9445 RAF Forres TA - Moray Council · 2019. 4. 16. · 9445 TA 05/12/2007 BACTEC International...

THE MORAY COUNCIL RAF FORRES, MORAY, SCOTLAND

9445 TA 05/12/2007 BACTEC International Limited

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This document is of UK origin and is © BACTEC International Limited. It contains proprietary information which is disclosed for the purposes of assessment and evaluation only. The contents of this document shall not in whole or in part : (i) be used for any other purpose, (ii) be disclosed to any member of the recipient’s organisation not having a need to know such information nor to any third party individual, organisation or government, (iii) be stored in any retrieval system nor be reproduced or transmitted in any form by photocopying or any optical, electronic, mechanical or other means, without the prior written permission of the Managing Director, BACTEC International Limited, 37 Riverside, Sir Thomas Longley Road, Rochester, Kent ME2 4DP, United Kingdom.

EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE THREAT ASSESSMENT

OF

RAF FORRES, MORAY, SCOTLAND

FOR

THE MORAY COUNCIL

9445 TA 05/12/2007

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FOI Request - RAF Balnageith, Forres - 101002117655

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DISTRIBUTION

Copy Number Recipient

1. The Moray Council 2. The Moray Council

3. BACTEC International Limited

Date of Issue 5th December 2007 Copy No 1



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GLOSSARY OF TERMS

AAA Anti-Aircraft Artillery

ARP Air-raid Precautions

BD Bomb Disposal (older term for EOD)

BDO Bomb Disposal Officer

BDS Bomb Disposal Squad

DoRIS Department of Research and Information Services, RAF Hendon

EOD Explosive Ordnance Disposal (current term for “bomb” disposal)

FTS Flying Training School

HE High Explosive

HG Home Guard

IB Incendiary Bomb

kg Kilogram

LSA Land Service Ammunition

Luftwaffe German Air Force

m bgl Metres Below Ground Level

MoD Ministry of Defence

MU Maintenance Unit

PM Parachute Mine

RAF Royal Air Force

RCAF Royal Canadian Air Force

SAA Small Arms Ammunition

SI Site Investigation

Sqn Squadron (RAF)

USAF United States Air Force

UXB Unexploded Bomb

UXO Unexploded Ordnance

V-1 “Doodlebug” the first cruise type missile, used against London from June 1944. V stands for Vergeltungswaffe (Vengeance)

V-2 The first ballistic missile, used against London from September 1944

WWI First World War (1914 -1918)

WWII Second World War (1939 – 1945)



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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Site: The site encompasses the bomb stores area of former RAF Forres in Moray, Scotland, approximately 1.5km west of the village of Forres. It covers an area of approximately 0.8 hectares and is centred on the approximate OS Grid Reference: NJ 017 570. The site currently comprises of agricultural land and five residential properties with gardens. A road runs through the site from north to south splitting close to the southern boundary where one road goes in a south-westerly direction to ‘Mundole Farm’ located to the south-west of the site and the other continues to exit the site to the south. The residential properties are located along the southern boundary of the road.

Proposed Works: At the time of writing no formal intrusive works were planned on the site. The report aims to assess the risk of encountering ordnance during any form of intrusive works in the area of the former bomb stores. Future intrusive investigation works, including trial pits and boreholes, as part of the contaminated land investigations may be considered.

Site History: RAF Forres was brought into operation on April 27th 1940 as a grass-surface bomber Operational Training Unit (OTU) satellite, when ‘D’ Flight of 19 OTU moved from RAF Kinloss. From then until October 22nd 1944 it was used almost constantly by Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, twin-engined, bomber aircraft. After 19 OTU left the satellite in October 1944 it was loaned to the War Department and there is no further record of any military flying use.

Explosive Ordnance Risk Assessment: BACTEC believes that there is a risk of encountering unexploded ordnance when conducting shallow intrusive works on the site, in the gardens of the houses, and in the surrounding land of the bomb stores area at former RAF Forres. This risk assessment takes into account the following facts:

a. RAF Forres was used between 1940 and 1944 by ‘D’ Flight of 19 OTU as a grass-surface bomber

Operational Training Unit (OTU) satellite. It is possible that this military occupation may have left a legacy of explosive ordnance contamination at the airfield.

b. Previous experience has shown that house-keeping on RAF bases during WWII was poor. During mitigation works on other historic airfield sites across the UK many items of ordnance have been recovered from the ground, particularly in the area surrounding the bomb stores.

c. The base was only occupied for a short period of four years during the war and it is unlikely that the RAF, upon leaving, would have conducted a thorough clearance of the bomb stores area. Regulations regarding the storage of bombs and other items of explosive ordnance were very strict and the consequences of having more ordnance in the stores than should actually have been there were often severe. As a result surplus ordnance would often be disposed of (either burnt, destroyed or buried) in the surrounding area. Most items of ordnance also had a ‘life expectancy’, once the ordnance had reached this life expectancy it was often much easier to discard it on site than to follow the correct disposal procedures.

d. When burning items of ordnance, large pits would be made in areas of open land, often close to bomb stores. Once it was perceived that all the ordnance had been burnt the pits would often be infilled without checking for unburnt items. In many cases items would often be left buried intact with only slight damage.

e. SAA and LSA (grenades, mortars, bullets etc.) would have been available for use by ground personnel and potentially used by the Home Guard during exercises at the airfield and stored on site, primarily in the bomb stores area. It is possible that any such items which were discarded on site may be encountered during intrusive works.

f. There is considered to be a low risk of encountering German unexploded bombs on the site as there is no evidence to suggest the site was attacked by the Luftwaffe during WWII.

g. Although construction works have taken place in the area since the end of WWII, much of the land has remained undeveloped and therefore any UXO still existing on the site post-war would have remained in situ to the present day.

h. It is possible that in areas where fields have been cultivated post-war, items of ordnance may have been unearthed and therefore the risk of encountering further ordnance may have been reduced. However,



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BACTEC’s previous experience has found that this cannot always be guaranteed as UXO may be buried just below the cultivation depth.

i. No records of RAF EOD clearance tasks are available in the public domain and therefore it has not been possible to find out whether the bomb stores area has already been cleared post-war. Even if the stores area had been cleared it can still not be guaranteed that the area would be free from UXO as clearance was not always thorough as it was restricted by the equipment available to them at the time.

j. Prime responsibility for airfield clearance was with the RAF however it is possible that the Army 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD) may have carried out a clearance task in this area. Although a request has been made for this information, at the time of writing this report it had not been received.

Based on the findings of this study, the risk to the activities and situations discussed in the ‘Aim’ section of the report are summarised below:

• The likelihood of the general public encountering UXO.

It is possible that in areas of land that have remained undeveloped or uncultivated items of UXO may be located very close to the surface especially where there are bushes and shrubs. As a result there is a possibility that the general public may encounter items of ordnance.

