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In response to a written Parliamentary Question from Simon Hughes, (Hansard vol 282, col 863 15th October 1996), Armed Forces Minister Nicholas Soames released a site listing of known German Unexploded Bombs (UXB's) in the London area.

This data was reprinted from the Evening Standard - Wednesday 20th November 1996, based on information supplied by the Ministry of Defence.

The MoD has said action to make the devices safe would be taken only if it was thought they were unstable, so some of the unexploded bombs listed below may by now have been dug-up and neutralised.

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When a man is tired of life

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Well spotted - the quote is wrong, Dr Johnson in 1777 said 'When a man is tired of London he is tired of life'. Well nowadays once that happens, the first stop is Heathrow Airport. Conversely when a woman was tired of life in Sherlock Holmes time, her first stop was Whitechapel.

It is this basis that we use to divide up London into 4 quadrants. A line running North/South through the House of Lords, bisected by a line running East/West following the Thames to the East, and the M4 to the West.

To assist you find the rough location of the UXB's we have also included the A-Z page numbers [in square brackets] for Place names rather than actual locations

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Northeast quadrant

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1. Dagenham [68]
   
2. Sewage farm near River Rom, eastern end of Western Avenue
   
3. Western Avenue 40 yds east of eastern end.
   
4. Golf course, Hainault Forest, 600 yds from Romford Road.
   
5. River bank by sluice gates, Horseshoe Corner, 50 yards east of sluice gates
   

   East Ham [66]
   

6. Sludge region sewage works.
   
7. Allotments north of sewage works
   
8. Sprengbrand sludge troughs sewage farm
   
9. Sludge beds, sewage works
   
10. New London Electronics Works, Boleyn Road.
    
11. Rear of Creon and Silley weirs, 20 ft north side of creek in allotments
    

    Enfield [7]
    

12. East of River Lea, 30 yds from Lea Bridge.
    
13. Bridge House, Lea Valley Road
    
14. Gunsite 150 Battery RA, King George Reservoir
    

    Hainault [21]
    

15. Two at Hogg Hill
    

    Hackney [47]
    

16. Four at Latham timber yard
    

    Ilford [51]
    

17. Two at Osler Beds, Roding Cottages
    

    Leyton [48]
    

18. Leyton Marshes, rear of Latham's timber yard.
    
19. 100 yards south of Lea Bridge waterworks on marshes.
    

    Poplar [80]
    

20. LMS goods yard, West India Dock
    

    Stepney [64]
    

21. Baron's pickle factory, Assembly Passage, Mile End Road
    
22. Cemetery, rear of 33 Ropery Street
    

    Stoke Newington [68]
    

23. Abney Park Cemetery
    
24. No 9 filter bed, Metropolitan waterworks, Green Lane, N16
    

    Tottenham [30]
    

25. Marsh lane
    

    Waltham Cross [9]
    

26. In old River Lee, near King George Reservoir
    

    West Ham [65]
    

27. Woodside Road Rubbish Shoot
    
28. In River Lea, near 339 Carn Rd, Stratford.
    
29. Lloyds Rubbish Shoot, Marsh Gate Lane.
    
30. Bowling Green, Silverton recreation ground, North Woolwich Rd.
    
31. Tennis courts, Silvertown recreation ground
    
32. North Woolwich Road, between Carmelia Street by-pass near Pylon 109.
    
33. In backyard of 13 Wester Road
    
34. In backyard of 49 Baron Road, Canning Town
    
35. Burt Boulton + Haywards Tar Distillery.
    
36. Site of Halin's Piggery, Temple Mills, West Ham.
    
37. No 3 pit, Shellmar Wharf, silvertown, E16
    
38. Harland and Wolff, Manor Way.
    

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Southeast quadrant

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Crayford [101]

• Allotment in marsh, Bourne Road, near tidal stream.
  
• 150 yds NW of junction of River Cray and Darenth.
  

Croydon [134]

• Grounds of May Day hospital

Erith [85]

• Riverbank by Thames, Crossness, Abbey Wood.
  
• Disused sandpit off Fraser Road, River Walk.
  
• Can site, Harrow Manor Way, Belvedere Marshes
  
• Four at old LCC sewage farm, Crossness plot 119/120, East Road, Belvedere.
  

Lambeth [78]

• Norwood cemetery
  

Lewisham [96]

• Ladywell cemetery
  
• Deptford council cemetery
  

Woolwich [82]

• South bank of SR, 100 yards east of Woolhurst Road
  
• Wasteland by Harrow Way.
  
• Boston Manor Way 200 yards from Sewell Rd, 30 yards from cast site.
  
• King's Highway, opposite LT garage, Plumstead.
  

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Southwest quadrant

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Feltham [102]

• Three in river bed, Longford River
  
• Four in Ballast Pits, Faggs Road

Fulham [91]

• LPTB works, Parsons Green Lane
  
• 496 Fulham Palace Road
  
• Fulham cemetery
  

Heston [86]

• Bed of canal, Northumberland Wharf, Brentford
  
• Two, east end of Isleworth East.
  

Kensington [76]

• Front of 72/74 Warwick Gardens
  
• 126 St Anne's Road NW Kensington, W11 (front garden)
  

Mitcham [123]

• Streatham Park cemetery
  

Richmond [89]

• Mid-Surrey golf course in ditch between fairway and Thames.
  

Staines [86]

• Back garden, 34 Hazel Grove
  

Sunbury [102]

• Footpath, Pharoah's Island, Shepperton
  

Surbiton [118]

• On east side of railway embankment, south of Chessington station
  

Twickenham [103]

• Hounslow cemetery
  
• D C Pages Nurseries, Hampton
  
• Near Fairfax level crossong, over Bushey Park Rd.
  

Wandsworth [92]

• Two in Lambeth cemetery
  

Wimbledon

• Wimbledon sewage works
  

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Northwest quadrant

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Hayes [54]

• 20 yards south of Springfield Road
  

Hendon [26]

• Council refuse disposal works
  

Potters Bar [4]

• In field south of Cecil Road near Barnet by-pass
  

St Pancras

• Terrace of Kenwood House
  

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The German approach

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In Germany the bombs of course were British, however there are three main concerns arising from UXB's.

1. Heavy metal (Copper, Zinc etc) contamination from the bomb's casing.

2. Organic aromatics (Toluene, Nitrosamines, daughter products etc) contamination from the degredation of the explosive charge.

3. Heavy metal (Lead, Mercury) contamination from the degredation of the detonator charge.

However there are significant differences between Germany and the UK as regards surface geology, as affected areas tend to be sandy rather than clayey. This difference in hydrology and hydrogeology of UXB sites means that the risks in the UK tend to be less pronounced than in Germany.