Our involvement in the Plymouth unexploded bomb major incident

I’ve been contemplating what was a very intense few days surrounding the events in Keyham last week - the biggest non-wartime evacuation in the UK.

The plan for dealing with the second world war bomb changed from potentially detonating in situ, to moving to the sea for detonation. The residents will be eternally grateful with the outcome.

After the initial evacuation, the cordon needed to be extended once it became clear the type of bomb involved and that the military may need to explode the bomb.

This meant further evacuations. The residents of Keyham were amazing, leaving their homes for days, and overall supporting our efforts.

Although, understandably, there were some frustrations over the time - they were being asked to leave their homes - but mainly there was understanding and good spirit.

A great reflection on the community and people of Keyham who have been through so much of late.

Intense work on plotting those that couldn’t or wouldn’t leave, re-visits and pleas, and eventually we had a clear 150-metre cordon, but still some individuals within the wider 300-metre zone. Some mitigation measures were put in place using boarding up and sandbags.

Our fire crews were at the centre of all of it. Evening time Thursday, intense work by the military to build mitigation around the bomb. More deliveries of sand planned. Utilities ready to dig up the road to cut off gas mains in the immediate radius of the blast, water mains shut.

The plan came in overnight in the early hours of Friday, I received a call at 1.30 am, when the extent of the potential damage had been modelled, and further tests on the bomb had reduced the risk of moving the ordnance to tolerable, but clearly still not without risk and consequence.

Overnight, there was intense planning and preparation, before the plan was presented and signed off by the strategic coordination group on Friday morning.

The signal to go came at about 10.30 am. We had three and a half hours to coordinate and evacuate more than 7,500 people in a 300-metre radius along the entire planned route of the bomb, with a planned lift and move time of 2pm.

Mustering, organising and briefing the fire crews, military and police as well as volunteers - such as mountain rescue and coastguard - and others, along with a clear tactical plan, logging who had been spoken too, who had left, who had stayed and why, was a challenge for the multi-agency teams.

Boots on the ground by just before midday, going door-to-door, warning and informing messaging though media outlets, and the first non-test use of the national emergency alerting system. The evacuation was further challenged by the people who couldn’t move or wouldn’t move.

There was Intense activity in the multi-agency hub, with various planning cells working frantically. We had set a tight timeline with some margin as we knew the evacuation would be a challenge. By 3pm we had evacuated over 80% of residents.

By 5pm, every resident had been spoken to, asked to evacuate and presented with the risks of staying, as well as receiving a letter making it clear they needed to evacuate or what the risks were if they didn’t leave.

We had used ours and partners’ vulnerable people lists to evacuate those that were not mobile and couldn’t move themselves. Or, where they couldn’t be moved, created a place of relative safety within their homes.

Rest centres were open. Life didn’t stop for those affected, including a mother giving birth and acute care for the very sick. It all still went on. Schools, GP surgeries, care homes, all had been evacuated and rail lines closed.

With about 130 people left in the ‘can’t move’ or ‘won’t move’ category, and inside the 300-metre cordon and with time fast approaching 5pm the decision was made - it’s now or never.

The operation would be more challenging in the dark and there was a risk that residents might start returning to their homes if they were delayed further.

Ours operational crews were deployed at strategic locations ready to respond if needed.

We held our breaths watching the live drone feed as the military went about their business. Those very brave individuals who had worked night and day, put their lives on the line again for the greater good of others, professional and selfless.

They lifted and moved the ordnance along the evacuated corridor to the sea where it was moved to a safe place by boat and destroyed.

It was an amazing effort by all involved, not least the residents who were remarkable in their stoicism. Many teams and organisations worked together: the local authority, the volunteers, police, coastguard, ambulance, health, and our own fire crews, who also put together plans should the worst happen, as well as taking a very active part in the coordination and execution of the evacuation.

The military were outstanding, and we should be very proud of them. Almost 80 years after that bomb was dropped on the residents of Plymouth, no doubt on a night when many Plymouth residents lost their lives, this bomb laid dormant, but still deadly.

There are many reasons why some bombs didn’t explode but also many reasons why they can again become lethal. In 2010 in Germany, three bomb disposal experts were tragically killed when a second world war bomb detonated while they were trying to make it safe.

Two others were killed in Salzburg in 2003. Others have lost their lives on construction sites as bombs have been exposed.

Thankfully, due to the professional multi agency teams and a few exceptional military individuals, we had a good outcome. No loss of life and all property saved. A job well done. Feeling very proud of our people and all of the teams involved.

Wayne Rawlins

Area Manager for Response