• The likelihood of residents undertaking general activities (gardening etc.) and encountering UXO.

• The likelihood of encountering UXO during the building of extensions / garages etc. which require foundations to be dug, or during the digging of general excavations deeper than normal gardening activity.

• The risk of encountering UXO during any future ground investigation works.

Any form of excavation, no matter how shallow, has the potential to unearth items of live ordnance, especially in areas that have remained undisturbed since the end of WWII. This would include the gardens to the properties that have been built on the site.

Although agricultural practices and the post-war construction of residential properties may have reduced the risk of encountering shallow buried ordnance, the possibility that it may still remain can not be completely discounted.

Risk Mitigation Measures: Taking into account the findings of this study BACTEC considers that there is a threat from shallow-buried UXO in the area of the former bomb stores. The risk is considered to be highest in areas that have remained undeveloped or uncultivated since the end of WWII. BACTEC can offer the following mitigation measures in order to reduce the risk of encountering ordnance during any intrusive works in the area of the former bomb stores.

• Unexploded Ordnance Site Safety Instructions.

• Explosive Ordnance Safety and Awareness Briefings to all personnel conducting intrusive works.

• Non-Intrusive Advanced Geophysical System (AGS) Survey and target investigation ahead of any intrusive works.

On areas which cannot be surveyed, the following can be offered:

• Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Engineer Presence on Site.

And, if deemed appropriate

• Search and Clear. The mitigation measure utilised will depend on the area of land to be cleared and the type of intrusive works involved. Due to the nature of the site, particularly as there are residential properties in the area, it is recommended that a meeting is held between BACTEC International Ltd and the client to decide the most appropriate course of action.



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CONTENTS

DISTRIBUTION ii

GLOSSARY OF TERMS iii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY iv

CONTENTS vi

ANNEXES viii

1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1. Background 1 1.2. Legislation 2 1.3. Aim 2

2. THREAT ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY 2 2.1. Approach 2 2.2. Sources of Information 3 2.3. Historical Information 3

3. SITE 4 3.1. Site Location 4 3.2. Site Description 4

4. SCOPE OF THE PROPOSED INTRUSIVE WORKS 4

5. GROUND CONDITIONS 4 5.1. Ground Investigation Data 4

6. MORAY DURING WWII 4 6.1. General 4

7. HISTORY OF RAF FORRES 5 7.1. RAF Forres During WWII 5 7.2. RAF Forres Post-WWII 5 7.3. RAF Site Plan 6 7.4. RAF Aerial Photograph 6 7.5. Historical Map Review 6

8. GERMAN AIR-DELIVERED ORDNANCE 7 8.1. Generic Types of German Bombs 7

9. UNEXPLODED BOMBS 7 9.1. German Air-Delivered Ordnance Failure Rate 7 9.2. Abandoned Bombs 8



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9.3. Initiation of Unexploded Bombs 8 9.4. UXB Sub-Surface Trajectory 8 9.5. Bomb Penetration Depth Assessment 9

10. SECOND WORLD WAR BRITISH ORDNANCE 9 10.1. Defending the Eastern Coast of Scotland 9 10.2. Defending RAF Forres 10 10.4. RAF Station Contamination 10

11. THREAT POSED BY BRITISH EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE 11 11.1. Allied Air Delivered Bombs 11 11.1. British Bomb Discoveries at Former RAF Oakington 12 11.2. Land Service Ammunition (LSA) 12 11.3. Small Arms Ammunition 13 11.4. Practice Bombs 13 11.5. Anti-Aircraft Artillery Shells 14 11.6. Aircraft .303 Machine Gun Ammunition 14

12. OFFICIAL EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL ARCHIVES 14 12.1. Results from Enquiries 14

13. EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE RISK ASSESSMENT 14 13.1. The Threat 14 13.2. Risk Assessment 15

14. PROPOSED RISK MITIGATION METHODOLOGY 16 14.1. General 16

16. BIBLIOGRAPHY 19



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ANNEXES ANNEX A Site Location Maps ANNEX B Aerial Photograph of the Bomb Stores Area ANNEX C Luftwaffe Reconnaissance Photograph ANNEX D RAF Site Plan ANNEX E RAF Aerial Photographs ANNEX F Pre and Post-War Historical Maps ANNEX G German Air-Delivered Ordnance ANNEX H Press Articles Relating to Recent Detonation of WWII UXBs ANNEX I Typical Airfield Defences ANNEX J British Air-Delivered Ordnance ANNEX K Photographs of Ordnance Finds at Former RAF Oakington ANNEX L Land Service Ammunition ANNEX M Small Arms Ammunition ANNEX N Practice Bombs



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EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE THREAT ASSESSMENT

OF


FOR

THE MORAY COUNCIL

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background

The Moray Council has commissioned BACTEC International Limited to produce a desk-top Explosive Ordnance Threat Assessment for the area of the former bomb stores on the site of former RAF Forres, Moray, Scotland. RAF Forres, a satellite of RAF Kinloss located 7km to the north-east, was open from April 1940 until October 1944 and was known colloquially as Balnageith, the name of the farmland requisitioned by the Air Ministry. On certain sites, such as former RAF Forres, there is the potential for RAF operations to have left a legacy of explosive ordnance contamination. It is known that the ‘housekeeping’ of operational airfields during WWII was poor, with unwanted ordnance indiscriminately disposed of in unexploited areas. RAF training, ordnance storage, weapons testing, and German unexploded bombs contribute to the potential explosive ordnance contamination at such sites. UXO is regularly encountered on MoD property and former RAF stations by the public and the construction industry.

It should be noted that airfields were often prime targets of the Luftwaffe and as such many were heavily bombed during WWII. A significant proportion of aerially



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delivered bombs failed to function and penetrated the ground without exploding. As a result UXBs have been regularly encountered during construction works since the end of the hostilities.

Due to the advances in survey methods for the detection of UXO and an increased awareness, the risk of inadvertently encountering an item of ordnance has been reduced significantly. However, as with all unexploded devices, the potential consequences of an explosion are extremely severe.

1.2. Legislation

The Health & Safety at Work Act and the Construction (Design & Management) Regulations of 2007 do not specifically require a search for unexploded ordnance. However, there is an obligation on those responsible for intrusive works to ensure that comprehensive threat assessment and risk mitigation measures are taken with regard to all underground hazards on site.

1.3. Aim

The aim of this report is to identify the threat posed by unexploded ordnance at former RAF Forres, taking in to account the following considerations:





If there is considered to be a risk of encountering UXO in any of the above situations risk mitigation measures will be recommended to reduce the threat posed by explosive ordnance.

2. THREAT ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY

2.1. Approach

BACTEC has taken a holistic approach in preparing this Explosive Ordnance Threat Assessment, considering site specific factors such as the extent of German bombing, records of known UXBs, British defensive measures, post war activity, ground conditions and the scope of the current proposed works. The risks posed by any existing explosive ordnance have been assessed, conclusions drawn and risk mitigation measures recommended where necessary.



