- Contributed by听
- Bridport Museum
- People in story:听
- Joseph Sidney Simmonds
- Location of story:听
- Puncknowle, Bridport, Dorset
- Background to story:听
- Army
- Article ID:听
- A3701332
- Contributed on:听
- 22 February 2005
Bomb Disposal Squad Section 143, outside Came Down Golf Club, Dorchester. Unexploded bomb on the left taken from the doorway of the National Westminster Bank, Bridport. Bomb on the right from Swanage. I am third from the right in the middle row of photo.
I am Joseph Sidney Simmonds, born 26 July 1922 at Puncknowle, where I lived until 1980 when I moved to Bridport.
After the War I helped to clear the land mines along the coast from West Bay to Bournemouth. At this time I was billeted in the bungalow next to the two big houses on the cliff top at Burton Bradstock.
I was on leave from the Army, at home in Puncknowle, as the German planes flew over and jettisoned their unused bombs on their way home. Two fell in fields near the village and one near the centre, between the school and waterspout, in the road. Peter Burt (still living in Puncknowle) as a child was there in the road at the time, but was not hurt as this bomb did not detonate. The two in the fields did and blew out big holes, which can still be seen today. One was in the Rectory field, next to Dark Lane and the side of Rectory Lane. The other was on the hill on the east side of the village in the field next to Sprines Mead, which now has houses built on it.
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