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RAF officers trapped underground in a bomb store. The biggest explosion ever on UK soil, recorded as far away as Geneva. This was at RAF Fauld in Staffordshire on 27 November 1944. 70 people died, 18 bodies were never recovered.
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Details
RAF officers trapped underground in a bomb store. The biggest explosion ever on UK soil, recorded as far away as Geneva. This was at RAF Fauld in Staffordshire on 27 November 1944. 70 people died, 18 bodies were never recovered.
Comment
RAF officers trapped underground in a bomb store. The biggest explosion ever on UK soil, recorded as far away as Geneva. This was at RAF Fauld in Staffordshire on 27 November 1944. 70 people died, 18 bodies were never recovered.
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Corporal Boynton takes Sergeant Gaines to the bomb store. They hear an explosion and get separated in the darkness. Boynton finds another survivor, Ken MacLeod, and they try to find their way out. They meet other survivors and eventually escape before a gas leak. Malcolm Kidd sees a policeman's body with half his head blown off. He runs in panic and almost gets shot by RAF soldiers. Corporal Armorer Lionel Boynton was taking Sergeant Gaines for his first visit to the bomb store. There was a lad chiselling out the composition explosives from the exploder pocket. Blunt lad, over here. We need a bit more light here. A young lad answered the call and I saw him disappear toward the new area. Boynton had seen him before, his name was Lewis Froh, a trainee electrician. Boynton and Gaines passed by groups of Italians, former prisoners of war, stencilling small arms ammunition boxes. Ammunition boxes are stacked up to the roof, sir, and as you can see, this has left the entrance very narrow. You'll have to walk sideways to get through into the galleries, sir. As they exited the gallery of the new area, Sergeant Gaines turned back to speak to the LAC. Just at that moment there was a loud boom and a terrific blast of warm air. Then the lights went out and there was another even greater explosion and Boynton was thrown to the ground. Ammunition boxes were flying around like flies. Boynton put his arm out to prevent himself from being hit by the boxes and hurriedly got to his feet. He couldn't see a thing, it was complete blackout. Sergeant Gaines, sir, are you there, sir? He tried a few more times. Sergeant Gaines, sir, can you hear me? I don't know where I am myself. What direction am I facing? Boynton stretched his arms out but could feel nothing, no walls, just boxes of ammunition. He tripped over them, then got up on his knees. The ground was the only contact he had with anything. Boynton was speaking his thoughts out loud. I've never imagined being blind before or thought how a blind person gets about and I'm scared. Has everyone been killed? Am I the only one to survive? Is there going to be another explosion? Will that be the end of me? There's so much dust around, it's getting on my chest. I can't breathe properly. Boynton started crawling around trying to find anyone but the dust was too cloying. I've got to get out of here. The dust is too thick. It's no good. I'm going to have to turn around and hope I'm going in the right direction. Is there anyone there? Can anyone hear me? I hear you. I'm here. Is that you, Boynton? Yes, it's me. I recognise your voice. I heard you calling out for Sergeant Gaines. That's Ken, isn't it? Ken MacLeod? Stay where you are. I'll try to make my way to you. Boynton got up off his knees and immediately fell over a pile of ammunition boxes. He fell back onto his knees and somehow or other managed to find the railway track. Oh, that's good. All I need to do now is follow this track. They threw their arms around each other in relief. Yes. This is no time for formalities, Ken. I'm so pleased to find someone alive. I thought I'd die here. We need to get out of here but don't worry, all we need to do is follow the rail. They were standing now, holding on to each other. Then Ken stumbled. Blast to hell, that hurt. I've gone down the rail and bashed the side of my knee. Hold on a minute, I've got to try and find something to wrap around it. Then there was the sound of material ripping. I've torn a bit off my shirt. Yeah, that should do it. Hold on a minute, I just want to get down on my knees again. I'm feeling out to see what I've tripped over. I must have tripped over the lever to change the points. And it's on the wrong side. Oh damn, that means we've been going the wrong direction all this time. We'd best turn around then, Ken, and