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2.2. Sources of Information

BACTEC has carried out detailed historical research for this Explosive Ordnance Threat Assessment including accessing military records and archived material held in the public domain and in the MoD. Material from the following sources has been consulted:

a. The National Archives (formerly Public Record Office), London.

b. Department of Research and Information Services (DoRIS), RAF Hendon.

c. Moray Local Heritage Centre

d. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Archive Information office at 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD).

e. BACTEC’s extensive archives built up over many years of research and hand’s- on Explosive Ordnance Disposal activities in the UK.

f. Open sources such as published books, local historical records and the internet.

2.3. Historical Information The accuracy and comprehensiveness of wartime records (both reports and maps) is frequently difficult or impossible to verify. As a result conclusions concerning the exact location, quantity and nature of the ordnance threat can seldom be definitive and this uncertainty has to be taken into account in the analysis of the overall explosive ordnance risk. During WWII considerable efforts were expended in recording enemy air raids. “Bomb watchers” attempted to count the numbers of bombs dropped to compare against detonations but it is easy to imagine that these reports would frequently contain inaccuracies. Records were also made after a raid, however the immediate priority was to deal with casualties and limit damage. Details of bombing in the early part of the war were sometimes destroyed in subsequent attacks. Records of raids that took place on sparsely or uninhabited areas also tended to be inaccurate and were often based upon third party or hearsay information.

Experience has shown that, in general, records made during the war were only as accurate as the availability of local resources and prioritisation permitted at the time. Some reports may cover a single attack, others a period of months or the entire war. It is known that detailed records of air attacks on military or strategic targets were held separately from those on civilian targets for security reasons. Not all records survive, some having been destroyed in the bombing or discarded in the post-war period. For all these reasons it is to be expected that historic bomb plots and UXB records will be incomplete, and they are usually impossible or difficult to confirm. This is borne out by the number of unrecorded UXBs that have been found since the war.



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3. SITE

3.1. Site Location

The site encompasses the bomb stores area of former RAF Forres in Moray, Scotland, approximately 1.5km west of the village of Forres. It covers an area of approximately 0.8 hectares and is centred on the approximate OS Grid Reference: NJ 017 570. Site location maps are presented at Annex A.

3.2. Site Description

The site currently comprises of agricultural land and five residential properties with gardens. A road runs through the site from north to south splitting close to the southern boundary where one road goes in a south-westerly direction to ‘Mundole Farm’ located to the south-west of the site and the other continues to exit the site to the south. The residential properties are located along the southern boundary of the road. An aerial photograph of the site taken in 1976 is presented at Annex B. Unfortunately no recent aerial photography for the site could be found.

4. SCOPE OF THE PROPOSED INTRUSIVE WORKS

At the time of writing no formal intrusive works were planned on the site. The report aims to assess the risk of encountering ordnance during any form of intrusive works in the area of the former bomb stores. Future intrusive investigation works, including trial pits and boreholes, as part of the contaminated land investigations may be considered.

5. GROUND CONDITIONS

5.1. Ground Investigation Data

No site specific geotechnical information was available at the time of the production of this report.

6. MORAY DURING WWII

6.1. General Throughout the war the whole of the north-east of Scotland suffered from nuisance air-attacks, however the bombing was generally random in nature. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the first bombs were dropped in Moray on the night of July



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10th 1940. One of the four bombs dropped landed in a field of Barley on the farm of Sandyhillock, near Leuchars, approximately 3km from RAF Lossiemouth. It is not known where the other bombs fell. Incendiary bombs are also thought to have been dropped on Sandyhillock, Inchbroom and Bailiesland Farms. Another attack occurred on July 12th 1941 when four bombs were dropped on the town of Lossiemouth killing four civilians and injuring eight. Moray had a total of six RAF airfields during WWII which were used mainly as training stations for bomber crews but also as forward bases for air attacks on Norway. Despite the obvious military importance of the area the airfields escaped lightly from German air activity. On September 10th 1940 bombs were dropped on waste ground 2km from RAF Lossiemouth. The only record, that could be found during this research, of a raid directly affecting an RAF base was to RAF Lossimouth on October 26th 1940 when three Heinkel IIIs attacked at low level with bombs and machine guns. Two Blenheim aircraft were destroyed and three Blenheims, two Magisters, two Moths and a Hurricane were damaged. There are no further records of any attacks on airfields in Moray.

Throughout WWII records of bombing incidents in Moray would have been kept by the Civil Defence Office ARP. This was motivated not only by the need to identify the areas affected, but also in an attempt to find patterns in the Germans’ bombing strategy and thus predict where future raids may take place. These records are likely to have been kept in the form of typed or hand written notes and/or presented on maps. No official records to the bombing of Moray could be found despite a search of the local archive resources.

7. HISTORY OF RAF FORRES

7.1. RAF Forres During WWII

RAF Forres was brought into operation on April 27th 1940 as a grass-surface bomber Operational Training Unit (OTU) satellite, when ‘D’ Flight of 19 OTU moved from RAF Kinloss. From then until October 22nd 1944 it was used almost constantly by Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, twin-engined, bomber aircraft. After 19 OTU left the satellite in October 1944 it was loaned to the War Department and there is no further record of any military flying use. There are no records, either official or anecdotal, of bombing incidents occurring on RAF Forres during WWII. The Luftwaffe were however aware of the existence of the RAF base as is highlighted on a Luftwaffe Reconnaissance photograph taken in September 1940 (Annex C).

7.2. RAF Forres Post-WWII

In 1960 a short concrete strip was built on the site to allow the director of United Biscuits Ltd to commute to and from the London area in a company aircraft. Small Aztec aircraft belonging to a distillery have also used the runway since 1966.



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Much of the area is now being used for agricultural purposes and some residential development has taken in close proximity to the former bomb store structures.

7.3. RAF Site Plan

The RAF site plan presented at Annex D-1 depicts RAF Forres as it was in June 1946, just after the war had ended. The site area can be seen at the southern tip of the airfield and is labelled as Bomb Stores. A detailed map of the bomb stores area has been provided at Annex D-2. It highlights the various buildings that made up the bomb stores. These included a ready use pyrotechnic storehouse; an SAA store for ground defence; a component and detonator store; four 24 ton HE bomb dumps; an incendiary bomb and pyrotechnic storehouse; a sea mariner and flame float store; two fusing points – one for heavy bombs and one for small bombs; and a fused and spare bomb area.

