Another Dig, Another Bomb

It may seem strange that unexploded ordnance is still being unearthed more than 65 years after WWII began in Hong Kong, but it happens, and sometimes the find is a real lulu.

As dangerous relics go, a 181kg (400lb) bomb excavated in North Point was powerful enough to wreck nearby structures had it gone off:

Any buildings within about 80 metres or 100 metres would have had their windows blown in. There is a strong possibility that the very closest buildings might have had partial collapse ...

At one time the area housed an oil depot and was thus a target for Japanese bombers (YouTube video).

The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Bureau (responsible for all bomb disposal tasks in Hong Kong, whether on land or undersea) believes the bomb to be the second largest found to date; in 2000 a 227kg (500lb) bomb was dug up (and kicked around for a bit) at Nanking Street.

The prime reason such ordnance exists is that bombs often landed on soft ground and were buried intact. After the war many spots were built over, their hidden payloads waiting to be discovered by some hapless government department tasked with the installation of public services. The northern slopes of Hong Kong Island, as well as the Kowloon peninsula, are prime locations where bombs might be found.

If you stop to consider that the Battle of Hong Kong lasted just 18 days, you begin to understand that for unexploded shells to be laying about, there must have been a heck of a lot more that went off. It's easier to appreciate what it was like for the people of Hong Kong, who endured a veritable rain of death from the skies. Shellacked by the combined efforts of bomber aircraft and artillery, the ground is peppered with explosives just waiting to see the light of day.

Such is the legacy of war.

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