WWII Shell Found at Former Royal Ordnance Factory Site
A suspected WWII shell was found during excavation works at Rotherwas Industrial Estate in Hereford. A 100m security cordon was put in place whilst an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team was called in to assess and remove the device.
The estate is on the premises of a WWII Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF) which was engaged in the manufacture and filling of bombs and shells for the Royal Air Force (RAF). In May 1944, a major incident occurred at the ROF when a 2,000lb bomb exploded during filling, setting off a chain reaction that led to the destruction of several buildings.
The ROF had previously been used as a National Filling Factory (NFF) during WWI, inserting explosives and fitting detonators into thousands of shells.
