I’ve blogged about the inconveniences of WW2 bombs causing traffic problems, and the newest victims when sometimes the bomb crews die. The war cannot be just a memory when you
lose a family member to a WW2 bomb in 2010.
Last Sunday the biggest evacuation since the war occurred due to a 1,8 ton bomb discovery in the Rhein river. 45,000 people were evacuated from Koblenz (40 miles south of here) for the disarming.
This time no one died, but there were some inconveniences.
It was the driest November in recorded history, and the Rhein river is so low right now bombs are being discovered regularly. I’ve asked people at work if they want to walk across the Rhein with me (and see what we find). I guess it’s not at wading depth yet.
This bomb was considered more dangerous than many, hence the mass evacuation. I took these photos from the news.
The crews built a wall of sand bags to better reach the bomb.
The linked article above says that water makes disarming more dangerous, and that the British and the Americans make bombs very well, they still work as intended.
A prison and nursing home were evacuated as well.
Homes with their shutters down, perhaps against thieves as I’m sure it’s impossible to get *everyone* out. I would have said “Not without my horse!” and then left the cat, who would have rather died than have to be part of an evacuation. Well, OK, maybe I would have tried to get the cat out too.
(Yah but it’s Sunday, so this is how deserted the shopping areas usually are.)
The Autobahn was empty. I wonder what it was like to be there and hear no traffic.
This is a temporary shelter for the day.
Quiet city. I guess all the barge traffic had to stop as well. I wonder what they did – just drop anchor for the day?
All went well this time and residents returned that evening.
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11 comments:
What a surreal experience that must have been for those residents.
Amazing the after effects of war.
Wow crazy, I cant even imagine what that would be like. We are so lucky not to have a war fought over on our soil.
We would NEVER hear about this on American news...and not even on the BBC. You are good for keeping us in touch with a part of the world that gets ignored a lot.
What progress on horse-hunting?
And (ahem) Star Island?
i love how the windows work with the tilt out system in them and the shutters are so great to block out whatever.
I truly love reading your cultural pieces. thank you so much for sharing them. As a rider, I enjoy the horse stuff, but your pieces about Germany are utterly fascinating. Again, more please!
You know here on the West coast of Washington and Oregon people still occasionally find the baloon bombs, in the woods, that the Japanese sent over! during WW2. They can still go off too!
Wow, I had no idea this was happening in Germany! Thanks for sharing, I had to read that blog post to my husband, who also had never heard that they are still finding bombs from WWII.
Oh, and "Hi!" I've been reading your blog for a while and really enjoy it.
I had to laugh about the Sunday shopping picture. ;) Glad that there was no tragedy this time.
Hi- sent an e-mail. I think it hit your spam filter. Mail me back?
A colleague who is a construction engineed found a bomb like that in the River Thames in London. They had drained the area around a bridge structure to make repairs. I guess that it had been aimed at the bridge, but missed. He said that people working on the bridge didn't need to be told twice to evacuate.
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