adminThe Herald, March 14, 1979
A YOUNG wartime relics collector with “butterfly bomb” at his beside, Mr John Arnold, received a rude shock yesterday while watching a television drama on bomb disposal during the Second World War.
The programme explained that the “butterfly bomb” could kill a person standing 15cm away, and that it could never be defused, Iana-Reuter reports.
Mr Arnold, a 31-year-old graphic designer,immediately called in bomb experts, who removed the deadly device, shaped like a tin can with wings, and blew it up.
Mr Arnold, who said the bomb had been next to his bed for a year, told reporters: “I was horrified. I always thought it was a dud or dummy. My mother frequently dusted it.”
LESSONS FOR TODAY
We should always be careful when handling things that we do not understand or have full knowledge of.
Unexploded ordnances from as far back as the mid-19th century still pose a hazard worldwide, both in current and former combat areas and on military firing ranges.
A major problem with unexploded ordnances is that over the years, the detonators and main charges deteriorate, frequently making them more sensitive to disturbance, and therefore more dangerous to handle.
When dealing with strange wartime materials like grenades, land mines or objects that one suspect to be bombs, it is always important to engage experts for advice.
Continuous education is also required from bomb experts for people residing in former wartime zones to be cautious of strange objects and to immediately inform relevant authorities, before handling them.
Online Reporter