ordman
Well-Known Member
Just came across this interesting bit of history
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=978682
http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=978682
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Interesting
- Thread starter ordman
- Start date
Jolly Green
Well-Known Member
VERY interesting. THANKS!
The article and some of the photographs are s a little misleading. Fauld was an RAF establishment and their principle store would be RAF munitions, not artillery projectiles. (In the second photograph, I’m sure the soldier is wearing RAOC flashes (but probably just wishful thinking on my part)).
The exact cause as stated is unknown, initially there was rumour the explosion was due to sabotage by some of the Italian POWs, but they were totally exonerated at the inquest. At the inquest, witnesses stated they had earlier in the day seen some POWs chiselling explosive from bombs, which apparently was a common and accepted practice. Discipline at Fauld was lax to say the least. Although it is claimed that the 4,000 tons of bombs detonated en masse, a quick look at the photo’ shows otherwise – the main crater is surrounded by countless smaller ones, presumably caused by undetonated bombs blown from the store, detonating upon impact on return to earth.
TimG
The exact cause as stated is unknown, initially there was rumour the explosion was due to sabotage by some of the Italian POWs, but they were totally exonerated at the inquest. At the inquest, witnesses stated they had earlier in the day seen some POWs chiselling explosive from bombs, which apparently was a common and accepted practice. Discipline at Fauld was lax to say the least. Although it is claimed that the 4,000 tons of bombs detonated en masse, a quick look at the photo’ shows otherwise – the main crater is surrounded by countless smaller ones, presumably caused by undetonated bombs blown from the store, detonating upon impact on return to earth.
TimG