Disposals Unit in BSIP

Task Ended for Bomb Disposals Unit in BSIP

AFTER four years in the BSIP, the men of the Second Aus tralian Bomb Disposal Unit will soon leave for Australia.

Since April, the Unit has been operating in the Western Solomons and has disposed of more than 2,600 bombs, 590 shells, 670 mortar bombs, and 40 grenades and flares. Most of these were dumped, and included fifty 2,000 lb HE bombs, one 1,000 lb HE bomb, 177 81mm, 25 lb. mortar bombs, and five 100 lb in cendiaries.

During the last 12 months approximately 1,000 tons of ordn ance have been blown, dumped or rendered safe. Most of it had de teriorated after ten years in dumps and was often extremely dangerous to handle.

A survey of ordnance on Choiseul, the Shortland Islands and the Treasury Islands was undertaken during June and July. By the end of July, and with the aid of two surf-boats hired from the Trade Scheme at Gizo, all the ordnance collected at Munda was dumped.

Bombs In Rabaul

NATIVES in Rabaul who have been banging bottles on the nose of a live 15 lb mortar bomb possibly owe their lives to an Aus tralian Bomb Disposals Unit operat ing in the area.

The unit found the bomb, with its nose sticking out of the ground, near Rabaul basketball field.

Broken bottles were strewn around it.

Sergeant Harry Krohn, a dis posals expert, said that another direct hit on the nose would have exploded' the bomb, “blowing them all to glory.” The safety cap in the

bomb was hanging only by a rus thread.

The unit detonated more than 1 bombs in the Rabaul area duri] August, many of them near t] large Vunapope Catholic Missioi if Mrs. A. M. Stoneham, of Cain Qld., had a short holiday with h son John and his wife at Samar