As of: February 24, 2024, 11:03 a.m
By: Jakob Koch
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Britons have found an old World War II bomb in the English coastal town of Plymouth.
German Wehrmacht pilots dropped them between 1940 and 1944.
© IMAGO (2) / Andia / Cola Images
It was the largest evacuation of civilians in England since the end of the Second World War - and stirred up old fears.
The British speak of the “Blitz Spirit”.
Plymouth - The city of Plymouth, with a population of 260,000, is located on the coast in southwest England - and was the target of 59 air raids by the German Luftwaffe between 1940 and 1944 during the Second World War.
One wave of attacks was dubbed “The Plymouth Blitz,” in which the city centers of Plymouth and Devonport were bombed.
In Plymouth alone, around 1,200 people died and almost 40,000 residents were left homeless.
City centers were rebuilt in the 1950s, and England's first pedestrian mall was created in Plymouth.
Now an old German legacy from this time has caught up with the British: a World War II bomb exploded - around 83 years later.
Forgotten, but not gone: German Wehrmacht World War II bomb explodes in Plymouth
The excitement began when Briton Ian Jary struck something solid with a spade in his garden on St. Michael Avenue.
At first he thought it was just a rusted piece of metal.
However, upon closer inspection, the size and shape gave him pause and the police were called.
Explorer Jary told the
Daily Mail
that his daughter had only been living in the house for a few weeks - and he just wanted to help her with the renovations.
After an assessment by experts, it quickly became clear: There was something big in Jary's garden - defusing the World War II bomb on site, as is often done in Germany (most recently in Göttingen), was classified as impossible.
So, according to the Defense Ministry, the largest evacuation of civilians since the end of the Second World War began: the police cleared parks, ferries stopped operating, trains were stopped, schools were closed.
As is usual in Germany, residents were informed via warning messages on their smartphones.
More than 10,000 people were evacuated from their homes and workplaces.
A military convoy then slowly transported the 500 kilogram bomb through the terraced housing estates towards the water.
Pictures show a dark green truck that had several sandbags loaded into its loading area - including the German bomb.
“It feels a bit like an evacuation like you see in a disaster movie,” Steve Jones told the
Guardian
as he left his shop in the evacuation zone.
It feels a bit like an evacuation like you see in a disaster movie.
Businessman Steve Jones
Wehrmacht World War II bomb awakens old fears in England – Brits speak of “Blitz Spirit”
The convoy took the bomb to the harbor so it could be loaded onto a boat.
After this was successful, it was brought out to sea in front of the city so that it could be safely detonated.
“The last days will go down in Plymouth history.
This war bomb really brought out the spirit of war, people coming together to support each other.
And even though it was really hard, we did it,”
CNN
quoted Tudor Evans, the mayor of Plymouth, as saying.
People in the city speak of a feeling of “Blitz spirit” that also existed during wartime.
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The case brings back memories of the dramatic explosion of a World War II bomb in Munich a few years ago.
At that time there were several seriously injured people in Munich.
In Plymouth, 30 of the force's most experienced bomb disposal experts were involved "24 hours a day," according to authorities.
In total, around 1,000 emergency services were on site - police officers, firefighters, more than 100 military personnel, search and rescue experts and emergency aid organizations.
This is reported by the
Guardian
.
It also said people were worried about their pets and photo albums being left behind and the possible risk that their insurance wouldn't cover an "act of war."