Peter Walton

MORPETH ROTARY AND EXPLOSIVES ON THE NORTHUMBERLAND COAST

Peter Walton, club secretary at Berwick upon Tweed Rotary, retired from the RAF as a weapons engineer with 30 years service. He talked to Morpeth Rotary about his last seven years as senior explosives ordnance disposal officer at Goswick Sands air weapons range.

Even in 1938 the UK realised that if Germany took Norway, the beaches of Northumberland would be a likely invasion landing zone, so defensive structures were put in place. Goswick Beach has firm sand and is very like Omaha Beach in Normandy. As well as anti-tank obstacles, between 2500 and 3000 land mines were laid. His team had found 2999. Thankfully the RAF won the Battle of Britain and the planned German invasion was cancelled. Air operations went from defensive to offensive and Spitfires were adapted to carry two 500 lb bombs. RAF Milfield in Northumberland, only 5 minutes flying time from Goswick, was used as a training base for all of the best pilots from the Battle of Britain. In preparation for D Day, Spitfires, Typhoons and Tempests practised low level bombing and rocket attacks but many bombs and rockets failed to detonate.

Finding the unexploded items is based on reports from the public, using metal detectors and a below ground laser search system called Lidar. With the movement of tides and sand it could mean the target device could be anywhere from just below the surface to 9’ down. Once found it is crucial to know how the weapon is lying and whether the fuse is at the front or the back, before it is dug out. On average they were finding one unexploded device each week although on one day they found seven close to Holy Island causeway. To blow up each device, a one mile safety area is put in place. This could mean stopping traffic on the A1 and on the railway line between London and Edinburgh. All aircraft in the area must be warned. Dealing with the seven required 70 military and 24 emergency services staff, mainly to police the safety zone. All explosion sites must be mapped as the craters fill up with quicksand. The experts were needed in Iraq and Afghanistan so the unit was disbanded. Explosive disposal is now only carried out by the Army and the Royal Navy.