Awesome - Father And Son's Gardening Takes A Turn When They Unearth One Item
A man and his son planned for an afternoon of labor, hoping to install a fence in the backyard of their Bristol, England home. As they started working on the edge of the yard, however, they made a discovery that instantly threatened to obliterate their planned paradise.
Seeking Some R&R
In April of 2018, Los Angeles expat Dom Lowe puttered around his garden in true British fashion. The retired brewery director was ready to adopt all the relaxing habits of a pensioner. Getting his gloves dirty with some gardening seemed like an idyllic start.
Like Father, Like Son
On that sunny spring day, Dom recruited his son, Jon, to help him. The backyard space needed a facelift, and their first step in rehabbing the space involved building a fence around the perimeter.
Digging In
Fortunately, Dom knew his backyard contained a feature that allowed for a bit of cutting corners. He marched to a hole in the less frequented corner of the garden. The fresh ground made for an easy place to begin.
Cesspit
When Dom drove his shovel into the soil, the blade dropped further than anticipated. Good news, he thought. It saved the pair labor digging out the fence. But this was only the first of the surprises from what he believed to be a "cesspit."
Hitting Something Hard
Soon, he realized that hidden beneath the soft soil was a chamber; as they dug into it, they could hear the shovel clanking against objects they wagered were not big rocks. Dom knew his simple landscaping project was about to get a bit more interesting.
Buried Treasure
So, Dom lowered himself into the hole and pulled out...a rust-covered but unmistakable glass bottle. Hey, it wasn’t glamorous, but it was still cool to find a treasure buried in the earth. But there was more.
Treasure Trove
Realizing there was much more packed into the underground hideaway, Jon and Dom handed off one worn antique after another, including a metal iron, a kettle, colander, an OXO gravy tin, and a slew of other rusty household gadgets.
A Puzzling Cylinder
The father and son were thoroughly enjoying their vintage discoveries, until Jon reached into the earth and pulled out a cylindrical object that he couldn’t identify offhand. Rather than spark up a guessing game, Jon saw the calculating look of understanding come across Dom’s face.
Bombs Away
To Dom, it resembled the fin-shaped tail end of a piece of a bomb. Luckily, he could tell it was just a discarded piece, not anything dangerous. However, when Jon’s arm pulled out the next object from the pit, Dom’s grin shifted into terror.
Backyard Explosive
“That looks like a bomb to me. Hand it over straight away,” Dom instructed a bewildered Jon. The likelihood that an active explosive found its way into the hole in their back garden was not completely unheard of.
Wartime Raids
See, in the six months from November 1940 to April 1941, 1,299 people died as a result of bomb raids over Bristol. Those that lived, dealt with the horror of watching their homes, churches, and loved ones collapse underneath the deadly shower of explosives.
Recovery Effort
The danger didn’t disappear when the German planes flew past. So many bombs were recovered after World War II that the government couldn’t keep track. Millions of tons of explosives were deployed over Europe, including a 4,400 pounder nicknamed “Satan.”
Staying Calm
To their credit, Dom and Jon didn’t panic. They knew the history of the Bristol Blitzkrieg but felt assured with their bustling in the pit and the age of the explosive that the bomb was surely inactive. Dom carefully placed the device on the ledge of his fence.
Duck and Cover
That’s when, in the most literal sense, they dropped the bomb. Dom and Jon watched in horror as the suspected explosive rolled off the fence and fell through the air. Both men attempted to dive out of the way, fearing the impending blast.
Bomb Squad
Fortunately, they kept all their limbs. Dom and Jon stood, letting out a relieved giggle as the bomb didn't explode. Still, they called the police to avoid any foolish catastrophes. Avon and Somerset police officers kept the Lowes company while they waited for the bomb squad.
A Tense Moment
The Royal Logistic Corps’ bomb squad swooped down over Dom’s backyard. Suddenly, his humor over their find vanished. Potentially, he could have triggered an explosion and obliterated the neighborhood. He felt a twinge of relief that it was up to the experts now.
The Real Deal
On first glance, the pros confirmed the suspicions. It was a bomb all right. A German incendiary left behind from over 70 years before. At least Dom felt validated he'd not summoned the calvary over a lawn ornament.
X-Raying the Device
Dom watched the agents enact their protocol to determine if the explosive was live. They used a portable x ray machine to examine the bomb, and thankfully, the agent cut the tension. The bomb was dormant.
A Clever Tactic
According to the Royal Logistics Corps, stumbling upon an inactive bomb is rather common. It was all part of the German raid tactic. Along with the live explosives, they'd drop a percentage of inactives. That way, the clean up efforts could be potentially as fatal as the raids themselves.
A Memorable Souvenir
With no risk of explosion, the bomb squad packed up, but they left the Lowes with a memorable parting gift — the dusty old bomb! Dom and Jon relished their discovery on its own, but keeping their historic treasure was better than any old fence.
Dom and his son felt eager to unearth more hidden artifacts in their garden, though sometimes you're better off looking within the comfort of your home. Across the continent, one man recruited his sons for a plumbing project, and they uncovered a bit of history that dwarfed the German bomb.
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