7.4. RAF Aerial Photograph

RAF aerial photography was obtained for the site from The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland and has been presented at Annex E. The first photograph at Annex E-1 was taken on the 26th August 1946 and the photographs at Annex E-2 and E-3 were taken on the 27th June 1947. On all of the photographs the outline of the runways can no longer be seen and it appears as though some of the land was by then being used for agricultural purposes. There are still recognisable features of the airfield present including buildings, a hangar and patches of hard-standing in the eastern and north-eastern sections of the site. The 16 hardstandings along the banks of the River Findhorn in the south-western section of the site can also still be seen. There is no evidence of bomb damage anywhere on the RAF base.

7.5. Historical Map Review

Pre and post-war historical maps for the bomb stores area were provided by the client and have been included at Annex F.

The 1938 OS map shows a road bisecting the site from north to the south with a curved field boundary east of the road. There are no buildings shown on the map in this area. By 1959 a five small structures are shown on the map, one in the north and four in the centre. Significant changes can be seen on the 1972 map edition. Residential structures (‘Connamara’ and ‘Sonnagreen’) had been built along the road and the curved field boundary had been made into a road joining the original road in the north and at the centre. By 1984 another building ‘Caleta House’ had been constructed in the northern part of the site and a large rectangular structure to the south of that had been demolished. The curved road by this time was no longer present and had been incorporated into the back gardens of the houses. The present day map shows that there are now five houses to the east of the road stopping just south of the centre point of the site. It is at this point that the road forks off, with a new section of road leading to Mundole Farm.



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8. GERMAN AIR-DELIVERED ORDNANCE

8.1. Generic Types of German Bombs

There is no evidence that RAF Forres was attacked during WWII, however, as there are no official records available the possibility cannot be entirely discounted. The following section describes the types of bombs used by the Luftwaffe during WWII. Detailed illustrations of German air delivered ordnance are presented at Annex G.

a. HE Bombs: In terms of weight of ordnance dropped, HE bombs are the most

likely type to be encountered. Additionally, they have the weight, velocity and shape to easily penetrate the ground if they failed to explode. The post-raid surveys carried out by the fire, police and civil defence personnel may have failed to spot an entry hole or other indications that a bomb penetrated the ground and failed to explode. Where evidence was reported, the Bomb Disposal team (BD, now known as Explosive Ordnance Disposal or EOD) would have been requested to investigate.

b. Blast Bombs/Parachute Mines: Blast bombs generally had a slow rate of descent and were extremely unlikely to have penetrated the ground. Non-retarded mines would have shattered on most ground types, if they had failed to explode. There have been extreme cases when these items have been found unexploded, but this was where the ground was either very soft or where standing water had reduced the impact. Furthermore there were relatively few of these weapons dropped during WWII. BACTEC does not consider there to be a significant threat from this type of munition.

c. Incendiary Bombs (IB): IB were unlikely to penetrate the ground and would have been located on the post-raid survey. However, if they became entwined with bomb damage rubble they could be missed. Generally IBs contain a small explosive charge to initiate flammable material within the bomb housing and hence there remains a small risk of detonation during intrusive works.

d. Anti-personnel (AP) Bomblets: AP bombs had little ground penetration ability and should have been located by the post-raid survey.

e. Specialist Bombs: These types are more likely to behave as HE bombs, but do not contain high explosive and therefore a detonation consequence is unlikely.

9. UNEXPLODED BOMBS

9.1. German Air-Delivered Ordnance Failure Rate

It should be noted that generally around 10% of the German HE bombs dropped during WWII failed to explode as designed.



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9.2. Abandoned Bombs

A post-air raid survey of buildings, facilities and installations would have included a search for evidence of bomb entry holes. If evidence were encountered, Bomb Disposal teams would normally have been requested to attempt to locate, render safe and dispose of the bomb. Occasionally evidence of UXBs was discovered but due to a relatively benign position, access problems or as a result of a shortage of resources the UXB could not be exposed and rendered safe. Such an incident may have been recorded and noted as an Abandoned Bomb. Given the inaccuracy of WWII records and the fact that these bombs were ‘abandoned’, their locations cannot be considered definitive, nor exhaustive. The MoD states that ‘action to make the devices safe would be taken only if it was thought they were unstable’ or their location was to be developed in the future. It should be noted that other than the ‘officially’ abandoned bombs, there will inevitably be UXBs that were never recorded. However, BACTEC could find no recorded abandoned bombs on or near to former RAF Forres.

9.3. Initiation of Unexploded Bombs

Unexploded bombs do not spontaneously explode. All high explosive requires significant energy to create the conditions for detonation to occur. In the case of unexploded German bombs discovered within the construction site environment, there are a number of potential initiation mechanisms: a. Direct impact onto the main body of the bomb: Unless the fuze or fuze pocket

is struck, there needs to be a significant impact (e.g. from piling or large and violent mechanical excavation) to initiate a buried iron bomb. Such violent action can cause the bomb to detonate e.g. pile driving initiated the detonation of a WWII era bomb in Austria in 2004 with resulting injury and damage to plant (see Annex H).

b. Re-starting the clock timer in the fuze: Only a small proportion of German WWII bombs employed clockwork fuzes. It is probable that significant corrosion has taken place within the fuze mechanism over the last 60 years that would prevent clockwork mechanisms from functioning, nevertheless it was reported that the fuze in a UXB dealt with by 33 EOD Regiment in Surrey in 2002 did re-commence functioning.

c. Induction of a static charge, causing a current in an electric fuze: The majority of German WWII bombs employed electric fuzes. It is probable that significant corrosion has taken place within the fuze mechanism over the last 60 years that would earth or “short” any fuze circuit.

d. Friction impact initiating the (shock-sensitive) fuze explosive: This is the most likely scenario resulting in the bomb detonating.

9.4. UXB Sub-Surface Trajectory

One of the most common WWII methods of identifying the presence of a UXB was the discovery of an entry hole. Even though a possible hole of entry of a bomb may have been detected, bombs rarely conform to a normal sub-surface trajectory. Many



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bombs describe a “J” curve, coming to rest at a considerable distance from the original hole of entry and often at a much shallower depth than one would ordinarily expect. Therefore UXB could potentially be located under a site, and at a shallow depth, even if it failed to land directly on it. The horizontal distance of a UXB from its Point of Entry is known as “offset” and a typical value for 500kg bombs is 15m.

9.5. Bomb Penetration Depth Assessment

The absence of site specific geotechnical information means that it has not been possible to make an assessment of maximum bomb penetration depth for RAF Forres at this time. Once detailed site specific geotechnical information becomes available an assessment can be made or a BACTEC EOD Engineer would be able to make an assessment having observed conditions on site during the proposed works. It should be noted that unexploded bombs can be found at shallow depths due to hard layers of geology or the J-Curve effect. When considering an assessment the following parameters would be used:

a. Geology – taking into account the underlying strata.

b. Impact Velocity – 267 metres per second is used, as this would be generated by a high level release height typically used by the Luftwaffe.

c. Impact Angle – An angle of 80-90O from horizontal is used as worse case.

d. Bomb Mass – The 500kg SC (General Purpose) HE bomb is used as the “sample” bomb. This was largest of the common bombs used against Britain. Note that the penetration depth of the less common 1000kg and 2000kg bombs would be somewhat greater and the smaller 250kg and 50kg lower.

e. Bomb Configuration – As above, the 500kg SC HE is used, but it is assumed for this study that no retarder units, or armour piercing nose units were fitted.

