THERE was a lucky escape for Hugh Francis, and a digger driver helping remove soil from his Trewidland garden – they almost became caught up in a blast from the past.
The digger unearthed a hand grenade, which still had its pin in it, making it live, and likely to explode if nudged wrongly. Fortunately Mr Francis, of Great Trehere, was in the garden at the time, and spotted the grenade before any damage could be done.
He immediately alerted the police, and later a bomb disposal squad arrived to take the unexploded grenade away - and deal with it under controlled conditions.
The grenade, which may have Dad's Army connections, came to light when the digger driver pulled up an old tree stump, which had grown on a spot once used for disposal of rubbish.
A lot of old litter fell out as the stump was unearthed, the hand grenade amongst it.
Accidental
To be on the safe side, however, as soon as he told the police about the situation they had called for a l00 metre exclusion zone, just in case!
The 'find' also unearthed a link with the past, for Mr Francis' neighbour, Lionel Best, was able to tell him that during the Second World War the local Home Guard group, led by Gilbert Wells of Trehere Farm, used to meet at what is now Mr Francis' home, in what was termed the 'yard'. There they used to toss hand grenades to one another 'to get the feel of them'.
History
Mr Best also has a photograph of the Home Guard unit, taken at the end of the l939-45 War, this including his father, Ashleigh, of Fursdon Farm.
Mr Francis said he was fascinated with the history which came to light due to his 'discovery', but was also glad that the landscaping work was still finished that day.
It did make working in the garden more exciting than he had initially anticipated, though!
l Mr Best's Home Guard photograph is reproduced on page 12.