ROF Elstow, Beds, "Blue Danube" A Bomb

[Tankman]

Never believe that exploration is dull

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"

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
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 is in fact a Concrete Blue Danube, Britain's first operational; Atom Bomb.

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

Here's some pics of what its all about



The bomb as originally found at Elstow in September 2008.



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



The bomb now resting at Sywell Aviation Musuem!





Cutaway showing how the A bomb fitted into its casing

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

I am glad it has been saved

Is this the UE find of the Century

[boxfrenzy]

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

[BB]

"R u at home? I hve found an atomic bomb at elstow"

Now thats an unusual txt to get!!

[mickeylove]

superb find fella thats brilliant

[skin]

Wow what a find - brilliant.

[bootsy]

what a find good man

[evilnoodle]

Wow! Excellent stuff!

[Sandman]

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

[Dmax]

that was a real good read great find mate

[KingElvis]

Wow what a find, respect to you mate :-)