Bombfuse.net - History of Bomb Disposal

17th November 1939: Germans start dropping parachute mines.

23rd November 1939: Lt Ouvery recovers first Magnetic mine at Shoeburyness and successfully defuzes it.

1st May 1940: Home Office Circular 88/40 confirms that war office is responsible for dealing with any UXB

1st May 1940: First UXB committee is held to discuss various ways and devices to tackle unexploded bombs

May/June 1940: First 25 BD sections are formed,comprising of 1 x Lt,1xSgt and 14 other ranks.

June 1940: Steam sterilizer developed to cut a hole in bomb casing and emulsify explosive fill.

13th August 1940: First type (17) fuze recovered by 2nd Lt Mitchell.

17th August 1940: Lt Archer removes a type (50) anti disturbance fuze by hand, this was needed for experiments.

17th August 1940: Lt E.W.Reynolds defuzes bomb in Bristol with a type(17) fuze.

27th August 1940: Lt Archer recovers the first (38) fuze.

2nd  September 1940: Lt Archer removes a ticking type(17) fuze to find a new type Zus40 Anti withdrawal fuze underneath, this was successfully removed in tact.

12th September 1940: The steam sterilizer was used for the first time by Capt Kennedy on a live 250Kg bomb in Regents street .

14th September 1940: Lt Robert Davies defuzes a 1,000Kg bomb under St Pauls Cathedral.

16/17th September: Parachute delivered magnetic mines dropped on London, 77 dropped,but 25 failed to explode.

23rd September 1940: King George announces a new decoration for gallantry to be called the GEORGE CROSS.

26th October 1940: First acoustic mine recovered.

28th October 1940: SD2,s Butterfly bombs dropped on Ipswich(this was the first time these bombs were dropped in the UK)

16th November 1940: Fuze Extension cap was found on a bomb in Shaftsbury Ave , fuze could not be identified ! Bomb defuzed by Lt Nevil Newitt

21st December 1940: First 2,500 Kg (max) dropped on Victoria Station, London

Locaton of Bomb Disposal units as of AUGUST 1942

March 1941: Fully working Fuze discharger issued

April 1941: Merrylees fuze extractor issued

18th January 1943: New type Y fuze was recovered by Captain Carlyle, this fuze was designed purely to kill the bomb disposal officer trying to defuze the bomb.

24th January 1943: Method found to defeat this Y fuze was found by Maj John Hudson, the method used was to freeze the fuze with liquid oxygen.

3/4th March 1943: New types of fuze the (67) time fuze and the type (70) anti disturbance fuze , found in butterfly bombs dropped in Essex. The (67) was designed to explode up to 30 mins after hitting the ground, the (70) exploded on attempt to move the bomb

13/14th June 1943 First large scale raid using SD2 Butterfly bombs were dropped on Grimsby.

13th June 1944: the first FZG 76 (Flying bomb) landed in Kent

23rd June 1944:

Type (17) Long delay fuze , fitted with the ZUS 40 Anti Withdrawal fuze underneath

Unexploded flying bomb (V1) found in Sussex , the fuzes had to be removed at all costs, Radiography was used by Maj John Hudson and Dr Dawson.

2nd July 1944: Fuzes were successfully removed from V1 flying bomb.

8th September 1944: The first V2 rocket to land at Chiswick

11th March 1945: St unexploded V2 rocket found at Paglesham in Essex. Cleared by Major Gerhold

27th March 1945: Last V2 Rocket to land at Orpington, Kent

23rd October 194:  Last of 48 meetings of the UXB committee was held at Shell Mex house on the Strand.

The Crabtree 2 pin dis charger