Bouncing Bomb washes up on Reculver Beach

Wait for it…. this is a thread that mentions the Dambusters… just a couple more seconds and….

So it was found by a digger – and not sniffed out by a dog called “digger” (as per the planned film, which might arrive one year!)

There it is!

So it was found by a digger – and not sniffed out by a dog called “digger” (as per the planned film, which might arrive one year!)

The live upkeep weapons were safely dumped at sea – as was a lot of the ex-WW2 stuff. Let’s face it, who’d want to salvage explosive-filled WW2 bombs (unless you had to) though they will probably have been without fuses.

No idea, Denis, without a bit of research. There were a few different types as well as the dam weapons and a lot of testing took place with inert units so there is a high potential of many more. At least the Reculver specimens will have been inert, they didn’t test live stuff there, they were mainly concerned with ballistics and delivery data; and close to shore so they could film the stuff without shrapnel flying everywhere! Highball was tested there too, I think. That was the spherical Mossie-delivered anti-shipping weapon destined for use in the Far East.

There is some great test film about. I particularly like the high-def, slo-mo of the Wellingtons, Mosquitos and Lancasters approaching for their drops, propellers slowly revolving.

Anon.

I do know they were dumped in the sea off of the west coast of Scotland post war, I should imagine still filled with explosives and very deep! They would never be salvaged due to the decay and instability of the filling.

Think I read somewhere that all remaining upkeeps were flown out to see and dropped,, any one location?? and can they be salvaged?

A slow steady supply of Upkeeps and parts

Anon.

Any idea just how many practice drops there were?

There’ll probably be a few more around in the sand and below the tide line, I would think.

A slow steady supply of Upkeeps and parts thereof for the foreseeable future.

Anon.

It needs to stay at Reculver with the local museum ! Enough Upkeep’s have been taken away!

If I read the article correctly, the local museum trustees is quoted as saying the item should remain on the beach (if he meant that literally)…where it will eventually be chipped away to nothing, stolen or vandalised. If accurate, that doesn’t make his museum the best keeper for it.

Shows how WWII history and artifacts are still treated by many…seems they’re too new to be taken seriously.

For all the naysayers this article was published on 31 March NOT 1st of April.

The complete practice round that is currently on loan to Newark Air Museum and displayed in Lancaster Corner was recovered from the same location several years ago.

I kid you not – these* also washed up on Reculver Beach…I mean they were uncovered when shingle was being redistributed on the beach:

Westland Wasp XT787
C-47A 43-48234
C-47A A65-42
C-47 42-100521 Night Fright
DC-3 N135FS
Twin Pioneer VH-EVB
Fairchild C-123K 54-0592
Canberra WH779
Canberra TT.18 WJ574
B-17E Desert Rat/Tangerine 41-2595
B-17 Lacey Lady
B-17 cockpit
B-17G 42-31552
HS Trident 1C G-ARPO
Lightning XS422
Lightning F6 XR747
Lightning T.5 XS420
Lightning F.53 53-700
Lightning F2a XN728
Lightning F2a XN726
Avro Shackleton WR963
Avro Shackleton WR973
Avro Shackleton Rosalie WL795
B-25J Sandbar Mitchell
Sikorsky S-60
Douglas A-26C 43-22649
Blackburn Buccaneer S.2B XZ431
P-63 43-11137
Hawker Typhoon RB396
Corsair FG-1D 92460
XP-82 Twin Mustang 44-83887
Avro Vulcan MK1 XA903
Jet Provost T3 XM404
Harrier T4N XW268
Harrier GR3 XZ993
HS P.1127 XV280
Auster T7 WE552
Meteor NF14 WS788
Short Stirling
Westland Wyvern S4
Noorduyn Norseman CF-GLI
Fairey Barracuda DP872
DH Hornet F1
HP Halifax
Tornado F3 ZE965 & ZE936
Tornado ZA326/
Lancaster FM212
Luton Minor G-AFIR

Oh…it’s April 2nd today…never mind.

*Stolen from Fouga23’s “Facebook restoration threads” thread

I agree mate a bit suss hey

I know I’m an Aussie, and probably gullible, but I’d be a little happier if it weren’t posted on the 1st April!

It needs to stay at Reculver with the local museum ! Enough Upkeep’s have been taken away!

But it is the Daily Mail. What to do you expect? Facts?

Er…not quite “washed up”. It was discovered when they were moving shingle with a digger.

It’ll be one of the test specimens which broke up on impact when they were fine-tuning the drop height.

Great story anyway, despite the exaggeration for publicity purposes.

Anon.

Great find! Should go on display at the IBCM when it opens in my opinion

A little sympathetic conservation work and a suitable collecting box I think.

Would be better than leaving it in the water and sand to deteriorate like some in that story wish to do.

A little sympathetic conservation work and a suitable collecting box I think.

Thats a historic find.I hope it stays on public display .