German Bomb?

On the subject of misidentified bombs please see link below, not “Typhoon Rockets” inert practice bombs! full of lead pellets tail containing fuze and smoke agent missing. Probably looked good with a few pounds of plastic strapped to them, probably made a good bang!

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/folkestone_express/news/bombs-found-11316/

It’s an agency story from the Press Association. Other regional newspapers have had the courtesy to credit the story to its original source, such as here:
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/national/news/10952237.German_bomb_found_under_Exmoor_path/

Blimey!

And found on Exmoor, too.

Now this is a coincidence? There is even one on ebay!!”

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WW1-or-WW2-shrapnel-mustard-gas-shell-no-gas-included-Livens-projector-bomb-/281248085755?pt=UK_Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item417bb136fb

Seller says he also found a whole one and called the authorities!

It has been viewed, elsewhere, by a WW2 ordnance expert who has taken the view that it is definitely a Livens bomb. He adds that the specific area where it was found was used extensively as a training range for these missiles.

However, that begs the question; would they have used ‘live’ bombs, anyway? Or just rounds that perhaps gave off smoke, or similar? Seems a bit risky to be flinging live gas cylinders around in the British countryside, however remote a spot on Exmoor.

Well to me it looks like some form of oxygen cylinder – perhaps even an old LPG cylinder that some camper disposed of. In the latter case no wonder it went off with a bang.

At least all seem to be agreed; it isn’t a German bomb.

Livens seems to be the most likely, I’d say.

My friend Ian Jones also thinks it is a British WWI Livens bomb. He says “It does not look like a German WW2 bomb as they used transverse fuzes”. He recommends http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/88620-EOD-Bomb-ID

If it’s an explosive device, it looks more like the round from a WW1 Livens Projector than anything else: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livens_Projector

Adrian

Without benefit of some form of scale, my first instinct would be Livens projectile & I have seen a few! Despite its apparent similarity to an Oxy bottle, though I can see where this is coming from too. If EOD have come to the same conclusion, I suspect they will not be too keen on blowing it up for a very rare change due to the uncertainty as to its possible contents!

Best illustrations I could find is at: http://m.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30021448

Very odd. Maybe they used a library photo of a ‘bomb-shaped object found at a crash site’ and that isn’t the one disposed of?

Ah, I see the photo is credited to Avon & Somerset Police. I have no idea of their ordnance identifying credentials.

I agree, Alan Clark, that it looks very much like one although we don’t have a scale. Maybe, 100lbs might be the right kind of guesstimate for a ‘bomb’ of that size, but it looks to me as if there may be another attachment at the bottom of the cylinder. Or is that a lump of dirt?

Certainly, the proportions and profile at the top looks right – as does the broken off valve.

Ah well, it gave EOD some practice.

After the conversation I was witness to between a coastguard and Naval EOD one Sunday afternoon, Alan might well have it!

Andy, Livens projectors certainly were used for gas, but also for pretty much anything you could fit in one – oil, explosives, even bad smells to make the Germans think there was gas, you name it. You’ll notice I said “If it’s an explosive device”, because I’m no expert! Will be very interesting to see if anyone comes up with what it really was.

Adrian

It’s a British oxygen cylinder, probably on a crash site, or at least very close to one. Larkbarrow (as it is on the map) is in an area south west of Porlock. There weren’t that many crashes on the high ground around there and it is some distance to the one’s I have location for. That leaves Anson N5084 for which I just have Exmoor. I can understand a walker mistaking an oxygen bottle, but EOD? Bet they just went out, said they didn’t know what it was and blew it up.

I’d say Adrian Gray’s suggestion looks like it. But 100lbs? And weren’t they for gas? Wouldn’t want to be blowing one of those up!

Belfast telegraph! Reporting in Somerset. Strange haven’t heard any other reports. They would say it was German just to make an interesting story for the general public. Cant say I have ever seen a German one look like that. Agree it does look more like an Oxygen bottle. But what then did Bomb disposal blow up? The 50kg last year made news and quite a bang.

If it’s an explosive device, it looks more like the round from a WW1 Livens Projector than anything else: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livens_Projector

Adrian

Looks more like an oxygen or compressed air cylinder to me.

Those were my thoughts.

I feel certain this isn’t German….but prepared for somebody to show me that it is! 100lb? Well, it certainly isn’t anything in the SD or SC50 type. Puzzled. :confused:

Looks more like an oxygen or compressed air cylinder to me.