WWII-era balloon bomb in B.C. blown to smithereens

[Omaha Steve]

Omaha had one of these explode during the war in the Dundee area of town BTW.


http://globalnews.ca/news/1609216/wwii-era-balloon-bomb-in-b-c-blown-to-smithereens/

October 10, 2014 4:00 pm

?
Photos of a possible World War II bomb have been discovered in the Monashee Mountains.
Global News


LUMBY, B.C. – Seven decades after thousands of “balloon bombs” were let loose by the Imperial Japanese Army to wreak havoc on their enemies across the Pacific, two forestry workers found one half-buried in the mountains of eastern British Columbia.

A navy bomb disposal team was called and arrived at the site Friday in the Monashee Mountains near Lumby, B.C.

“They confirmed without a doubt that it is a Japanese balloon bomb,” said RCMP Cpl. Henry Proce.

“This thing has been in the dirt for 70 years …. There was still some metal debris in the area (but) nothing left of the balloon itself.”

FULL story at link.

[Bluenorthwest]

1. Huge thanks for posting this, I have an interest in the balloon bomb program.

This will be useful to me, Steve.

[classof56]

2. A balloon bomb exploded near Bly, Oregon in 1945, killing six people, including 5 children.

You doubtless know that story, but I only learned of it 30 or so years ago while reading a book titled Retaliation: Japanese Attacks and Allied Countermeasures on the Pacific Coast in World War II by Oregon author Bert Webber. The place where the explosion took place has a memorial to those who died, who are, as far as is known, the only ones on the American continent killed as the direct result of enemy action. It's estimated there were over 1,000 such balloon bombs that reached the U.S. and Canada. Very interesting that another has been found after all these years.

Webber's book is worth the read, if copies are still in print. I'm curious, have you thought of publishing what you've found about the balloon bomb program? Would love to read it if so. Watched a show on PBS about it a few years ago. Fascinating stuff!

[Adsos Letter]

3. Omaha?

I knew they had hit the West Coast, but didn't know they had made it that far inland.