Auction House Staff Find Live Grenade

Danville, Indiana Danville Metropolitan Police Department (DMPD) dispatched officers to Lawson & Co. Auction House after staff there reporting a hand grenade among items picked up from a residence in preparation for an upcoming auction.

Auction house staff told police the grenade appeared to them to be "live" as they noted the pin still intact.

DMPD instructed the callers to back away from the item as they dispatched officers. Police requested assistance from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Bomb Squad who also responded to the scene. The bomb squad determined that the grenade was likely still "live" and took possession of the device.

Home Renovation Project Results In UXO Find

Exter, United Kingdom Homeowners were shocked when their contractor working on an extension to their home reported finding a munition during excavations. Police initially responded to incident before they called the Royal Navy EOD for technical support. EOD responded after the homeowners and construction crew were evacuated. EOD identified the item as an incendiary round before safely transporting the item for proper off-site disposal.

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Rocket Reported in Residential Shed

Knoxville, TN A report of a military munition in a residential shed led to a multi-agency response including members of Fort Campbell EOD, the local FBI office and local police which followed standard protocol for that jurisdiction.

While the device was being X-rayed and evaluated, authorities requested that 20 homes within a 300-foot radius of the find be contacted directly by the 9-1-1 center and let them know they may be asked to leave their homes for a brief time later in the night.

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Golf Course Maintenance Leads to Sizeable UXO Find

East Lothian, Scotland Staff at Archerfield Links golf club were conducting routine maintenance around the prestigious course when they discovered a small, suspicious device buried underground. The round metal object, about the size of a tennis ball, with arm and aerofoil on the end, was believed to be a WWII training device.

Police and the Ministry of Defence were contacted, along with East Lothian Council. A spokesman for Police Scotland said, "East Lothian Council attended with sandbags to assist with the operation. A dig of the area was implemented and 60 pieces of ordnance were dug up, 30 being practice rounds and 30 being live. A number of controlled explosions were carried out on the beach."

WWII Munition Found in Wales Woodland

Wales, United Kingdom Army EOD responded to the discovery of a suspicious device in a woodland area in Wales. The unit was called after Gwent Police received a report of the munition found in Craig-Y-Felin Woods. After examining the device, EOD safely disposed of the WWII ordnance through a controlled detonation.

Deceased Veteran Leaves Behind Explosive Heirlooms

Potomac, Maryland Family members going through the belongings their deceased family member, a WWII veteran, found some items that were more than nostalgic, they were potentially deadly. A mortar round and grenade were found in the Maryland home, not far from Wayside Elementary School.

According to Pete Piringer of Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, the county bomb squad, consulting with a military EOD unit responded. He said, "Based on the information that was provided, they conducted further assessment and deemed it an emergency situation. So, the items were packaged and relocated to a nearby campground on Tuckerman Lane and they were disposed of without any incident."

DoD Releases MPPEH Manual - DODM 4140.722

Washington, D.C. DoD released a policy manual on the management of Material Potentially Presenting An Explosive Hazard (MPPEH). The manual expands upon previously issued polices regarding MPPEH by going into more specific detail as to how MPPEH should be managed at DoD sites. The manual starts off with an expanded definition of MPPEH into five broad categories including 1) munitions and munitions debris, 2) range-related debris, 3) munitions containers and packaging, 4) munitions-related facilities and associated equipment, and 5) other debris.

The manual includes a section on munitions used for training or display which requires these items to be certified as Material Documented as Safe (MDAS) and be permanently marked as inert. In addition, the manual requires that DoD components track training or display items in an inventory management system along with the MDAS chain of custody paperwork.

Methods for determining the explosives safety status explained in the manual include: visual inspections, DDESB-approved processing methods, and the application of expert knowledge. The manual provides separate language for the 1348 specific to the type of method utilized.

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Police Issue Warning Regarding Live WWII Rounds

Seaview, United Kingdom Police and EOD were called to respond to a report of possible ordnance. According to police reports, the item is believed to be a 20mm round from a WWII fighter plane. Responding EOD determined that the munition was still live.

A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Police said, "I am grateful to the member of public that found it on the beach and called us. Unfortunately it was picked up and moved, this is dangerous for the person moving it and for the immediate area where it was placed. If you find any old ammunition please leave it where it is and call us. We will instruct you further."


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