Hand Grenade Found at Weedon Ordnance Depot
A live WWII hand grenade was excavated by workers on the site of a former ordnance depot in Weedon Bec, Northamptonshire. A police cordon was put in place although it does not appear that any evacuation of nearby properties was required. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team was due to remove the item for safe disposal.
The ordnance depot at Weedon Bec had a long history. Originally established as the primary depot for the British Army’s small arms during the Napoleonic War, it was later extended to store gunpowder magazines and field artillery. It was known as the Royal Military Depot.
Over 1,000 tons of gunpowder were stored at Weedon Bec at the peak of the depot, which also provided storage for a wide variety of military equipment and clothing. During WWII, it served as an Intermediate Ammunition Depot, storing shells for use by local Anti-Aircraft (AA) batteries, in addition to small arms ammunition.
At the end of WWII, Weedon Bec became a returns depot for unused/surplus ammunition slated to be either reissued or disposed of. The depot remained open until 1965, storing a mixture of weaponry and equipment for the Army.
