Detecting amidst possible 50yr. old ordnance.

[abrakdabra]

I've ordered a detector and will be a first time detector. I'm in an area where there was a major war (Korea) fifty years ago. I'm wondering about the danger of unexploded bombs, mines and so on of that vintage. I see no mention in the forum of folks encountering ordnance so assume anything fifty years old is not a problem.

 

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[ARCOMANDPURPLE]

HI ABRAKADABRA
Well guy if you want to meet your maker ahead of time,go ahead. OK lets be serious unexploded Ordnance is lethal and can remain so for 100 of
years.While in the service back in the 70"/ 80" I was detecting in Karlshrue Germany and was the lucky finder? of a few unexploded
ordnance. You should have seen the reaction of the MP'S and POLIZEI!!!.
My advice is USE EXTREME CAUTION OR EVEN BETTER KEEP AWAY FROM
KNOWN CONFLICT AREAS. ARCOMANDPURPLE

 

[MDnoob]

I lived in Germany for awhile and the streets there were closed every few months when construction crews would find old bombs, etc. All that stuff is 60+ years old. I would stay far, far away from anywhere where there could be that sort of thing...

 

[ARCOMANDPURPLE]

RIGHT TO THE POINT MDnoob. REMEMBER ABRA SOME EXPLOSIVE CONCOCTIONS
BECOME UNSTABLE WITH AGE AND ALL IT TAKES IS A SLIP OF THE DIGGING TOOL............

 

[scotty]

Just a caution to everyone that metal detects. Even in areas where you think it might be safe from explosive objects, you could find one. My example is while hunting in a scout camp, I got a signal, dug down about an inch and out popped a live round 30-06 cartridge. I have found several live rounds such as this in my years of hunting. The scout ranger of the camp was very grateful to let me come back to hunt. He figured the kids build campfires here and here and if they had built one on top of this cartridge, it could have went off and killed or injured one of them. Whenever and where ever you hunt, always be cautious when digging.
Hunt safe. Scotty

 

[Shedman]

Over here we find unexploded ordanance quite often. Most of it is practice rounds but where I live is right on the River Thames. The Luftwaffe used the Thames to navigate thier way to London. There is another River about 3 miles to the north Called the River Crouch. They sometimes mistook this for the Thames and followed that instead. When it becam evident that they had got the wrong river, they used to jettison the load of bombs and turn back to Germany. The area they jettisoned over is marshland, so there is a lot of unexploded bombs under the marsh. We don't go there. If we do find live ammo, the drill is
1. LEAVE IT ALONE
2. Mark the spot
3. Clear the area
4. Phone the police ... its thier problem!!

 

[Lowbatts]

Yep, added "no detecting where major wars happened in the last 100 years" to my list of Bozo no-no's. That's a job for the good 'ol Engineers. Already the no list has areas where there are:
poison critters, bigger animals than me that bite people, some smaller animals than me that bite people, most mental hospitals where I'd be mistaken for a patient, prison grounds, alien crash sites and nuclear waste disposal/test sites.... yikes!

runnin' outta room again.

 

[abrakdabra]

I notice a few detectors from England and Europe where there have been wars fifty years ago. You still detect and manage to avoid calamity (getting blown up). Any info re; how you manage to do this would be welcome! PM if you like, thanks. I'm in South Korea.

 

[Shedman]

Dam Shedman I'd stay out of that marsh to. Does anyone give you a hassle in your country for detecting? Where can't you detect?

Hi M8,

Over here you can only detect on land where you have permission or on beaches (as longs as they are not private). All common land is "owned" by the local councils, so unless you have thier permission, you cant detect the parks. You also cannot detect woodland without permission. Basically, it does not matter where you go, you have to have permission to detect there from the landowner, and preferably in writing. One of the favoured ways of detecting over here is by going to rallies. There is an excellent one in late September on land that has seen occupation from the iron age through to the present day. The rally on the adjacent land last year produced over 100 Hammered coins, roman broaches, saxon pins, a Viking pyramid mount and LOADS of other goodies. You would all be welcome.

The only hassle we get is from some of the archiologists. They don't like metal detetorists. Some of them realise the value in what we do, and we now have the Portble Antiquities Scheme. This scheme is run by the museums (under public funding) and is to register finds over 300 years old. It enables the arkie's to build a better picture of the spread of occupation over the centuries. It is interesting to note that due to the finds made by metal detectorists, the knowledge of Saxon and Viking era's has multiplied immesurably over the last 30 - 40 years. But the arkie's still dont like us and are pressing for metal-detecting to be regulated in some way. The P.A.S. is going some way to placating the arkie's and showing them our worth. The more the P.A.S./ is used by the detectorist, the weaker the arkie's arguament gets.

 

[Shedman]

Having just read another thread on here, it seems you have the same problems with permissions.

 

[Shedman]

Yopu Havn't got to kill to attend m8, just jump on a 'plane and get your butt over here!! For two days detecting it will cost you ?30.00 ....... At the USD's current rate, thats about $4,501,784 !!! Accomodation is either at a local guest house or in a tent like the rest of us. The age range is genarally about 13yrs to just before death. We will turn up on the friday afternoon, have a good few beers and search the "free" field. On the Saturday there is access to some other fields and on the Sunday there will be more, new fields to search. In all there will be about 500 acres to search. There are about 200 - 400 people expected to attend. so thats about an acre each but your not restricted to your own area. Anyone can go anywhere on the permitted fields. On they Saturday night there will be a pub quiz and a few more beers, and bulls**t talked into the wee small hours. Not only do you get the detecting, but these two and three day rallies are an excellent social event. You get to meet friends you never knew you had!! Catering and trade stands will be on site. If you cant find the coin of your dreams, the traders will sell you one!!