10. SECOND WORLD WAR BRITISH ORDNANCE

10.1. Defending the Eastern Coast of Scotland

The main defence against enemy bombers attacking the eastern coast of Scotland were the RAF fighter aircraft stationed in the area such as those at RAF Lossiemouth located along the eastern coast. Barrage balloons and AAA batteries also contributed towards the air defences. AAA batteries were often located in the region of the RAF stations and in some instances on the bases themselves; typically the Royal Artillery would man such defences not the RAF. The closest known Heavy Anti-Aircraft battery was located approximately 7km to the north-east of the site at Kinloss.



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10.2. Defending RAF Forres A definitive list of the defences at RAF Forres is not available. As a satellite airfield RAF Forres is likely to have been equipped with defences against attack, although it is not thought that these would have been on the same scale as those at major RAF stations such as Kinloss. Most of the airfields in Scotland during WWII had a series of defence measures in place to negate both attack from invading forces on the ground and attack from the air. The following is a list of the types of defences regularly deployed:

• Pillboxes for inward defence built close to the airfield perimeter track

• Pillboxes for outward defence located outside the airfield boundary.

• Retractable pillboxes (Pickett-Hamilton Forts) located on the landing ground (not deployed on the majority of airfields).

• Dummy pillboxes.

• Rifle pits.

• Armoured vehicles.

• Perimeter wire and wire for defence posts.

• Anti-aircraft defence posts deploying machine guns and 40mm Bofors Guns.

Photographs of typical airfield defences are presented at Annex I. Pillboxes for inward defence were armed with air-type Vickers .303 inch machine guns. Pillboxes for outward defence were armed with ground-type Vickers .303 inch machine guns. Pillboxes were of a concrete and brick construction and faced either away from the airfield for outward defence, or toward the airfield for inner defence.

10.4. RAF Station Contamination

RAF Forres was in use as a military airfield from April 1940 until October 1944, and during this time was used predominantly by the crews of Whitley bomber aircraft. In addition it is known that Home Guard units often used military sites for practice and training purposes. As such, due to the historical military occupation of the site, there is still a residual threat of ordnance contamination as items of explosive ordnance would have been stored, used and potentially disposed of at the airfield. The following is a list of activities which have the potential to cause explosive ordnance contamination on MoD sites such as former RAF Forres. It should be noted that UXO is regularly encountered on former MoD property by the public and the construction industry.

• Aviation Crashes: During the RAF occupation of the airfield there may have been aviation accidents, which could have resulted in ordnance debris being left buried in the ground. Aviation crashes were known to have occurred from time to time at RAF Forres, for example on the 11th November 1940 a Whitley



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bomber dived into the ground in the circuit and on the 3rd September 1942 another Whitley hit a bank on take-off.

• German WWII Bombing: RAF sites were seen as a strategic target by the Luftwaffe. There is no evidence to suggest that RAF Forres was attacked by the Luftwaffe, however the possibility cannot be ruled out due to the absence of official records relating to incidents in the area.

• Ordnance/Explosive Storage: During the RAF occupation of the site a range of ordnance would have been stored. This may have included explosives, missile components, SAA, LSA, incendiary bombs, pyrotechnic devices and air-delivered bombs.

• Firing Range: Potential contamination around ranges would include live rounds, other munitions and heavy metals such as lead, antimony and barium. There is no mention of a firing range on site plans for RAF Forres, however it is likely that Forres would have been equipped with targets / firing butts in order to test the aircraft cannons.

• Practice Bombs: As part of standard RAF pilot training prior to WWII, practice bombs would have been utilised. These would have been dropped on target areas in remote parts of an airfield. There is no record of practice bombs being utilised at RAF Forres, however their use cannot be discounted completely.

• Anti-Aircraft Gun Emplacements: It would have been common for an emplacement to have been located on the perimeter of the RAF Station. AAA shells were high explosive projectiles, usually fitted with a time delay or barometric pressure fuze to make them explode at a height close to bomber formations. If these shells failed to explode or strike an aircraft, they would eventually fall back to earth. This type of ordnance is not likely to have had great penetration ability, and the majority of unexploded AAA shells are found close to WWII ground level.

11. THREAT POSED BY BRITISH EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE

11.1. Allied Air Delivered Bombs

As with German bombs, Allied air delivered bombs fall into two categories, High Explosive and Incendiary. High Explosive bombs were categorized and designated in accordance with particular roles. Annex J details types of British air delivered ordnance and illustrates British UXBs recovered in Germany. For general bombardment there were general purpose (GP), medium capacity (MC) and high capacity (HC) types. a. 250, 500 and 1000lb General Purpose (GP) Bombs: As the name implies the

GP bomb was designed with the widest range of objectives in mind. Consequently this type of bomb proved to be relatively ineffective for most specific purposes. The 250, 500 and 1000lb variants were the most common used against Germany.



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b. 500 and 1000lb Medium Capacity (MC) Bombs: Medium capacity bombs were used against precision targets rather than the saturation bombing of industrial centres. The 500 and 1000lb variants were the most common used by the RAF.

c. High Capacity (HC) Bombs: HC bombs were of a thin case design and high

explosive content. As a result they were high blast producers, fuzed to detonate instantaneously on impact with the ground. The 2000lb and 4000lb ‘Cookie’ were the most widely used in saturation bombing raids.

d. Specialist Bombs: A number of specialist bombs were developed for use during

WWII. These included the 20lb anti-personnel fragmentation bomb, anti-submarine (AS), armour-piercing (AP) and semi-armour piercing (SAP) bombs. Other specialist bombs included those designed by Barnes Wallis such as the ‘Bouncing Bombs’ used against the Sorpe and Mohne Dams and the ‘Tall Boy’ and ‘Grand Slam’ blockbuster bombs. These bombs, 12000lb and 22,000lb respectively, were designed to penetrate deep into the ground before exploding producing an earthquake effect which destroyed the target. These were used against hardened structures such as submarine pens and specialist targets.

e. Incendiary Bombs: British incendiary bombs, like their German counterparts,

were designed to ignite on impact and spread their flammable contents. Generally IBs contain a small explosive charge to initiate flammable material within the bomb housing and hence there remains a small risk of detonation during intrusive works. A total of 80,000,000 4lb and 3,000,000 30lb British incendiary bombs were dropped during the war.

