Removing the bomb
The Royal Logistic corps bomb disposal team was called out to a property in Godshill this morning after a rusted WW1 shell had been sitting in garden for over ten years.
Property owner Mrs Hartley reported the bomb to the police on the Isle of Wight yesterday morning (2nd September) and by the time she got home the Police had already called round and told Mr Hartley not to touch it and wait for the Ministry of Defense to arrive today to remove the shell.
The WW1 shell is believed to ammunition for the QF 1 pounder universally known as the pom-pom. It was an early 37 mm British autocannon. It was used by several countries initially as an infantry gun and later as a light anti-aircraft gun.
Mrs Hartley told the Isle of Wight Chronicle ” We found the shell not long after we moved in about 18 years ago. It was on a shelf in an old well pump house”. Mrs Hartley went on to say “When we found it, It looked brand new and we assumed it was ornamental and safe. We even allowed our kids to play with it and it’s been pulled out many times when we’ve had guests round to see if anyone knew what it was”. Mr Hartley who rediscovered the shell only weeks ago whilst doing work in the garden said ” It disappeared about 10 years ago and I can only assume one of the kids had buried it whilst playing. I brought it into the house until my son in-law who was visiting last bank holiday Monday said it looked like a shell from the war”. His son in-law took pictures and posted them on a forum on the internet where he found out the thought to be harmless shell could actually be alive and dangerous.
Today the ministry of defence confirmed the shell to be from WW1 but the ammo was not fused and posed no major threat so they decide to take it away in a safe box to dispose of safely.
Authors bio is coming up shortly. 
Dear Mr williams,
You seem to have some facts confused.I mrs Hartley went in to the police station in Newport on the 2nd september , Thursday afternoon about 1.30 and told them about the bomb.One officer went straight to our house and took a photo of the bomb which i had placed in the front garden for them to see.The officer sent the photo to the M.O.D. by his phone and was awaiting a call back from them when I returned home just after 3pm.Mr Hartley came home shortly after me and the officer had then recieved his call.He said to leave it alone and not to let anyone near it.He said the bomb people would come at 10am in the morning
I recall the bomb being on the shelf in the well house when we moved in 18 years ago.The well is not 4ft deep it is 40 ft deep and we do not use it as the pump needs repairing.we wondered what this object was but never thought it could be dangerous.It was a curiosity and we had it in the kitchen for some years and then it was moved around the garden as an ornament.
Our son in law Neil Reed alerted us to the possible danger after doing some net research after looking at it on bank holiday monday. I told the police to stop them worring and i was now concerned as the boffins on the web identified it.