A member of the public reported an item of unexploded ordnance (UXO) to the Sussex coast guard. The Army was called to the scene and a safety cordon was established.

Explosive ordnance disposal engineers identified the item as a British air-dropped bomb dating from WW2.

Army eod
An army bomb squad attends the scene

Why do unexploded bombs keep washing up here?

During WW2, the Medmerry area was an isolated and unpopulated stretch of coastline, making it perfect for RAF training. A practice bombing range was established and used throughout the war.

Both practice (inert) and live weapons were dropped on the intertidal area in large numbers. The range was mainly used by army cooperation squadrons in the close air support role. Aircraft would approach from the inland and drop various weapons on coastal target markers.

This section of coastline is particularly susceptible to erosion. Buried UXO is therefore more likely to resurface.

Army range uxo
A haul of uxo at selsey beach in february 2018

UXO Support

UXO continues to be a great danger in the UK. At Brimstone, we provide leading UXO assessment, survey, investigation and disposal services. No matter where your project may be, we can provide you with bespoke solutions to the risk posed by explosive ordnance

Keep up to date with Brimstone UXO by following us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.