After World War II, the bombing of London by the Luftwaffe was one of the most dramatic events. The populace of London had to huddle for cover, as German bombers attempted to drop the British to their knees. Fortunately, the Royal Air Force with their outdated Hawker Hurricanes and Spitfires rose to fend off the German bombers and succeeded in halting the German bombing.
Recently in Central London, a remnant of those bombing was found, which is believed to be a World War II bomb that was deemed hazardous until disarmed. Many of the bombs dropped in the Luftwaffe bombing raids did not always explode. In the chaos of the second world war, many of these bombs lay forgotten as they never detonated. Today, the terror of the '40s is now returning to remind the dwellers of present-day London of the terrifying conditions of before.
The German air raiders, in the war, were able to drop a total of 12,000 metric tons in the British capital city. An estimated total number of deaths due to bombing ran up to 30,000 casualties, based on the records of the imperial war museum.
Most bombs that lay forgotten have dug themselves into the ground and survived without exploding. After the war, the remnants are usually found in such preserved conditions. Discovery of the dangerous wartime relic was at Soho's Dean Street when construction workers found the menacing bomb. It was discovered at 1:42 p.m., local time last Monday as stated by the metropolitan police.
To avoid any collateral damage or unnecessary injuries if the World War II bomb detonates, countless workers were told to evacuate the buildings. For more coverage and keeping everything under control, police had cordon across several streets in the local neighbourhood. At the same time, policemen were restricting access to the overall area. Keeping civilians out in such situations should keep them out of trouble, especially explosive ordinance like a world war II bomb.
One hotel in the affected Soho area was told by the police evacuate the hotel. One of the public relations officers in the hotel, Umika Verma related to CNN that they ordered the receptionist to ask everyone to leave the hotel. The urgency of an accidental explosion prompted police to leave the build asap. No time limit was eve entertained, it took five minutes to allow everyone to leave the hotel.
Two hours after the detection of the antique bomb, other than hotels were affected by the loss of business. Other shops and offices that were in the vicinity were told to evacuate. More streets were added to the cordoned off areas. One employee on Wardour street said to CNN, that he panicked with the commotion, and left with others.
It was bedlam as everyone taken aback, by the urgency of the polices to take people out of harm's way. But everything is settled and just follow the police to keep safe, as they monitored the happening.
Not all bombs have been recovered, in 2015 there was another large 550-pounder found in east London. Finding antique bombs is always a source for alarm because most are found by accident. Randomly found antique bombs pose a threat to everyone's safety.
