Land Mines in San Diego!

[hbru123]

Most people know San Diego for its picture perfect beaches and amazing weather but beyond the beaches or sometimes right next to them lie a reminder of the intense training during WW2. Most people don't know much about WW2 in the US but I search for the relics left behind from the soldiers that used them. Today I was metal detecting next to a beach where a WW2 military camp was, I have found some wheat penny's, a war nickel, rations, and a lot of ammo. As I was detecting my brother called me over and said he found something amazing! I went running over and I see three prongs sticking out of the hole he dug, immediately I knew it was a pressure fuse to a land mine! I have found one of the pieces to it but nothing like what happened next. As I started to look at it closer I knew that it was not just a land mine but a extremely rare booby trap land mine(I have only seen one other example of this specific type), (you would take the top off of a grenade and put the specially designed fuse in it and it turned a grenade into a land mine), we put the pin pointer back in the hole to see if there was any more and sure enough it was going off like crazy, we carefully started digging and I hit something solid so I dug around and to my surprise out popped half of a WW2 hand grenade!(Thankfully the grenade was completely broken) Today I learned that even if you are digging on the beach be careful because you never know what you are going to find!

(None of the pieces that were found are dangerous any more. Because they were detonated in the past. The pictures you see are of it when I reassembled it and of it disassembled.)

 

[hbru123]

consider hiring a crew of low wage helpers to walk ahead before ya swing-- Gov. Moonbeam could be the "foreman" with help from nancy & maxine

[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

 

[hbru123]

Spectacular find you made!

Thanks so much!

 

[hbru123]

Congrats on the interesting find

Thanks you!!

 

[Cal_Cobra]

Very cool find indeed!!

I was once detecting at Mare Island after it was decommissioned. I was in the backyard of one of the mansions/officers quarters and detecting in a patch of ivy and got a hit, and dug out an unused gas gernade.

hh,
Cal

 

[hbru123]

Very cool find indeed!!

I was once detecting at Mare Island after it was decommissioned. I was in the backyard of one of the mansions/officers quarters and detecting in a patch of ivy and got a hit, and dug out an unused gas gernade.

hh,
Cal

Wow!! That's crazy! I wonder why it was at the officers quarters?

 

[Mzjavert]

I had images of the Military coming out to render it safe. I never would have known what that was.

 

[hbru123]

I had images of the Military coming out to render it safe. I never would have known what that was.

Ya! Thankfully I have studied WW2 a lot so that was the only reason I knew what it was.

 

[4x4x4]

....WOW ! You are ON IT H !
What depth was it ?
Nice post , pics and lessons !

 

[hbru123]

....WOW ! You are ON IT H !
What depth was it ?
Nice post , pics and lessons !

Thanks so much! The detonator piece was about 3 inches deep and the hand grenade was 6 inches deep!

 

[hbru123]

Thanks everyone for all the nice words!! It definitely was an experience that I will never forget! And after a year and a half of metal detecting I think it has to be one of me and my brothers best finds!

 

[smokeythecat]

Amazing! Note to self, do not dig anything that could go boom!

 

[hbru123]

Amazing! Note to self, do not dig anything that could go boom!

Thanks so much! Ya it was definitely a scary but amazing find!

 

[1637]

i like the part,we found this and keep digging,i would have been running,
be safe, brad

 

[hbru123]

i like the part,we found this and keep digging,i would have been running,
be safe, brad

Ha!! Thanks! I was definitely very careful when I was digging.

 

[Old Pueblo]

Reading about World War II sparked my interest in history. I also live next to an old WW2 bombing range, so Ive found some neat stuff from the war. Mostly big .50 caliber bullets and shells and belt links.

 

[hbru123]

Reading about World War II sparked my interest in history. I also live next to an old WW2 bombing range, so Ive found some neat stuff from the war. Mostly big .50 caliber bullets and shells and belt links.

Ya! It is a very interesting time in our history! I started out just metal detecting in random areas but as I have studied WW2 more and more I have found some amazing areas. That sounds like an amazing area to detect at! If you are ever in San Diego just let me know and I can take you to some of the bases I detect!

 

[hbru123]

One of the most interesting thing about this find is that near it we were finding WW2 rations and coins so I am not sure why a land mine would be near those. I guess we might never know. That is one of the fun things about metal detecting.