Surviving wartime 'Earthquake' Bombs

04 Jul 2013 11:10 #1 by David Thompson
Surviving wartime 'Earthquake' Bombs was created by David Thompson
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 .

I have not found a forum thread on this subject although there have been one or two posts on a similar theme ;
/community/showthread.php?5116-Tetney-Tallboy&highlight=tallboy but I thought it might be useful in listing extant examples ?

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 .

Youth is wasted on the young !

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04 Jul 2013 12:14 #2 by netcompsys
Replied by netcompsys on topic Surviving wartime 'Earthquake' Bombs
As you might expect 617 have some examples at Lossiemouth
www.sirbarneswallis.com/ImageCall.php?Code=617bombs

kevin

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04 Jul 2013 12:26 #3 by WJT
Replied by WJT on topic Surviving wartime 'Earthquake' Bombs
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?

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04 Jul 2013 12:32 - 26 Sep 2017 21:50 #4 by netcompsys
Replied by netcompsys on topic Surviving wartime 'Earthquake' Bombs
Brooklands and Hendon have Grand Slams

from shelf3d.com/i/Grand%20Slam%20bomb

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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kevin

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04 Jul 2013 12:51 #5 by David Thompson
Replied by David Thompson on topic Surviving wartime 'Earthquake' Bombs
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 ?

Youth is wasted on the young !

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04 Jul 2013 13:19 #6 by John Anderson
Replied by John Anderson on topic Surviving wartime 'Earthquake' Bombs
Tallboy or Grand Slam? The example at the PAF Museum Karachi.

Attached files

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04 Jul 2013 14:21 #7 by mawganmad
Replied by mawganmad on topic Surviving wartime 'Earthquake' Bombs
Grand Slam, believe there's two in the region.

The one exploded at Shoeburyness must have made a bit of a noise!

Edit, just noticed the quote in post #4 mentions the Karachi bomb!

James Thomas

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04 Jul 2013 14:55 #8 by WJT
Replied by WJT on topic Surviving wartime 'Earthquake' Bombs
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).

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04 Jul 2013 16:21 #9 by netcompsys
Replied by netcompsys on topic Surviving wartime 'Earthquake' Bombs
East Kirkby's big bomb is not a Grand Slam or Tallboy, I think its a "cookie" HE bomb?

[IMG]/community/128417=12919-mar12 east kirkby 140aJPG.jpg[/img]

They have a Bouncing bomb, which I think was previously at Elvington

There is also the remains of a Bouncing Bomb in the car park at The Petwood Hotel

[IMG]/community/128417=12920-east kirkby 0807 012a.jpg[/img]

Never quite sure of the provenance of the bouncing bombs, I am sure I have seen at least one replica

edit
East Kirkby may have a Tallboy -

[IMG]/community/128417=12921-apr12 twinning 145a.jpg[/img]
kevin

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04 Jul 2013 19:08 #10 by mawganmad
Replied by mawganmad on topic Surviving wartime 'Earthquake' Bombs

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?

Not sure if these links to the 'Flight' archives work, but great 'Ruby' info within,
www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1946/1946%20-%201045.html
www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1946/1946%20-%201046.html
www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1946/1946%20-%201049.html

I've always found the B-29 carrying a 22,000 Grand Slam bomb on hardpoints under each wing fascinating!

James Thomas

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