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View Full Version : ROF Elstow, Beds, "Blue Danube" A Bomb



Tankman
20-06-2009, 05:50 PM
Never believe that exploration is dull:snore

Last night, I was contacted by someone who works at Sywell Aviation museum, Northamptonshire. To thank me for my contribution to "Britains Cold War History":confused:

I have for the last 6 months been regularly visiting the former ROF Elstow site and photographing every building on the site along with anything that looks the remote bit interesting, for historical purposes:thumb
The site is now all but levelled, and I had compiled a modest report which was at the time posted on 28 DL (The relevent section has now been edited)

Anyway I had back in September 2008, photographed a 5 foot diameter concrete ball. Thinking that this was an experimental concrete "WW.2 "Highball" bomb. The Bouncing bomb casing was also built at Elstow, along with Highball, so Elstow was no stranger to big capacity bombs.

It turns out however that what I thought was a Highball:confused: is in fact a Concrete Blue Danube, Britain's first operational; Atom Bomb.:eek:

A section of the e/mail i received:

Just wanted to say a big thanks to you, because having read your top report on the Elstow site I went and recovered the large concrete ball for Sywell Aviation Museum in Northants. It's way too big for Highball and turns out to be even stranger, a concrete Blue Danube, Britain's first operational atom bomb.

We have had a great deal of information from English Heritage and nuclear historians and now believe that it was for training the armourers of 1321 flight, as there is a hole in the correct position underneath for loading the fissile core.

It's caused quite a stir around the country, we are waiting to hear back from the technical historian at the AWE at Aldermaston. It seems that most of the early paperwork was destroyed, and that this is possibly all that really remains. One of the best collections of bits seems to be at the Woomera range in Australia.

I have since spoken to someone from the Museum and will shortly be receiving further info on the bomb:thumb

Here's some pics of what its all about:thumbup

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/WW2%20Royal%20Ordnance%20factory%20ELSTOW%20Beds%2 0UK/043.jpg

The bomb as originally found at Elstow in September 2008.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/WW2%20Royal%20Ordnance%20factory%20ELSTOW%20Beds%2 0UK/Blue_Danube.jpg

The real 'Blue Danube' Note the similarities of the inserts around the bomb, to the concrete one, Defo! is one of the same:eek:

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/WW2%20Royal%20Ordnance%20factory%20ELSTOW%20Beds%2 0UK/P1010046.jpg

The bomb now resting at Sywell Aviation Musuem!

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/WW2%20Royal%20Ordnance%20factory%20ELSTOW%20Beds%2 0UK/P1010043.jpg

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/WW2%20Royal%20Ordnance%20factory%20ELSTOW%20Beds%2 0UK/BlueDanubecutaway.jpg

Cutaway showing how the A bomb fitted into its casing:thumb

This find now opens up a whole new section on Elstow's history which I am compiling! What is this bomb doing here:confused: As Elstow closed just after the war? Was Elstow secretly being used in the development of Britain's first A Bomb:secret

I am glad it has been saved:smclap

Is this the UE find of the Century:lol:

boxfrenzy
20-06-2009, 07:27 PM
That is really, really great. People do UE for all sorts of reasons, and some of those who don't understand make snap judgements and sweeping generalisations about how negative and wrong urban exploration is. When you see a thread like this, along with countless others posted day after day it makes it all worthwhile. Well done, that is fab :thumb

BB
20-06-2009, 07:57 PM
"R u at home? I hve found an atomic bomb at elstow"


:w00t Now thats an unusual txt to get!! :laugh

mickeylove
20-06-2009, 08:28 PM
superb find fella thats brilliant:smclap

skin
20-06-2009, 08:35 PM
Wow what a find - brilliant.

bootsy
20-06-2009, 10:49 PM
what a find:smclap good man

evilnoodle
21-06-2009, 03:57 PM
Wow! Excellent stuff!

Sandman
21-06-2009, 04:40 PM
Thats priety epic.

Best I can say is that I nearly stood on a dummy anti-tank mine once when walking across a training area used by the royal marines in Devon.

I'm guessing they will get a better plinth to display your find on.
That old car tire dont do it any favours

:lol:

Dmax
22-06-2009, 03:10 PM
that was a real good read :) great find mate :)

KingElvis
22-06-2009, 08:33 PM
Wow what a find, respect to you mate :-)

wolfism
23-06-2009, 01:07 PM
Fantastic - having read all about Blue Danube, it's great to see that this big lump of concrete is being preserved.

Tankman
28-06-2009, 02:22 AM
Visited Sywell Aviation Museum, where the A bomb now reside's yesterday:thumb

Much interest is being shown in it and investigations are still on going by numerous people from AWE, Aldermaston, English Heritage etc.
Of recent note and further study of the bomb, it appears to be hollow inside with an outer concrete/cement cover:confused:

The insert for the fissue core is there along with numerous metal tubes that run into the bomb:confused:
It has been tested for radiation and has been proved negative:smclap

This was not a drop test bomb as originally thought, and its build is a "One off" Hence the interest being shown:thumb
its use is still under investigation.

Some latest pics:

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Blue%20Danube%20A%20Bomb/DSCF0097.jpg

The bomb being recovered from ROF Elstow. It was then loaded onto a trailer for onward transport to Sywell Museum.:thumb

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Blue%20Danube%20A%20Bomb/002.jpg

A chunk of the bomb is missing, but this has helped to expose the Fissue core insert (lower left), along with one of the metal tubes that runs into the 'Hollow' bomb.

http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii38/tankman_2008/Blue%20Danube%20A%20Bomb/001.jpg

Close up of the Fissue Core insert!

Keep you informed of any further developments, certainly a "Find of the Century" for me:coffee

freebird
28-06-2009, 02:50 AM
Excellent stuff! Definately the best UE find of the century! :thumb

Muse
28-06-2009, 09:50 AM
That's truly impressive:smclap