More UXO Found on Brean Beach in Somerset

A WWII artillery shell discovered by an angler on Brean Beach was destroyed in a controlled explosion by an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team forcing the evacuation of seaside properties. The device was moved further down the beach, where it was buried beneath the sand and then detonated.

This is not the first Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) find in the Brean area in recent years, with UXO regularly washed up on the beach and discovered at low ride. It is hardly surprising given the history of the area. The entrance to the Bristol Channel and Bridgwater Bay were used extensively during WWII for practice firing by the RAF.

Berrow Flats, which run along the Brean Coast, were part of the Stert Flats North Range. This range was used for practice bombing and for the firing of artillery shells. Records indicate that more than 3 milllion .303 and 1 million 20mm rounds were fired at the range during WWII.

Some of the ranges in the Brean and Burnham-on-Sea area are shown on the overlay in the inset.

For more see: http://burnham-on-sea.com/news/2015/bomb-brean-19-10-15.php