I'm sure someone started a thread asking how often this happens, but I can't find it. "Four teenage boys have put down their computer games and are helping to restore a Second World War pillbox. The friends from Norfolk discovered the abandoned building – built as part of the defences against a possible invasion by Hitler – three years ago while rambling and thought about turning it into a den. They have been working to restore it. Jake Brader, 16, of Sheringham, and his friends Connor Savage, 17, and Kieran Etherington, 16, both of North Walsham, and Jared Herring, 16, of Felmingham, spent two days pulling ivy off the building and exploring its long-forgotten inside. To their delight and horror, they discovered wartime graffiti, wall paintings – and unexploded hand grenades which had to be detonated by the bomb squad. Jake, who is studying A-level history at Paston College in North Walsham, Norfolk, said that they had all been excited and intrigued by their astonishing project. The quartet of friends found names of wartime soldiers along dates and their Army numbers with scribbled on the walls. Jake managed to decipher one name – Pte R Pearce – with his number and the date June 20, 1940 written in pencil. He learned that Roy Leonard Nelson Pearce came from Metfield, north Suffolk, and was serving with the 6th Royal Norfolks. Pte Pearce was sent to fight the Japanese in the Far East and was killed in the defence of Singapore on January 27, 1942. He was only 23 and his name is memorialised on the Singapore memorial at Kranji." http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2563646/The-real-life-history-boys-Teenage-friends-hunt-den-Second-World-War-pillbox-complete-wartime-graffiti-live-hand-grenades.html#ixzz2tsr4F2eR
Wonderful story. It is 'living history' like this that can start a youngsters lifelong interest in history. Future members for this site?
And they had the sense to report the grenades to the proper authorities which means that their chances of have a long life to enjoy the "lifelong" interest are much greater. I'm not sure I would have at that age.
well, the grenades weren't quite found in the pill box, but about 20 yards from. along with the grenades we found 160 live bullets including tracer rounds. J
What's wrong with kids today? If I had found some live grenades when I was a kid, the authorities wouldn't have heard about it until called in to investigate the reported explosions.
I had a friend who found a cannonball when I was in grammar school. He brought it to school and gave it to the history teacher, where it was placed on an unlevel shelf. It fell off of the shelf quite often, bouncing across the floor, plus we played with it by rolling it around and what not. We thought is was solid iron. About a year later, a War of Northern Aggression* re-enactor came to visit the school for a demonstration. Afterward, someone saw fit to show him the prized cannonball. He about had a stroke when he saw it. The school was evacuated and the closest military bomb-disposal unit came and retrieved the explosive device which was not a solid iron ball as was assumed. *some erroneously refer to this as the Civil War.
Jeff, Great story ! I have a Confederate Brook's rifle 3 " projectile that I found on the banks of the Alabama below Selma. The brass sabot is intact indicating it was not fired and I believe it is a solid shot though I cannot imagine what purpose a 3" solid shot would serve. I need to do a specific gravity test on it but it has been sitting around since 1955 ! I cannot cut and paste here so will send a picture to you if you want to post it. Nice relic. I found a Union foot office's sword hilt as well as a Confederate one , all three items on a sandbar .Fun day for a 15 year old.
Welcome Jacob and thank you for posting. And yes, please fill us in on your adventure. I'd also like to commend you on researching the name of Pte. Pearce and your friends efforts.
Thank you all for the interest, I would be happy to share my experience. It started in 2011 ish. When I had seen some pictures of a site close to where I lived at the time. My interest in bunkers led me on a search for this bunker. After about two weeks we came across a piece of woodland roughly 2 acres big alongside a road. The first thing that hit you was the barbed wire. Still being held In place by the metal bent rods known as 'pigtails' due to their long twisted screw tat the base. There were lines of these. Still in place from 1945. We continued in to the woods to find the first of four bunkers on site. A half buried and completely hidden munitions bunker with home made chilly that went out the window. Continuing we found the type 22 hexagonal bunker. And so the discoveries kept coming. Trenches a bike! And finally the munitions... We have found so far 200 bullets and four mills hand grenades. All very live. And regards Roy pearce I conducted two years of research on him. It ended with me meeting one of his friends before he was killed. I have hit a snag as to finding any living relatives though. I will post a few pics if people are interested. Once again, thanks for the interest. J
Kids experimenting with explosives.........not good......recalling one individual that blew his hand pretty much off except for two digits and one was badly damaged........the damaged one had to be surgically attached inside his belly, so he spent time explaining that it was to repair it enough to do further surgeries that eventually provided his hand with opposing digits. After weeks and weeks the digit was surgically removed from the belly to be rebuilt as a finger taking skin grafts from other parts of his body. After much surgical work he could grip again making his damaged side useful to him again. As an adult this individual donated a view of his limb for regular safety meetings amongst a group involved in demilling ammunition. It was an effective presentation for safety. In another case a young student was experimenting making firecrackers using some aquarium rocks along with the explosive to create a shrapnel effect.......only to prematurely detonate the explosive driving the aquarium rocks inside his own belly and they had to be surgically removed....the heal up and infection problems abounded for some time. These two were lucky to have lived through their experiences.....the statistics for injuries from old ordinances around the world are nothing less than frightening, children being the most frequent victims of "things left behind".
It's intersting you say that. Our closest EOD is based in Colchester. Three times we had to call them out. All the ammunition was found within a 10 meter squared perimeter. Upon the first trip the unit destroyed the first hand grenade. Leaving the bullets beneith it under two inches of soil. They left it to me to remove all the ordinance. Some of which is still there. I find this unacceptable due to its close proximity to a town and the interest of local kids. I guess the people to really blame are long since gone. #dadsarmy. J
Hey Jake, glad you're here. Reading the thread, and then having the individual who was involved with the story give us an update- nice. Jake, how did you come to post here, how did you find out MrH had posted a bit about the discovery? Cheers.
