Bomb Disposal in World War Two

Introduction

Wartime bomb and mine disposal could be a solitary affair. Men would regularly face great danger alone with no witnesses to their courage or ingenuity.

The dangers involved in this type of work are obvious. More than one bomb disposal officer was killed as they worked on their very first bomb. The newspapers of the time played up to this fact describing the bomb disposal sections as ‘suicide squads’, with the American magazine Esquire running a headline ‘Britain’s Death or Glory Boys’. Even the men themselves felt this was not an inaccurate description. In acts of bravado they would chalk these lurid names on the tailgates of the lorries that they hoped would carry themselves and the inert carcasses of successfully disarmed bombs back to base. These disarmed bombs might become trophies to adorn the gateways to the billets, or simply scrap metal to be melted down to make our own armaments.

It did not matter if the bombs were huge ones that stood taller than a man, or so small you might trip over them in long grass – if they exploded in close proximity you would be dead. So working on 1-ton parachutemines, V-weapon warheads, or the conventional big bombs (such as those nicknamed ‘Herman’, after the rotund Herman Goering, and ‘Satan’, after another rather unpleasant individual), the personal risk was similar to that of dealing with a small baked-bean-tin-sized ‘butterfly’ bomb. Even the ‘thumb-sized’ explosive gaine on the end of most fuzes, a component part in the explosive chain reaction that initiated a bomb’s main charge, could be fatal if they detonated outside the bomb they were fitted to. An incident involving one of these gaines occurred on 24 October 1940 at West Road, South Ockendon in Essex. The unexploded bomb had been found near Pumps Farm. It had been fitted with two No. 17 clockwork time delay fuzes. However, the main explosive contents of the bomb were spilled on the ground as the bomb’s casing had split open on impact. The war diary of 125 Quarrying Company (the company had been converted to a bomb disposal role some weeks before) states, ‘as a result of interference the gaine, which was still intact, exploded.’¹ Sidney Williams, a private in the Pioneer Corps attached to the Royal Engineers, died almost at once. Another Pioneer Corps private, John Webb, died three hours later. William Cobb, who was a sergeant with 125 Quarrying Company (BD), died in hospital that night. Another Pioneer Corps private, Stephen Hall, died from his wounds a few days later on 28 October.

This unnamed bomb disposal officer stands next to a disarmed German bomb providing a sense of scale. Notice the sign behind it: ‘THIS BOMB DID NOT EXPLODE. BE GRATEFUL.’ I am sure the BD Officer was! (Author’s collection)

The small but highly dangerous gaine (in left hand) unscrewed from the bottom of a fuze. When the fuze operated, a flash exited the hole at the bottom of the fuze and detonated the sensitive penthrite wax contained in the attached gaine. (Author’s collection)

An unexploded 1,800kg ‘Satan’ bomb that fell near Camp Road on Wimbledon Common in December 1940. Despite the obvious difference in size, both the gaine and the Satan bomb could prove fatal. (Author’s collection)

This was not a one-off case. Just a month earlier, on 22 September, Second Lieutenant John Hunter was killed at his No. 5 BD Company HQ at Mill Hill in London. At the time he had been holding a clockwork fuze with gaine still attached. It exploded killing him instantly. Some other men standing close by were injured. Bill Carlton was permanently blinded and James Croucher had to have his leg amputated as a result of his wounds. A sergeant had his foot broken and another sapper was also wounded.² So, even when ‘defuzed’, the component parts still need to be treated with great caution. As a result of such accidents, it was drummed into newly recruited BD officers to remove the gaine from the bottom of the fuze as soon as it was out of the bomb, assuming the fuze could be handled (some were sensitive to movement and vibration).

It was not just German ordnance that was a danger. Allied bombs that had been jettisoned, or were found at the crash sites of aircraft, presented their own problems. And then there were our own minefields, laid in haste at a time when the threat of invasion loomed great. To clear them after a couple of years of erosion or uncontrolled growth in vegetation caused multiple deaths among British bomb disposal personnel.