11.1. British Bomb Discoveries at Former RAF Oakington

During the course of site investigation works at former RAF Oakington in Cambridgeshire in 2005 two British 500lb bombs and two British 1000lb bombs were found buried in the ground in an upright position close to the surface. They were found near to an area formerly occupied by a bomb store. Photographs showing the two 500lb bombs and the position in which they were found have been included at Annex K. It is thought that the bombs may have been placed in this area so that in the event of invasion they could be used to demolish the storage facilities once the base had been evacuated.

11.2. Land Service Ammunition (LSA)

LSA would have been available for use by ground personnel and possibly by the Home Guard during training exercises at RAF Forres. As such, it is possible that items of LSA may have been discarded within the station boundary and may be encountered during shallow intrusive works. Photographs of various types of LSA are presented at Annex L. Some of the items of LSA likely to have been available to ground personnel are considered below:

a. Unexploded Munitions – Mortars, Grenades and Explosives. A mortar relies on a striker hitting a detonator for explosion to occur. It is possible that the striker may already be in contact with the detonator and that only a



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slight increase in pressure would be required for initiation. Similarly, a grenade striker may either be in contact with the detonator or still be retained by a spring under tension, and therefore shock may cause it to function. Mortars and grenades can both be lethal. A grenade can have an explosive range of 15-20m.

b. Fuzes – The fuzes used with munitions fired on ranges are mainly of the direct impact action variety. This means that if they failed to function on impact a needle/pin may have been driven into the detonator or a very sensitive explosive compound leaving the fuze in a dangerous state. An inadvertent impact on the fuze or munition could cause the munition to detonate. The 81mm mortar falls into this category and is known throughout the EOD community as a very dangerous munition to dispose of.

c. Miscellaneous Items – Pyrotechnics come in a variety of types of flares and smoke generating compounds and can include the following:

a. Magnesium b. Thermite c. Phosphorus (red – white) d. Calcium Phosphate e. Sodium Nitrate f. Aluminium Powder g. Sodium Phosphide – phosphorus mixture h. Magnesium – aluminium phosphide i. Potassium bisulphate j. Smoke compounds i.e. HC, FM and FS.

Items of ordnance do not become inert or lose their effectiveness with age. Time can indeed cause items to become more sensitive and less stable. This applies equally to items submerged in water or embedded in silts, clays or similar materials. The greatest risk occurs when an item of ordnance is struck or interfered with. This is likely to occur when mechanical equipment is used or when unqualified personnel pick up munitions.

11.3. Small Arms Ammunition

The most likely type of ordnance to be encountered at RAF Forres are items of SAA. However, when found, even if an item functioned the explosion would not be contained within a barrel and detonation would only result in local overpressure and very minor fragmentation from the cartridge case. Images of SAA are presented at Annex M.

11.4. Practice Bombs

The standard aircraft practice bombs used in WWII generally emitted smoke as a spotting charge to indicate bombing accuracy. They were filled with sand, water or a chalk/lime solution. Practice bombs were not designed to cause any damage and therefore could be dropped in a variety of remote locations such as redundant areas of an airfield or agricultural land. However, there is no evidence to suggest that



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practice bombing occurred at RAF Forres. Details of the types of practice bombs that may have been used have been included at Annex N.

11.5. Anti-Aircraft Artillery Shells

Unexploded AAA shells pose a similar threat to anti-personnel bombs in terms of blast and fragmentation hazards, and are at times mistakenly identified as small German aircraft-delivered bombs.

11.6. Aircraft .303 Machine Gun Ammunition

The threat from .303 machine gun ammunition is similar to that posed by SAA. As with SAA, even if it functioned, the explosion would not be contained within a gun barrel and detonation would only result in local overpressure and minor fragmentation from the case. Photographs of this type of ammunition can be found at Annex L.

12. OFFICIAL EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL ARCHIVES

12.1. Results from Enquiries

The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Archive Information Office at 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD) was consulted regarding RAF Forres. Currently the EOD reports are being returned with approximately three months delay so no information was available at the time this report was prepared. Once the information is forthcoming BACTEC will advise The Moray Council of any relevant details and implications.

13. EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE RISK ASSESSMENT

13.1. The Threat

BACTEC believes that there is a risk of encountering unexploded ordnance when

conducting shallow intrusive works on the site, in the gardens of the houses, and in the surrounding land of the bomb stores area at former RAF Forres. This risk assessment takes into account the following facts:

a. RAF Forres was used between 1940 and 1944 by ‘D’ Flight of 19 OTU as a grass-surface bomber Operational Training Unit (OTU) satellite. It is possible that this military occupation may have left a legacy of explosive ordnance contamination at the airfield.

b. Previous experience has shown that house-keeping on RAF bases during WWII was poor. During mitigation works on other historic airfield sites across the UK many items of ordnance have been recovered from the ground, particularly in the area surrounding the bomb stores.

c. The base was only occupied for a short period of four years during the war and it is unlikely that the RAF, upon leaving, would have conducted a thorough clearance of the bomb stores area. Regulations regarding the storage of bombs



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and other items of explosive ordnance were very strict and the consequences of having more ordnance in the stores than should actually have been there were often severe. As a result surplus ordnance would often be disposed of (either burnt, destroyed or buried) in the surrounding area. Most items of ordnance also had a ‘life expectancy’, once the ordnance had reached this life expectancy it was often much easier to discard it on site than to follow the correct disposal procedures.

d. When burning items of ordnance, large pits would be made in areas of open land, often close to bomb stores. Once it was perceived that all the ordnance had been burnt the pits would often be infilled without checking for unburnt items. In many cases items would often be left buried intact with only slight damage.

e. SAA and LSA (grenades, mortars, bullets etc.) would have been available for use by ground personnel and potentially used by the Home Guard during exercises at the airfield and stored on site, primarily in the bomb stores area. It is possible that any such items which were discarded on site may be encountered during intrusive works.

f. There is considered to be a low risk of encountering German unexploded bombs on the site as there is no evidence to suggest the site was attacked by the Luftwaffe during WWII.

g. Although construction works have taken place in the area since the end of WWII, much of the land has remained undeveloped and therefore any UXO still existing on the site post-war would have remained in situ to the present day.

h. It is possible that in areas where fields have been cultivated post-war, items of ordnance may have been unearthed and therefore the risk of encountering further ordnance may have been reduced. However, BACTEC’s previous experience has found that this cannot always be guaranteed as UXO may be buried just below the cultivation depth.

i. No records of RAF EOD clearance tasks are available in the public domain and therefore it has not been possible to find out whether the bomb stores area has already been cleared post-war. Even if the stores area had been cleared it can still not be guaranteed that the area would be free from UXO as clearance was not always thorough as it was restricted by the equipment available to them at the time.

j. Prime responsibility for airfield clearance was with the RAF however it is possible that the Army 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD) may have carried out a clearance task in this area. Although a request has been made for this information, at the time of writing this report it had not been received.

