# Finding old unexploded WWII era bombs: preferred to defuse it in place or move it first? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2014, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308 "2014-02-14T05:57:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/81 "2021-04-14T23:27:34Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > That article sounds really weird for NPR. “Dastardly”? “Diobolic”? Was it written by the narrator for _Rocky and Bullwinkle_? Not to mention “wicked” and “treachery”. Maybe it was ghostwritten by Elmer Fudd, in which case it was “tweachery”. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/82 "2021-04-14T23:44:44Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > That’s what worries me about @Darren_Garrison’s situation: one good sharp whack with a garden implement would make for a bad day. That’s what I was thinking was re-assuring about DG’s situation: nitro would be leaching out into the dirt, which, though not as good as wood pulp or gelatin, would still be dispersing, absorbing, and … feeding the yucca. > The best fertilizer for yucca is time-release nitrogen one. It will boost the growth of the plant and encourage the blooms to form. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/83 "2021-04-14T23:50:05Z")
I swear, when I first read that bit, I read it as: The best fertilizer for yucca is time-release nitrogen one. It will boost the growth of the plant and encourage the booms to form. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/84 "2021-04-15T00:20:47Z")
Like that plant in Iron Man 3 that exploded when you cut the leaves? 😀 💥 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/85 "2021-04-15T00:21:52Z")
It just might boost the whole plant fifty feet into the air. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/86 "2021-04-15T00:47:43Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > swear, when I first read that bit, I read it as: > > The best fertilizer for yucca is time-release nitrogen one. It will boost the growth of the plant and encourage the booms to form. [Obligatory Babylon 5 clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnR3Tyrg_10) ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/87 "2021-04-15T00:54:17Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > That’s what I was thinking was re-assuring about DG’s situation: nitro would be leaching out into the dirt, which, though not as good as wood pulp or gelatin, would still be dispersing, absorbing, and … feeding the yucca. Yeah, but he mentioned it was . . . > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > My grandmother used to tell me that he **buried a jar** of dynamite at a certain spot in the yard. The bold part indicated to me that it was still in a container, not leaching into the soil. Tripler No boom today. Maybe tomorrow. . . ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/88 "2021-04-15T01:03:58Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > The bold part indicated to me that it was still in a container, not leaching into the soil. The annoying part is that he also buried a jar of Morgan silver dollars–on a section of land that was sold (he originally had more than 40 acres here) and the new neighbor found it. Why couldn’t I get that? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/89 "2021-04-15T01:44:39Z")
Depending on how much you like (or don’t) that new neighbor, you might really prefer they’d found the bottle of recrystalized nitroglycerine. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/90 "2021-04-15T02:03:19Z")
Oh, I hated that neighbor. But the sale and find happened before I was born, and the neighbor has been rotten meat in a hole for years now. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/91 "2021-04-15T12:19:55Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > Perfect example of on-site disposal. A “BIP”. . . “ _blow in place._ ” So I guess “BIP” is not merely the sound it makes? ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/92 "2021-04-15T12:27:15Z")
Depends on how far away you are! 😉 Tripler I have ‘up close and personal’ videos, naturally. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/93 "2021-04-15T12:39:18Z")
So, we are still creating WWII casualties 75 years after the event? Wow. I would think that the devices would have either exploded or become inert over that much time, especially if they are heavily corroded. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/94 "2021-04-15T13:05:38Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Note to self: do not use cutting torch to find out what unknown, large, manufactured metal objects may be. > > [Bangkok Post: Explosion kills seven people](http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/403072/old-bomb-explodes-killing-six-in-lat-pla-khao) Another fun catastrophe found in junkyards is radiation contamination from improperly disposed of medical equipment. A typical scenario is a bunch of junkers cut open a heavy metal container to find a pretty blue powder inside, or something similar. [Goiânia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goi%C3%A2nia_accident) is one of the better known, but there have been a bunch. So…yeah. It’s a good idea to have some idea what’s inside before attempting to slice something open. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/95 "2021-04-15T13:09:20Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > And since we’re talking century old shells rusted beyond all recognition, identifying which are the \*very \*bad ones from the merely crap news is non-trivial. Which doesn’t prevent farmers from just digging them up and putting them by the side of the road as Somebody Else’s Problem :p. It’s my information that farmers are instructed to leave them on field margins near roads or designated points to facilitate the military later coming by to pick the things up. So your characterization is in error - the farmers are following established protocols for collection and pick up. And they’re not digging them up for fun, they’re finding them when going about their farming business. Is leaving your garbage at a designated point for your weekly city pickup making your trash “Somebody Else’s Problem” or is it you following established practices to facilitate waste collection in your area? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/96 "2021-04-15T13:42:58Z")
Sadly, @Kobal2 hasn’t posted in nearly a year. Last post was in April 2020, when the pandemic was about to hit France hard. I hope he’s okay. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/97 "2021-04-15T13:44:54Z")
Me, too - this past year you never know if someone stopped coming by because they moved on to other stuff, or something more dire might have occurred. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/98 "2021-04-15T21:58:32Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > I would think that the devices would have either exploded or become inert over that much time, especially if they are heavily corroded. Certainly the normal firing mechanism is probably corroded to inoperative. Heck, it didn’t work back in 1940-whenever either, so decent bet it won’t work today. The explosive fill on the other hand may be as good as new, or may have become less stable and _more_ sensitive. So just as big a boom and on an ever-increasingly hair trigger. Yipes! ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/99 "2022-12-22T19:22:03Z")
[[Man with WWI explosive lodged in his rectum sparks bomb scare, hospital evacuation](https://nypost.com/2022/12/20/man-with-wwi-explosive-lodged-in-his-rectum-sparks-bomb-scare-hospital-evacuation/) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308/100 "2022-12-22T19:48:49Z")
I’ll just note that there’s an old, old urban legend about that, and that the New York Post is not the most reputable of newspapers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-old-unexploded-wwii-era-bombs-preferred-to-defuse-it-in-place-or-move-it-first/681308.md?page=6)