Torpedo fired in WWII uncovered in Herm

The remains of the underwater missile were left exposed by the recent big spring tides.

Guernsey Police’s bomb disposal team were called to the island but it was quickly discovered that the torpedo no longer contained its explosive warhead and was harmless.

The island’s management have decided to recover the remains and hope to put it on display for guided war walks from March.

PC Simon Hamon, who was part of the Guernsey police team sent to Herm, said: ‘We find about one [piece of ordnance] a week, on average, although this is the first torpedo that we have been called to.

‘It wasn’t remarked to us as being a torpedo, but it wasn’t the dangerous part.’

In the event that the torpedo had still contained its explosive warhead it would have been too dangerous to attempt to move, and would instead have been detonated in situ.

‘We would have done it while the tide was out because the tide coming in works in our favour – it makes sure shrapnel doesn’t get thrown all over the place.

‘We had to be mindful of the grey
seal population in the area,’ said PC Hamon.

The officer said the torpedo could have been one of a salvo of three fired from a British motor torpedo boat at the tail end of 1943.

The boats would have been attacking ships coming from the French coast and they would have been running for the safety of Guernsey’s harbour, he said.

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