A World War II mine discovered at the weekend at a recycling centre in Kingsbridge was taken away and safely detonated by bomb experts.
The device, an anti-personnel S-mine known as a ‘bounding mine’ or ‘bouncing Betty’, was found at the Torr Quarry recycling centre by a member of staff.
According to Kingsbridge Police, a member of the Royal Navy Bomb Disposal Squad attended the scene and removed the device before it was subsequently detonated at a nearby beach.
S-mines were designed by Germany in the 1930s and used extensively by German troops during WWII. They were designed to detonate about one metre from the ground once triggered, spraying lethal shrapnel in all directions.
The discovery of the mine caused a stir on social media. One person questioned why such a dangerous device would end up at a recycling centre. Other comments were more light-hearted in nature, with someone remarking that the mine had probably been on someone’s mantlepiece for more than 50 years.
It is not the first time that an explosive device from WWII has been found in the area.
In 2021, four anti-tank mines were found on Slapton Sands over the course of two weeks before they were detonated safely. One of the devices was found by children.
Slapton Sands was used as a large-scale rehearsal for D-Day in April and May 1944. Troops used live ammunition, and hundreds were killed, some to friendly fire but most when they were attacked by a U-Boat.