Pensioner used live artillery shell as a doorstop for 20 years - Aircraft of World War II

syscom3 · 07-11-2007, 03:41 PM

Pensioner used live artillery shell as a doorstop for 20 years

For decades the seven-inch-long shell had been a family memento, polished and given pride of place on the mantlepiece.
The First World War relic also served as a toy and finally, for the past 20 years, as a front doorstop at the home of 68-year-old Thelma Bonnett.
At any time during all those years, however, it could have exploded.
The German squat shell was live, packed with its original payload and with its firing mechanism primed, experts have said.

Armed and dangerous: The live artillery shell has been used as a doorstep for over 20 yearse
It was only when a neighbor saw the shell outside Mrs Bonnett's door that the danger became clear.
The police were called and they summoned Royal Navy bomb disposal experts to the house in Paignton, Devon.
Several neighbors were evacuated from their homes and the device was taken to a local quarry and exploded.
It had been in the family for nearly a century after her grandfather Arthur Croxall brought it home in 1918. "I had no idea it was dangerous," Mrs Bonnett said.

Thelma Bonnett was somewhat taken aback by the news that the family heirloom was in fact fatally dangerous
"Grandfather picked it up on his travels with the Merchant Navy in
1918. My father used to polish it all the time and kept it on the mantelpiece.
"It looked German because of the writing on the top.
"When I was young, five of us children would play with it. I don't think he would have brought it back if he'd known it was live."
The mortar shell was seen propping open the door by neighbour John Malinovskis.
He said: "I put two and two together and thought, 'That really shouldn't be there'.
"I asked Thelma if she knew about it and she said, 'Oh yes, it's from the war'. She said her father had polished it and kept it on the sideboard."
Mrs Bonnett's son Steve added: "I remember it in my grandparents' house when I was growing up. I probably played with it a few times. It was just one of those things that was always around."
A spokesman for the bomb squad said a firing mechanism had been activated during the First World War but the shell failed to go off. The mechanism had since fallen off but the 'live' charge could have exploded at any time.
Mortar shells are fired at a steep angle with a plunging trajectory so they either explode in the air above the enemy positions or upon impact.
Light and portable, mortars were an effective weapon on the Western Front where soldiers faced one another in well-defended trenches.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "The shell was packed full of explosives and it could have gone off at any time.
"It was brought back from France in 1914 and had been used in battle when it had been fired but failed to go off.
"There is a time delay on these type of shells. A brass ring could be turned on top which gave them enough time to fire it to go off in the air or on the ground."

Lucky13 · 07-11-2007, 03:58 PM

I'm glad that it never went off.....!

timshatz · 07-11-2007, 04:14 PM

Better to be lucky than good anyday.

mkloby · 07-11-2007, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timshatz

Better to be lucky than good anyday.

It doesn't matter how good you are - the lucky man beats the good man every time...

Pretty wild report.

outremerknight · 07-14-2007, 08:15 AM

As an RAF cadet officer in the mid-70s we were given two old AA shells by a local man, to be used, he said as trophies for competitions. One of our lads got his father, a good wood worker, to make mounts for them. Then they were taken to an engraver in Belfast where they were found to be live, and active. The altimeter fuse had been set. The local man said he had found them at the dis-used airfield near him and had kept them on each side of his fireplace since 1945. We never got to use them as trophies, the army kindly disposed of them for us.

Wurger · 07-14-2007, 10:35 AM

It is nothing new.In sixties a farmer from Lublin area used a 250 kg air bomb as an anvil,though a fuse was removed the TNT explosive charge was inside the bomb.The other one had his farmyard "cobbled" with antitank circular mines.NO more to say.

R-2800 · 07-14-2007, 06:49 PM

wow all these people are some of the luckiest people alive!

Wurger · 07-14-2007, 07:07 PM

You are right.Although we could find better examples of human's stupidity

Heinz · 07-14-2007, 11:33 PM

Woah

at the story and Wurgers post

Blimey!

timshatz · 07-15-2007, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by outremerknight

As an RAF cadet officer in the mid-70s we were given two old AA shells by a local man, to be used, he said as trophies for competitions. One of our lads got his father, a good wood worker, to make mounts for them. Then they were taken to an engraver in Belfast where they were found to be live, and active. The altimeter fuse had been set. The local man said he had found them at the dis-used airfield near him and had kept them on each side of his fireplace since 1945. We never got to use them as trophies, the army kindly disposed of them for us.

You win the prize! BAM (cripes, wonder what second place got?)

DOUGRD · 07-16-2007, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timshatz

You win the prize! BAM (cripes, wonder what second place got?)

don't have a clue but I hope it was a "distant" second place.