13.2. Risk Assessment

The overall risk for the site from unexploded ordnance is derived by assessing both the probability of occurrence and the consequences of detonation. The levels of risk posed by unexploded ordnance in the areas of the bomb stores at the site of former RAF Forres can be demonstrated in the following table:



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Level of Risk

Type of Ordnance Negligible Low Medium High

German UXBs * British High Explosive Ordnance * British SAA and LSA * Practice Bombs * AAA Shells *

Based on this assessment, the risk to the activities and situations discussed in the ‘Aim’ section of this report are summarised below:


It is possible that in areas of land that have remained undeveloped or uncultivated items of UXO may be located very close to the surface especially where there are bushes and shrubs. As a result there is a possibility that the general public may encounter items of ordnance in this area.




Any form of excavation, no matter how shallow, has the potential to unearth items of live ordnance, especially in areas that have remained undisturbed since the end of WWII. This would include the gardens to the properties that have been built on the site.

Although agricultural practices and the post-war construction of residential properties may have reduced the risk of encountering shallow buried ordnance, the possibility that it may still remain can not be completely discounted.

14. PROPOSED RISK MITIGATION METHODOLOGY

14.1. General Taking into account the findings of this study BACTEC considers that there is a threat from shallow-buried UXO in the area of the former bomb stores. The risk is considered to be highest in areas that have remained undeveloped or uncultivated since the end of WWII. BACTEC can offer the following mitigation measures in order to reduce the risk of encountering ordnance during any intrusive works in the area of the former bomb stores.



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• Unexploded Ordnance Site Safety Instructions: These written instructions can be supplied to current residents or contractors conducting intrusive works. They contain generic information detailing what to do in the unlikely event of uncovering unexploded ordnance on the construction site.

• Explosive Ordnance Safety and Awareness Briefings to all personnel

conducting intrusive construction works: A briefing is essential when there is a possibility of explosive ordnance contamination and is a vital part of the general safety requirement. All personnel working on the site should receive a general briefing on the identification of UXB, what actions they should take to keep people and equipment away from the hazard, and to alert site management. Posters and information of a general nature of the UXB threat should be held in the site office for reference and as a reminder. The safety awareness briefing is an essential part of the Health & Safety Plan for the site and conforms to the CDM regulations 2007.

• Non-Intrusive Advanced Geophysical System (AGS) Survey and target

investigation ahead of any intrusive works: This survey is carried out using caesium vapour magnetometers linked to a data logger. Data is interpreted using advanced proprietary software which is capable of modelling the magnetic anomalies for mass, depth and location, thus providing information which can be used to locate discrete buried objects that may be ordnance. The system will typically locate buried ordnance to a depth of 4m for a 50kg bomb (the smallest HE bomb used by the Luftwaffe) and deeper for larger bombs. Additionally the survey will locate any buried services with a magnetic signature, will indicate areas of gross magnetic “contamination” (which may indicate unknown underground obstructions) and provide information on archaeological features.

If possible ordnance is located the relevant anomalies can be accessed and identified, and if ordnance, disposed of. The site can then be certified clear of ordnance. Since magnetometry is not practical on areas with extensive made ground (which is likely to be magnetic) or close to steel structures, a site reconnaissance is advisable in order to delineate the areas amenable to survey.

On areas that cannot be surveyed, the following can be offered: • Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Engineer Presence on Site: The role of

the EOD Engineer would include:

• The monitoring of works using visual recognition and instrumentation, where practical and advising staff of the need to modify working practices to take account of the ordnance threat.

• Providing an immediate response to reports of suspicious objects or suspected items of ordnance that have been recovered by the ground workers on site.



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• Providing Explosive Ordnance Safety and Awareness briefings to any staff that have not received them earlier

• Aiding Incident Management, involving liaison with the local authorities and Police, should ordnance be identified and present an explosive hazard.

And, if deemed appropriate:

• Search and Clearance: An Explosive Ordnance Disposal Engineer will carry out a search and clearance operation using both magnetometry and pulse induction locators for the detection of both ferrous and non-ferrous ordnance. Any anomalies will be accessed and identified and, if ordnance-related, disposed of through the appropriate channels.

The mitigation measure utilised will depend on the area of land to be cleared and the type of intrusive works involved. Due to the nature of the site, particularly as there are residential properties in the area, it is recommended that a meeting is held between BACTEC International Ltd and the client to decide the most appropriate course of action.



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16. BIBLIOGRAPHY

The published documents consulted during this assessment are listed below.

• Birtles, P., World War 2 Airfields, Ian Allen Publishing. 1999.

• Dobinson, C., Fields of Deception: Britain’s Bombing Decoys of World War II, Methuen. 2000.

• Falconer, J., RAF Bomber Airfields of World War 2, Ian Allan Publishing. 1992.

• Fleischer, W., German Air-Dropped Weapons to 1945, Midland Publishing. 2004.

• MacBean, J. A & Hogben, A. S., Bombs Gone: The development and use of British air-dropped weapons from 1912 to the present day, Patrick Stephens Limited. 1990.

• Ramsey, W., The Blitz Then and Now, Volume 1, Battle of Britain Prints International Limited. 1987.



• Smith, D. J., Action Stations: 7. Military Airfields of Scotland, the North-East and Northern Ireland, Patrick Stephens Ltd. 1993.

• Taylor, P. (compiled and edited by), The People’s War: Moray Memories from World War 2. Librario Publishing Ltd. 2005.

RAF Forres, Moray, ScotlandEXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE THREAT ASSESSMENT

Produced by BACTEC International Limited Reference 9445 TA 05/12/2007For The Moray Council

ANNEX A – SITE LOCATION MAPS

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37 Riverside, Sir Thomas Longley Rd,Rochester, KENT, ME2 4DP

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ANNEX A-1 – SITE LOCATION MAPS

© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Licence number AL100033639.

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© Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Licence number AL100033639.

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Area of interest



ANNEX B – AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH OF THE BOMB STORES AREA

37 Riverside, Sir Thomas Longley Road,Rochester, KENT, ME2 4DP

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ANNEX B – AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH OF THE

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ANNEX C – LUFTWAFFE RECONNAISSANCE PHOTOGRAPH


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Luftwaffe reconnaissance photograph highlighting the RAF bases at both Forres and Kinloss. Taken on the 29/09/1940.

THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON THE ANCIENT AND HISTORICAL MONUMENTS OF SCOTLAND



ANNEX D – RAF SITE PLAN


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ANNEX D-1 – 1946 SITE PLAN OF RAF FORRES

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Department of Research and Information Services (DoRIS), RAF Museum, Hendon

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ANNEX D-2 – PLAN OF BOMB STORES – RAF FORRES

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Department of Research and Information Services (DoRIS), RAF Museum, Hendon



ANNEX E – RAF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS


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ANNEX E-1 – RAF PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN ON 26th

AUGUST 1946


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This photograph covers the northern section of the RAF base and as a result does not show the area of interest which is further to

the south.