In this book I have tried to focus on some of the individuals involved. I have attempted to bring out something of their character and background to demonstrate that they were real people, and to fill in some of the blanks in the history books. Many records that survive relate to the officers more than the men that served beneath them. However, though it was the officers who undertook the bulk of the technical aspects of bomb disposal, one should not forget the lower ranks. Often they were in a position of danger for considerable periods of time, digging down to bombs that may have been fitted with a delayed-action fuze or a booby trap sensitive to the vibration caused by the men’s digging. In fact bombs and mines had numerous types of booby traps from those sensitive to movement, to photoelectric cells that detonated the charge should the weapon’s internal mechanisms be exposed to light. The Germans even employed acoustic booby traps consisting of carbon button microphones that were sensitive to sound.³ Of the known British BD personnel killed while on active service during the Second World War, nearly ninety per cent were below officer rank.⁴

On 28 February 1944, Corporal John Nelson was killed along with Sergeant Jack Roberts on one of our own minefields in South Wales. Nelson went into the army in 1940 and joined 16 Bomb Disposal Company, Royal Engineers. Previously he had been a linotype operator having taken an apprenticeship in 1925 with Mercury printers at Tillotson’s in Bolton. He left behind a wife, also employed by the printers in the binding department, and a 4-year-old boy. (Author’s collection)

I have also provided information relating to some of the lesser-known aspects of bomb disposal, for example the role of conscientious objectors and that of the Home Guard. Today, most people’s perception of the Home Guard is based on the TV comedy series Dad’s Army. They imagine a comical bunch that spent their time preparing and anticipating an invasion that never materialised. However, the reality was that some of these men did come face to face with unexploded German bombs. There were those who worked long hours in factories, but in their spare time also belonged to volunteer bomb disposal squads. The role of these squads was to protect the men’s own places of employment, and thereby prevent disruption to their vital war work. They would also help take the pressure off the army’s bomb disposal organisation at times when they were most stretched.

Over the years a number of books have been written about wartime bomb disposal. In some cases it was the individual themselves who described their own experiences. Many of the tales of bravery have been retold, and rightly so, by others. Much already written on the subject describes these higher profile incidents. The aim of this book is to cover new ground and I’ve deliberately tried not to mention incidents already written about. However, where I feel I can add extra information that provides some more background context, or shows the bigger picture, then I have done so.

The names of individuals have frequently gone unrecorded in the unit war diaries, or in the various accounts written since the war. I have therefore included any names I have come across in the course of researching specific incidents. Unfortunately in many cases there is only the surname or perhaps a surname and initial. I hope by including these details, this book will not only be an interesting read for those with a passing interest in bomb disposal, the Home Front and the Blitz in general, but will also serve as a useful research tool and reference book. Referencing the sources of the facts will assist those who wish to undertake further research of the surviving records.

The problem with wartime snapshots, such as this one, is that frequently they went unannotated. The ‘who’, ‘where’ and ‘when’ is lost to history. Every effort will be made in this book to identify the people and places mentioned. (Author’s collection)

It is also my intention to provide some of the hidden history behind familiar locations that at one time came close to being obliterated. Had the bomb disposal officer failed in his task then the reader may never have known these locations first-hand. Perhaps these places might have only lived on in old black-and-white photographs and in the flickering footage of newsreels. Places such as the London Palladium may never have continued to exist in the post-war years and hosted the likes of Frank Sinatra or Elton John. This historic theatre would not have survived had it not been for the brave individuals who disarmed a dangerous parachute mine that lodged in the very heart of the building.

Some wonderful architecture was saved by the men of bomb disposal, places that we might walk past today without blinking an eye, taking them for granted.

Generations born since the war will mostly have little sense of connection with the events that occurred during the Blitz. These life-or-death events occurred in the places that surround us every day. In many of Britain’s cities, in ordinary homes and streets, battles of intellect took place. On one side were some of the best German scientists – the designers of booby traps and fuzes. And on the other, the ordinary men of the allied services armed with nothing more than basic tools, some common sense and a will to survive.

The stories of those who were recognised with medals have survived via written accounts in various books and records, but many men whose efforts were equally courageous have been forgotten. Some of these men’s endeavours are perhaps now only known to the present-day members of their families who happen to be interested in genealogy and family-tree research. Some may no longer have surviving relatives to remember them. Their wartime exploits should not be forgotten by today’s generations.