start crawling. If you can manage on your busted knee. Neither of us want another accident. Every so often, especially when turning a corner, they were crawling out. Anyone there? Can anyone hear us? I don't know about you, but I've heard this sort of crunch sound and I was thrown against a wall. Then this was followed by a huge explosion which threw me to the ground. Then there was a terrific rush of air that physically picked me up and whooshed me out of the cabin. Just like a leaf into the main railway line area. That's a horrible feeling. I have no control over where you're going to land. And if you're going to be whacked with something, even worse than being blind in this pitch blackness. I could feel dust and grit blowing about. I got a few minor spades from the alabaster, but nothing worse. Apart from my knee, that is. Yes, same for me. I heard someone call out for the landlad. Obviously they wanted to inspect something they'd found unusual in the bombs. Maybe a detonator's been left in one of the bombs. Or one of the bombs was corroded. It was a boy, Lewis Froh, I saw answering the call for more light. I saw him go down the slope to the new area, about 100 yards away. I think that must be the end of him and everyone else there. I was working with four Italians and two other airmen in a small arms ammunition area. The Italians were doing the donkey work, feeding us boxes of ammunition down the conveyor belt. While we inspected to see if it could be used again. Those Italians and airmen must be dead. Just a day or two ago, I saw four £1,000 armour-piercing bombs on a truck in a siding. They were all jumbled up in a mess and covered in mud. They should have been inspected as soon as they arrived. I have an inkling their remains were not checked over thoroughly. What with everything having to be done quick, so to speak. You may well be right, Ken. And look what's happened. I dread to think how many others have been killed. Hold on a minute, Lionel. Did you hear that? I thought I heard voices. Hey, we're here. Good grief. I never thought I'd find anyone else alive. I'm leaving aircraftman Michael Watson. Five minutes before the explosion, I'd gone in search of the correct skids to load four £4,000 bombs onto the railway track to get them out of the mine. Hi, I'm LAC Gibbard. I've been working labelling ammunition boxes, lifting up a box. Then there was a massive gush of air blasting through. I was lifted off my feet and pinned against the roof with the force of the blast. Such a horrible feeling. I had no control, just suspended there, hanging. Like in the wall of death as a fairground ride. A second or so later, although it seemed like an eternity, I found myself falling back. I landed with a thump, crashed my knee against something, and my elbow feels pretty dandy. We all have the same experience. Hi, everyone. I'm Malcolm Kidd. Good to see you, Lionel. I'd been working in a massive cavern, and that's probably what saved my life. The force of the explosion went up the main avenue. As we were groping in the dark, I actually walked straight into a big, heavy locomotive. That's how pitch black it is. Gave me a right jolt. Imagine a huge locomotive, but not a glimmer of light anywhere to possibly know it was there. They kept shuffling along. I can see light, just a pinhole, but it's definitely light. Do you think it could be the main entrance? Yes, it looks like it has a rockfall around it. Shuffling on a bit further. There's another light, too. Oh, it looks like a locomotive with its light on. That's good. We can see a little bit better. I can stand up. We're getting there, lads. Yay! Keep the noise down, though. We're not in the clear yet, and there could be another rockfall. Stay up. I smell a gas. Yes, I smell it, too. Let's get a move on, quick. I don't want to die. Let me out of here. Quinton put his arm around Kidd to comfort him. It looks like there's another light up ahead. Looks like it's Mr Higgs, the A.I.D. viewer, with a torch. They were all able to scurry out just in the nick of time before the gas hit them. The pinhole of light they had seen was about a foot and a half in diameter, so they just about managed to squeeze through to get to the outside. Kidd was first to get out as he was panicking. What Malcolm Kidd saw was the body of a policeman. He'd turned him over. I thought he was just leaning out of the sentry box, but... No, no, no. Half of the policeman's head had been blown away. Malcolm had had enough and just ran. He was in such a state that he didn't know what he was doing or where he was going, and almost got shot by an RAF regiment ordered to shoot Maimed and dying families.
