An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team from the Royal Navy has safely removed two items of UXO from an Isle of Man garden.

The items were found in the rear garden of a house during renovation work and appear to be one pounder high explosive shells. The QF 1 pounder (AKA Pom-Pom) was an early 37mm British autocannon. It was used by several countries initially as an infantry gun and later as a light anti-aircraft gun.

The discovery resulted in the evacuation of 54 nearby homes, with the Civil Defence teams guarding the scene.

Isle of man
An internal diagram of two one pounder shells, like those found on the isle of man.

Why were these items buried in a garden?

There are a number of reasons why these items might have ended up in this garden, however, the most likely reason is burial for disposal.

When servicemen returned from 20th Century conflicts, it was not uncommon for them to bring home souvenirs. Surprisingly, soldiers who were well aware of the associated hazard occasionally brought back unexploded ordnance. One easy of means of disposal was burying them in the garden. Out of sight, out of mind!

UXO disposal services

At Brimstone we help clients to manage unexploded ordnance risks. From UXO assessments and surveys to investigation and disposal services, we provide bespoke solutions to the risk posed by explosive ordnance.

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