76No. WWII Practice Bombs Found in Cambridgeshire Field

76No. World War Two (WWII) practice bombs were recently discovered in a field off Longstowe Road, close to Gransden Lodge Airfield in Cambridgeshire.

The bombs were found by construction workers whilst excavating trenches for drains. An Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team was called to the scene and the bombs were destroyed in a controlled explosion.

Gransden Lodge Airfield was opened in 1942 as Royal Air Force (RAF) Gransden Lodge. It was used by several operational Bomber Command squadrons, including No. 405 of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

Practice bombs were commonly used by RAF aircrews for target practice during WWII. Ranging in size from 8.5lb to 25lb, they typically comprised a cylindrical tail fin with a pear-shaped body and solid cast-iron nose. They were equipped with a detonator and small burster charge, with flash and smoke filled variants for night and daytime exercises.

A look at WWII-era plans reveals multiple bomb storage areas at RAF Gransden Lodge, which have since been returned to use as agricultural fields. Ad-hoc disposal of munitions was common during the war, especially towards the periphery of operational airfields.

To learn more about practice bombs and the different types of UXO hazard associated with former military airfields, visit our resource page – https://zeticauxo.com/guidance/