ANNEX F – PRE AND POST-WAR HISTORICAL MAPS


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ANNEX F-1 – 1938 OS MAP OF BOMB STORES

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ANNEX F-2 – 1959 OS MAP OF BOMB STORE AREA

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ANNEX F-5 – PRESENT DAY OS MAP OF BOMB STORES

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ANNEX G – GERMAN AIR-DELIVERED ORDNANCE


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ANNEX G-1 – GERMAN AIR-DELIVERED ORDNANCE

German Air Dropped Weapons to 1945

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ANNEX G-2 – GERMAN AIR-DELIVERED ORDNANCE

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15cm BACTEC Ruler for Indication of Scale

WWII German 30kg BLC Photographic Flash Bomb recovered in Kent in 1999 less tail section


Length of Scaffold Pipe found by a contractor on a site in London

1kg Incendiary Bomb less Tail Unit

Opened Butterfly Bomb less arming cable


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ANNEX H – PRESS ARTICLES RELATING TO RECENT DETONATION OF WWII UXBS


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ANNEX H-1 – UXB INCIDENTS

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More than 60 years since the end of World War II, construction workers still frequently unearth

unexploded bombs and it is not uncommon for whole city districts to be cordoned off and even

evacuated while bomb disposal experts defuse them.

Indeed, just last week (16.10.2006), some 22,000 people were evacuated from their homes in Hanover when three World War II bombs were discovered.

Allied pilots rained nearly 2 million tons of explosives on Germany during the war. Landmines, hand grenades, mortar bombs and anti-tank devices from the fighting on German soil at the end of the war are also found, and authorities say it will take

decades before the country is cleared of duds.

Between 400 and 600 bombs are discovered a year in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia alone, where the heavily industrialized Ruhr region was a major

target for Allied fighter pilots.

Three workers were killed and 17 people injured in Berlin in 1994 when a wartime bomb exploded

during construction work. In 2003 in the Austrian city of Salzburg, two people were killed while

attempting to defuse a 250-kilogram bomb.

cro/Reuters/AP

Reuters Press Release dated 23.10.2006

DPA Press Release dated 25.10.2006

Bomb disposal experts defused an unexploded World War II bomb on Tuesday (24.10.2006). The 75-kilo device was discovered on the grounds of the Audi car plant in the southern city of Ingolstadt during excavation work along a rail track, police said.

The bomb, which was buried three meters under the ground, was examined by experts who rendered it harmless.

Another 250-kilogramme bomb dropped from British Royal Air Force bomber was defused near the A352 motorway near the northern city of Hanover on Monday (23.10.2006).

And on Saturday (21.10.2006), a 70-kilogramme wartime bomb was destroyed in a controlled explosion near the A12 motorway, east of Berlin, after 1,000 people living in the vicinity were evacuated.

In one of Germany's biggest-ever bomb-disposal operations, 22,000 people left their homes in Hanover last week while experts removed the detonators from three World War II bombs.

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ANNEX H-2 - RESULTS OF THE DETONATION OF A UXB

ON A CONSTRUCTION SITE IN AUSTRIA IN 2004

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UXB Incident in Austria in 2004.

From top left, clockwise:

Similar Piling rig & dump truck as those involved in this incident

Piling rig and dump truck after the explosion of a WWII Allied UXB. Notice crater at bottom left

Emergency teams aiding the injured operator

Remains of the piling rig

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ANNEX I – TYPICAL AIRFIELD DEFENCES


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ANNEX I – TYPICAL AIRFIELD DEFENCES

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BOOKS AND INTERNET RESOURCES



ANNEX J – BRITISH AIR-DELIVERED ORDNANCE


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Bombs Gone: The development of British air-dropped weapons from 1912 to the present day

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ANNEX J-2 – BRITISH AIR-DELIVERED ORDNANCE

A RANGE OF HC AND MC BOMBS GERMAN BOMB DISPOSAL TEAM IN 1943 WITH RECOVERED 1,000lb MC AND 500lb GP BOMBS.

GERMAN BOMB DISPOSAL TEAM RECOVERINGA 1000lb GP BOMB

A 12,000lb ‘TALLBOY’ BEING DEFUSED AT SORPE DAM ON 6/1/1959 BY HERR WALTER MITZKE AND FLIGHT

LIEUTENANT J. M. WATERS RAF

Bombs Gone: The development of British air-dropped weapons from 1912 to the present day

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ANNEX K – PHOTOGRAPHS OF ORDNANCE FINDS AT FORMER RAF OAKINGTON


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ANNEX K-1 – PHOTOGRAPHS OF BRITISH BOMBS FOUND AT RAF OAKINGTON

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Above: One of two 500lb British bombs, as it was found, at RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire at the end of 2005.

Below: A close up of the bomb


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ANNEX K-2 – PHOTOGRAPHS OF BRITISH BOMBS FOUND AT RAF OAKINGTON


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THE MORAY COUNCIL

One of two 500lb British bombs found at RAF Oakington, Cambridgshire at the end of 2005.



ANNEX L – LAND SERVICE AMMUNITION


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CLIENT:

PROJECT:

FIGURE No. & TITLE:

PROJECT No.: DATE:

ORIGINATOR:

N/A

ANNEX L – LAND SERVICE AMMUNITION

51mm MORTAR PARA-ILLUM

2 INCH MORTAR PARA-ILLUM

2 INCH DIAMETER MORTAR

3 INCH DIAMETER MORTAR

MILLS 36 GRENADE

Various British grenades

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9445 05/12/2007


THE MORAY COUNCIL



ANNEX M – SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION


Project:

Originator:

Date:

Client:

Source:



ANNEX M – SMALL ARMS AMMUNITION (SAA)

20 mm Diameter

30 mm Diameter

Small arms ammunition and cannon rounds up to 30mm

Recovered British WWII era SAA

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THE MORAY COUNCIL




ANNEX N – PRACTICE BOMBS


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CLIENT:

PROJECT:

FIGURE No. & TITLE:

PROJECT No.: DATE:

SOURCE:

ORIGINATOR:

SOURCE:

ANNEX N-1 – PRACTICE BOMBS

N/A

DR

9445 05/12/2007


THE MORAY COUNCIL


Tel. +44 (0) 1634 296757 Fax. +44 (0) 1634 269779


CLIENT:

PROJECT:

FIGURE No. & TITLE:

PROJECT No.: DATE:

SOURCE:

ORIGINATOR:

SOURCE:

ANNEX N-2 – PRACTICE BOMBS

N/A

DR

9445 05/12/2007


THE MORAY COUNCIL

9445 RAF Forres TA - Moray Council · 2019. 4. 16. · 9445 TA 05/12/2007 BACTEC International...

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