07-11-2007, 03:41 PM	#1
syscom3 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 10,283	Pensioner used live artillery shell as a doorstop for 20 years Pensioner used live artillery shell as a doorstop for 20 years For decades the seven-inch-long shell had been a family memento, polished and given pride of place on the mantlepiece. The First World War relic also served as a toy and finally, for the past 20 years, as a front doorstop at the home of 68-year-old Thelma Bonnett. At any time during all those years, however, it could have exploded. The German squat shell was live, packed with its original payload and with its firing mechanism primed, experts have said. Armed and dangerous: The live artillery shell has been used as a doorstep for over 20 yearse It was only when a neighbor saw the shell outside Mrs Bonnett's door that the danger became clear. The police were called and they summoned Royal Navy bomb disposal experts to the house in Paignton, Devon. Several neighbors were evacuated from their homes and the device was taken to a local quarry and exploded. It had been in the family for nearly a century after her grandfather Arthur Croxall brought it home in 1918. "I had no idea it was dangerous," Mrs Bonnett said. Thelma Bonnett was somewhat taken aback by the news that the family heirloom was in fact fatally dangerous "Grandfather picked it up on his travels with the Merchant Navy in 1918. My father used to polish it all the time and kept it on the mantelpiece. "It looked German because of the writing on the top. "When I was young, five of us children would play with it. I don't think he would have brought it back if he'd known it was live." The mortar shell was seen propping open the door by neighbour John Malinovskis. He said: "I put two and two together and thought, 'That really shouldn't be there'. "I asked Thelma if she knew about it and she said, 'Oh yes, it's from the war'. She said her father had polished it and kept it on the sideboard." Mrs Bonnett's son Steve added: "I remember it in my grandparents' house when I was growing up. I probably played with it a few times. It was just one of those things that was always around." A spokesman for the bomb squad said a firing mechanism had been activated during the First World War but the shell failed to go off. The mechanism had since fallen off but the 'live' charge could have exploded at any time. Mortar shells are fired at a steep angle with a plunging trajectory so they either explode in the air above the enemy positions or upon impact. Light and portable, mortars were an effective weapon on the Western Front where soldiers faced one another in well-defended trenches. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "The shell was packed full of explosives and it could have gone off at any time. "It was brought back from France in 1914 and had been used in battle when it had been fired but failed to go off. "There is a time delay on these type of shells. A brass ring could be turned on top which gave them enough time to fire it to go off in the air or on the ground." __________________ "Pilot to copilot..... what are those mountain goats doing up here in the clouds?"

07-11-2007, 03:58 PM	#2
Lucky13 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: A Swede living in Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 15,144	I'm glad that it never went off.....! __________________ JAN "Felicis Tredecim" "I´m going back to the front to relax" "THE BLACK CATS FLIES TONIGHT" "Find your enemy and shoot him down - everything else is unimportant!" "When you're out of F-8's... You're out of fighters!"

07-14-2007, 10:35 AM	#6
Wurger Siggy Master Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Poland Posts: 13,972	It is nothing new.In sixties a farmer from Lublin area used a 250 kg air bomb as an anvil,though a fuse was removed the TNT explosive charge was inside the bomb.The other one had his farmyard "cobbled" with antitank circular mines.NO more to say. __________________ Last edited by Wurger; 07-14-2007 at 07:05 PM.

07-14-2007, 06:49 PM	#7
R-2800 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 541	wow all these people are some of the luckiest people alive! __________________ www.airvictorymuseum.org "All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us... they can't get away this time." V-DUB!!!!!!! My 71 Beetle is now.....in two pieces....

07-14-2007, 07:07 PM	#8
Wurger Siggy Master Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Poland Posts: 13,972	You are right.Although we could find better examples of human's stupidity __________________

07-11-2007, 04:14 PM	#3
timshatz Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Phila, Pa Posts: 3,446	Better to be lucky than good anyday.

07-14-2007, 08:15 AM	#5
outremerknight Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Donaghadee, Co.Down NI Posts: 24	As an RAF cadet officer in the mid-70s we were given two old AA shells by a local man, to be used, he said as trophies for competitions. One of our lads got his father, a good wood worker, to make mounts for them. Then they were taken to an engraver in Belfast where they were found to be live, and active. The altimeter fuse had been set. The local man said he had found them at the dis-used airfield near him and had kept them on each side of his fireplace since 1945. We never got to use them as trophies, the army kindly disposed of them for us.

07-14-2007, 11:33 PM	#9
Heinz Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Victoria Posts: 6,742	Woah at the story and Wurgers post Blimey! __________________

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