Police have been called to St George’s Park, Tunbridge Wells after wartime grenades were discovered. As a result, an army bomb disposal team was dispatched to the scene.

A member of the public exhumed the WWII unexploded ordnance (UXO) during a morning walk. The UXO was subsequently destroyed in a controlled explosion.

Why was a grenade found in a public park?

The number of soldiers in England swelled greatly with the influx of Allied armies during WWII. In response, the British War Office requisitioned public land throughout the UK. The armed forces then used this additional land for training and accommodation.

The Home Guard was a wartime force of voluntary soldiers charged with defending Britain from a German invasion. These troops were either too old to be conscripted or worked in vital industries. Many public parks around the country were temporarily requisitioned for various Home Guard uses. These included passive and active anti-aircraft defences, training grounds and parades/demonstrations. This could explain why a grenade was found in the public park.

Wartime home guard
A home guard demonstration of an anti-tank weapon in an area of parkland.

Our UXO risk mitigation services

Unexploded ammunition finds, such as this grenade, highlight the hazardous legacy of wartime policies.

While not all parks were put to such wartime use. we would always recommend carrying out a UXO Risk Assessment before carrying out any groundworks on parkland.

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