Come on over, its damn good fun!

The Finds liason Officers will be on site and they can assist in sorting out any export licences needed to get your hoard of Roman Gold home

 

[Lowbatts]

One of life's goals still to be met. Finding the hoarde left by Harold Haardraade just before he found out the conquering was over, for him.... Notice to the Brits who are conservatorial freaks, I said finding, not keeping.

I do have a couple Roman coins from Blackpool on Lancashire or is it Lancaster, dunno, so many long town names over there! You will save me a seat and a half-acre or so I hope one of these days Shedman!

 

[mgdigger]

Just be damm carefull. And let me know how the detecting is over there ,I will be there in March for two weeks.

 

[Shedman]

If you let me know what two weeks you are over here, I'll sort out what rallies are on. There are a couple of clubs that I belong to as well, so theres a dig every weekend in march. Can't guarantee the finds, but if you dont swing it, you wont find it. They are much smaller digs, no caterersor trade stands but always enjoyable!!

Here goes Sheddy's international detecting club!!!

 

[whiskers]

Hey abrakdabra, let me get back to your subject, which seems to be: "What's the quickest way to provide my life insurance money to my next of kin?" Well, I think you've found it. Arcomandpurple (where do you guys get those names?) is being too conservative when he says 100 years. I'm more inclined to think at least a thousand. But that will take a few years yet to prove.

Here's how the Civil War THer's do it when they dig up a live cannon round: No, I'm not going to tell you how. You'll just get in trouble. It takes experience, and neither you nor I have it. Instead, here's what you do if you find a live Civil War round: Take it to someone who does that sort of thing and pay him the few dollars he'll ask to do it for you. Then hie thee the hell out of the area until he calls and tells you to pick up your shell. Simple, no hastles, no risk (except in digging it up and carrying it around with you).

When I was a boy (I joined the Army at 17 and became a quad-.50 gunner. Go ahead, ask me if my ears ring now.), I made kind of a hobby out of taking live .50-caliber machine gun rounds and twisting them back and forth in a faucet head until they loosened and I could pull out the head and pour the powder out. I lived to tell the tale but might not have, and I wouldn't do it today. (And you can bet this is one army experience I haven't told my wife.)

Okay, what I did was very dangerous. Stupid, in fact. Yours is more so; much more so, if you're in the wrong area. You might not run across any shells, grenades or mines, but if it was me, I wouldn't take the chance. (Remember, a mine is meant to go off when touched. It might not wait for you to identify it first.)

Having said that, I'm going to partly reverse myself. There are probably areas of Korea that weren't within a hundred miles of the war. If you're in one of those, find out the chances of any old buried ordnance being anywhere nearby. Check with the police, historians or anyone else you can think of who would know. And check if there are any local THers that you can learn from. Then use your own judgement.

Good luck and stay out of trouble.

-Jim

 

[ARCOMANDPURPLE]

HEY WHISKERS ,READ AGAIN I said QUOTE [ 100 OF YEARS}

 

[abrakdabra]

I've read a bit about the Korean War. The forces of the south were pushed down to Pusan, the second largest city of Korea in the south on the coast. Then General McC pushed forces north very quickly, combined with a landing at Incheon.
I asked some middle school students today (I am an English teacher) and they said there is some metal dectecting in Korea. They have seen detectorists working beaches along the East coast which is VERY busy in the Summer especially for the three weeks that ALL Koreans have their yearly holiday. And those dectorists make money at that, pulling up coins, jewellery, etc. As for ordnance they are well-versed in Korean history and they said that the Pusan area, where I happen to be, didn't experience much battling.
I hear you about doing research. I can't think of anything more stupid than getting blown up detecting, haha.
I heard from a detectorist in Germany in a PM that shells and bombs tend to sink into the ground and evade detection. And if you start finding bullets, etc., to take the hint.

 

[ARCOMANDPURPLE]

HI,AGAIN
WELL,THAT MD'IER IN GERMANY FORGOT TO TELL YOU THAT 9 TIMES OUT OF 10 THE REASON THE BOMBS DID NOT EXPLODE ,WAS BECAUSE IT GLANCED ON A TREE OR ANY OBSTRUCTIONS AND FLIPPED AND IS BURIED BY ITS WEIGHT WITH THE DETONATOR FACING UP,YES OVER
TIME IT WILL SINK,SOME (DEPENDING ON THE SOIL). THE ONES I FOUND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WITHIN 12" OF THE SURFACE AND CLOSE TO THE BASE OF A TREE.

 

[whiskers]

ARCOMANDPURPLE: "HEY WHISKERS ,READ AGAIN I said QUOTE [ 100 OF YEARS}" You are right, you sure did. My apologies.

Abrakdabra, I can't imagine how I forgot about Pusan, but I did. Glad you're on top of it.

-Jim

 

[ARCOMANDPURPLE]

HI WHISKERS
NO OFFENCE TAKEN,NO NEED TO APOLOGIES. BY THE WAY i NOTICED THAT YOU USED TO BE ON A QUAD 50 ? BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I HEARD THIS TERM!! I USED TO SYNCHRONIZE THE 50 CAL M-2"S,IN THE OLD DAYS.SINCERELY ARCOM