Just days after a World War II bomb was safely detonated on Stert Island, a former Burnham-On-Sea resident has been recounting how he used to walk out across the mudflats to see the bomb over 40 years ago.
Terry Temlett, pictured here with a photo of the Stert Island bomb in 1968 with the Royal Navy Bomb Disposal Team’s truck in the background, told Burnham-On-Sea.com how he never imagined the object could be dangerous.
“I can remember clear as a bell walking out to the island and seeing the object. We parked at Steart and walked out onto Stert wondering what it was. We even took a photo of it,” he said.
Terry, who now lives in Worle, added: “We thought it was part of an aircraft that had come down rather than a bomb.”
The bomb had been on Stert Island’s mudflats for more than 60 years until it was safely exploded last Saturday. Local fishermen have even been using it to tie up their boats – without realising its potentially lethal danger.
The bomb was safely detonated in a dramatic explosion at 11.42am last Saturday by the Royal Navy’s Bomb Disposal Team, captured here in our online video footage.
RELATED LINKS:
Video coverage of the bomb explosion
Planned detonation of bomb is postponed
Lifeboats called out to help bomb disposal team
First photo of Stert Island bomb up close
Bomb found on Stert Island – hovercrafts help with work
