While Coloring, 40 Years with a 'Decorative Bomb'... "An Old Friend Has Passed"

Coloring, Dusting Off Soil, and Tapping
"Old Friends Shattered" with a Heavy Heart

A British couple discovered that a 'bomb-shaped ornament' they had placed in their garden for over 40 years was actually a real bomb.

On the 5th (local time), according to foreign media including Wion and BBC, Sian Edward and Jeffrey Edward, residents of Milford Haven, Wales, UK, had placed a bomb ornament in their garden that is estimated to have been made in the late 19th century.

They believed the approximately 30kg bomb was obviously a replica. The couple moved into the house in 1982, and the previous resident explained that the bomb had been in that spot for over 100 years.

[Image source=BBC]

Taking it lightly, the couple even painted the bomb red and tapped it to remove dirt.

Then, on the 29th of last month, a police officer passing by the house suspected the bomb ornament was a real bomb and said, "We need to report this to the Ministry of Defence." The police stated, "The bomb disposal unit will arrive the next day," adding, "We may need to evacuate people."

Upon hearing the news, the couple reportedly could not sleep due to worry. Jeffrey said, "We didn't get any sleep all night," and added, "I told the bomb disposal unit, 'We will not leave the house; we will stay here.'"

After inspection by the bomb disposal unit, it was confirmed that the bomb was a real bomb that could explode at any time. However, the charge was extremely small. Eventually, the bomb was moved to a nearby disused quarry and detonated while covered with 5 tons of sand. Jeffrey said, "It's very sad that a long-time friend was blown to pieces."

The Ministry of Defence stated, "After the bomb disposal unit assessed the item, it was confirmed to be a 64-pound (approximately 29kg) naval projectile and was subsequently removed from the site."