Chapter 1

Allied Bombs

It was not just enemy bombs that the men of Bomb Disposal had to deal with. There were times when allied aircraft jettisoned their bombs over the UK. There were also those found among the wreckage of crashed aircraft, not to mention anti-aircraft shells that never went off and fell back to earth.

The majority of allied bombs were dealt with by the RAF as they were responsible for bombs at crash sites and their armourers were familiar with the different types of fuzes in use. There was some overlap however, as some aircraft carried naval weapons such as depth charges or mines and these were dealt with by the Royal Navy. The Navy were also responsible for bombs in tidal areas or on their own property. The Royal Engineers also at times got involved with allied ordnance as it was not always apparent whether a bomb was of allied or enemy origin until it had been dug out. They were also useful if the excavation for a bomb requiring specialist engineering skills or equipment. The United States Army Air Force also had bomb disposal personnel serving at their UK bases to deal with incidents involving their bombs.

Allied bombs featured both fuzes and pistols as mechanisms for initiating detonation. They could be just as dangerous, if not more so, than the Germans’ fuzes.

A pistol is an initiating device that does not contain any explosives (primer or detonator). Fuzes on the other hand do contain primers, detonators and possibly a booster charge, as a complete unit.⁵

The Allies’ bombs employed airburst, impact, short delay and long delay functions. Some also contained booby traps.

One of the pistols that was a great cause of concern to BD personnel on both sides was the British No. 37 Pistol. This was a chemical long-delay pistol with an anti-withdrawal feature.

As a bomb fitted with a No. 37 pistol was dropped from an aircraft, a wire was pulled out of the pistol and the arming vanes, like small propellers, were able to rotate as the bomb fell through the air. These rotating vanes screwed in an arming spindle that compressed a glass ampule containing acetone. Under pressure this ampule shattered allowing the acetone to run onto a celluloid disc that was holding back a spring-loaded striker. The acetone slowly dissolved the disc and it eventually failed, at which point the striker was driven into the detonator, exploding the bomb. The time taken by the acetone to eat through the disc determined the time delay.

This pistol was originally designed so that any attempt to unscrew it from the bomb would shear off the top, leaving the main body of the pistol in the bomb. In addition, the action of unscrewing it also allowed the spring-loaded striker to function, detonating the bomb.

The British No. 37 Pistol had a reputation among bomb disposal personnel as being a tricky one to deal with. (Courtesy of the National Archives WO 204/5987)

(Courtesy of US Navy)

In Italy on 8 January 1944, a number of men from No. 43 BD Section Royal Engineers were killed while working on a British 500lb bomb fitted with a 37 pistol.⁶ Dennis Abrey was a member of the section. His comments regarding this incident throw some light on the difficulties faced: ‘At Salerno six men of the 43rd Bomb Disposal Section died from a British bomb. The main cause was that the Ministry of War officials would not let our bomb disposal teams know how to defuze our own bombs. The excuse given was that if we were taken prisoner by the Germans they would force these secrets out of us. What a load of cobblers!’⁷

Members of No. 43 BD Section outside Rimini Station, Italy. Dennis Abrey is seated on the left. (Author’s collection)

There were actually seven men killed by that bomb on that January morning. They were:

Lieutenant Brian Malcolm MacDonald Sinclair

Sergeant Horace Evans, 32

Corporal James Archibald Johnston, 24

Sapper Francis George Biddle, 28

Sapper George William Rice, 28

Sapper Patrick Carney, 26

Sapper Willie Pearn, 24

Below are details of a number of instances where allied bombs were dealt with in the UK:

Newmarket, near Rowleymile Aerodrome

At 1230 hours on 6 March 1943, a report was received by the Air Ministry from a Flying Officer Christal, the officer in charge of No. 47 Bomb Disposal Squad. It stated that a 1,000lb bomb fitted with a 37D Mk IV long-delay pistol had become detached from a Stirling bomber that had crashed near Rowleymile aerodrome while taking off the night before.

