Wallsend, Swan Hunter, World War Two bomb

A World War Two bomb was found during dredging operations in the River Tyne near Swan Hunter Shipyard on Tuesday 1st December 2015. On 2nd December there was a controlled explosion by the Royal Navy on Longsands Beach at Tynemouth. German bombers would often release their remaining bombs whilst circling over Whitley Bay, Cullercoats and Tynemouth after attacking the shipyards at Blyth and on the Tyne. Whitley Bay was bombed on 29 August 1940. The church on Whitley Road was destroyed. The recreation club, bowling green and two houses in Cheviot View were directly hit. One of the worst air raids in Whitley Bay was when the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious came down the Tyne having been built at Wallsend. The Germans' parachute bombs on 16 April 1941 hit houses in Charles Avenue, Ocean View and Oxford Street. On another occasion Swinburne Gardens was hit. Another bomb was dropped on 14th December 1942 on Coquet Street. In Feb 2015 a WW2 bomb was caught in a net by a trawler (the Ticino) 3 miles off South Shields. The shell contained 286lbs/130kg of explosives. It was exploded by bomb disposal 18 miles out to sea.