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15 October 2014
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Home Guard

by Researcher 230380

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Contributed by 
Researcher 230380
People in story: 
Joan Boulton
Location of story: 
Evesham
Article ID: 
A1079480
Contributed on: 
15 June 2003

My Father was a member of the Home Guard in Evesham. One night when he was on duty a land mine came down on a parachute. It failed to explode. The area was evacuated & the bomb disposal team were called presumably 0n a field telephone. Does anyone recall this incident?

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Message 1 - parachute mines

Posted on: 17 July 2003 by L Jackson

Hello Researcher 230380

I know nothing about the incident, but I thought that parachute mines were originally intended to be dropped at sea rather than being "land mines" as such? I believe they were only dropped on land during the Blitz as a temporary measure.

One floated down slowly over Hanwell, London during the Blitz and completely demolished the local pub. It made an enormous explosion, near where my late Grandmother lived.

L Jackson.

Message 2 - parachute mines

Posted on: 17 July 2003 by Les Alexander

Hello everyone, Parachute mines or 'Luftmine' had, indeed, been used as sea mines earlier but by 1943 they were extensively used over land. The 1,000 Kg mine of 8ft 8in was floated down to earth on blue/green artificial silk parachutes of a diameter just under thirty feet. This was supposed to gently drop the mine in order not to damage the clockwork mechanism. The mine was attached to the parachute by eighteen silk cords one and a half inches thick.

About ten per cent of these mines did not explode and as most were made in Czechoslovakia perhaps the clockwork mechanisms had been sabotaged.

Les Alexander 17/07/03

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