be some live explosives still on Koksijde Beach on the North West Coast and called in the Belgian Army Division known as the Service for Clearance and Destruction of Explosive Devices (DOVO).
Over a period of three days, they managed to uncover three large bombs both on the beach and in the water with one containing 100 kilos of explosives.
According to a DOVO statement, it is believed that these were French bombs dropped from an Anti-submarine aircraft which were still live and could have caused considerable damage if they were disturbed and exploded during the summer when the beach hosts large numbers of visitors.
It seems incredible, but very fortuitous that in such a long period of time, no unknowing holiday maker had triggered any of these bombs and clearly apart from dealing with modern munitions, bomb disposal units across Europe, especially in areas that were in theatres of war, still have an important role to play.
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Married to Ophelia in Gibraltar in 1978, John has spent much of his life travelling on security print and minting business and visited every continent except Antarctica. Having retired several years ago, the couple moved to their house in Estepona and John became a regular news writer for the EWN Media Group taking particular interest in Finance, Gibraltar and Costa del Sol Social Scene. Currently he is acting as Editorial Consultant for the paper helping to shape its future development. Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews
We were very interested to receive this comment from Peter Gallant in Los Montesinos who was kind enough to share some of his experience in being a bomb disposal expert. I was a former Royal Naval Bomb and Mine Clearance Diver, There are many UXBs still to be cleared, When Bombers during the war had to abort there run due to engine problems returning to the UK they jettisoned there bombs in the English channel or the north sea before landing, During bad storms these are washed up on shores, dredged up, and brought up in fishing nets, Oil rigs have to be careful when on location a 500 lb bomb was found alongside a main oil pipeline, Malta was heavily bombed during the was those that missed the ships got buried in the mud, Also when the Japanese surrendered their munitions were dumped in the sea around Malaya and Singapore, I know I was in a team of divers trying to clear them,
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