I've taken the term Earthquake Bomb from the book Bombs Gone , MacBean & Hogben , PSL , 1990 , which is a history of the development of British air dropped weapons from 1912 until 1990 and is my main reference book on the subject and I would recommend it as a worthy addition to any aviation bookshelf .
To set the ball rolling , or dropping , this little snippet appeared on the Air Britain forum back in April ;
"Maybe of interest, there was a Tallboy or Grand Slam in the Armamant Bay of the training school at RAF Halton in the mid 1950's."
A friend of mine was based at Wittering with a Valiant squadron in the 1950's and remembers seeing similar bombs in their bomb store . I think PETERTHEEATER may have some knowlege of these surviving post-war examples as may some of our other 'plumbers' ?
I know that examples of both are on display at the BoBMF visitors centre at Coningsby and I think YAM at Elvington have both examples too ? I'm sure there are lots of other examples out there so please add them to the list - thanks .
The BBMF examples are displayed under external bus-stop-style shelters near the Vistors' Centre. I think they have a Grand Slam and a Tallboy, as noted by David. I think these exhibits were treated to a coat of paint when the shelters were put up - last year?
Four complete Grand Slam bombs are preserved and displayed in the United Kingdom at the RAF Museum, London+, Brooklands Museum+, RAF Lossiemouth+ and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Visitors' Centre at RAF Coningsby+. The main portion of a bomb, without the lightweight tail, is at the Kelham Island Museum+ in Sheffield.
A live Grand Slam bomb was mistakenly displayed as a gate guardian+ at RAF Scampton+ for nearly fifteen years before the mistake was realised. It was gingerly removed (by crane and low-loader) to the test range at Shoeburyness+, where it was detonated.
A T-14 bomb (an American-made variant of the Grand Slam) is displayed at the Air Force Armament Museum+ in the United States.
Two Grand Slam bombs are in Pakistan, one each in Karachi and Sargodha. The bombs were in India, probably in transit to the Pacific theatre, when the war ended and remained there to be inherited by Pakistan on its creation by partition from India+ in 1947.
The Tetney Tallboy was still there when I drove to the garage yesterday..
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Thanks for those Kevin and Bill , much appreciated . I think East Kirkby may have one or both and probably Hendon too ?
Shall we include bouncing and spinning bombs in here too ?
I believe that the US T-14 was named the 'Amazon', and it was one of the trial bombs dropped during Project Ruby and Project Harken, operating from the CBE at Marham in 1946 and 1947 (dates from memory).
I believe that the US T-14 was named the 'Amazon', and it was one of the trial bombs dropped during Project Ruby and Project Harken, operating from the CBE at Marham in 1946 and 1947 (dates from memory).
Yes, March 1946 with 15 Sqn Lancaster(s?) and USAF B-29s operating within the Central Bomber Establishment.
I've always wondered if the special bombing loading pits still remain at Marham?
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