The tail unit of the bomb, which was on the surface and about forty yards from the crashed aircraft, had been torn off, but the station armament officer had made an examination and thought the ampule inside was still intact. As a precaution, Flying Officer Christal stopped all work at the crash site and instructed the station armament officer to define a three hundred yard radius danger area and to post sentries. He then carried out his own reconnaissance and at 1450 hours confirmed the above information.

In the meantime, a prototype piece of BD apparatus was assembled at Kidbrooke, an RAF equipment store in London, and at 1610 hours Wing Commander Rowlands and Flight Lieutenant Scamell from the Air Ministry and Warrant Officer Stevens from Experimental Bomb Disposal Unit, Kidbrooke, left London by car with this equipment. The car they were in must have been driving flat out, as they arrived at Newmarket at 1730 hours. Immediately they were taken to the scene of the incident by Flying Officer Christal and his squad.

Flight Lieutenant Scamell (below) and Wing Commander Rowlands (above) were both involved in the first attempt at rendering safe a British bomb fitted with a No. 37 Pistol, near Rowleymile aerodrome. (Courtesy of Anne Vafadari and the National Archives AIR 2/9185)

From an external examination of the No. 37 pistol it could not be certain whether or not it had sustained damage. The bomb could not be accepted back into service while fuzed with this long-delay pistol, and they did not want to waste a good bomb by blowing it up. If disarmed it could be taken in another bomber heading for Germany. It was therefore decided to attempt to remove the pistol.

A three-ton lorry was driven near the bomb and a wire cable was attached. Then the bomb was towed into a depression at a safe distance from the salvageable crashed aircraft which, incidentally, was still loaded with incendiary bombs. This was the first time an attempt had been made to render safe and remove a No. 37 pistol complete with its anti-removal device from a bomb.

Considerable care was taken in manipulating the necessary apparatus and operations were further complicated by the fact that they were carried out in darkness and using a torch only.

Eventually, and after some difficulties had been encountered, the complete pistol was removed from the bomb by 2030 hours and the bomb transported to Duxford.⁸ The record does not state the details of the prototype BD equipment used, but it is thought likely to have been a rocket wrench. These were a metal Catherine wheel affair that clamped onto the pistol. When fired, two jets spun the tool at an incredible speed, unscrewing the fuze. It was estimated that the No. 37 Pistol would have to be unscrewed in about three milliseconds!⁹ At the least, the withdrawal should be so quick that even if the striker impacted the detonator, its force would be reduced by the centrifugal force and the detonator would fail to fire. Having the right equipment had a lot to do with the successful outcome of dealing with UXBs.

Kirmington and Mildenhall, Lincolnshire and Suffolk.

At 1135 hours on 30 March 1943 a report was received by the Air Ministry from 27 BD Section Lindholme that a 500lb General Purpose bomb fitted with an 845 anti-disturbance nose fuze and a No. 37 long-delay tail pistol had been dropped on the main runway of RAF Kirmington at 0200 hours earlier that day. Bomb Disposal personnel surrounded the bomb with sandbags and all the usual safety precautions were taken.

This information was received at the Air Ministry just before the departure of Wing Commander Rowlands and Flight Lieutenant Wilson to a similar incident at Mildenhall, and it was decided that the Kirmington bomb would be dealt with by them immediately the Mildenhall bomb had been rendered safe, since the Mildenhall bomb had a 36-hour delay and the Kirmington bomb a-144 hour delay.

The two men finished at Mildenhall at 1100 hours on 31 March and arrived at Kirmington at 1630 hours. Number 10 BD Section were instructed to proceed immediately to Kirmington to assist and arrived there at 1700 hours.

From an inspection of the bomb, and the fact that it had fallen through the bomb doors as the aircraft landed from an operational flight, it was thought probable that the 845 fuze was not armed.

The 845 fuze contained a sensitive mercury tilt switch that would connect a 1.5-volt battery with an igniter, should the bomb be moved after impact. The mercury when disturbed would move to connect a circuit causing the bomb to explode. An armed fuze was recognisable by the arming vanes being unscrewed or completely missing. They were designed to shear off once the spindle had reached its maximum number of rotations.