Dear all, 

To quote Cpl Jones and Douglas Adams, 'don't panic!' Howard sent me a photo to identify the 'bomb' and I have positively identified it. It is a fake made from an oxygen cylinder from a WW2 USAAF B17 bomber. There's no hazard to visitors, staff or premises. 

If any museum is ever unsure about potentially explosive devices, the experts to contact are 11 EOD Regiment via your local police force.
http://www.army.mod.uk/logistic/regiments/24908.aspx

Never assume items to be inert as there was a notorious case of a huge grand slam bomb being used as a gate guardian at RAF Scampton.
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2015/11/06/the-raf-discovered-that-a-15-year-old-gate-guard-grand-slam-bomb-was-actually-live/

Rightio, keep calm and carry on drinking tea...

Kind regards

Matthew

Matthew Ward
Historian and Broadcaster
@HistoryNeedsYou
HistoryNeedsYou.com

On 12 May 2016, at 11:35, Benge, Howard <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Hello

 

I need a curatorial input into supposed First World War bomb in a collection. I think it’s fake, but need specialist clarification. We have no-one on our team who can do that.


Can anyone point me to someone who could help me with this?

 

Thanks,

 

Howard

 

Howard Benge

Public Programmes and Development Manager

Guildhall Library

Culture, Heritage and Libraries Department
City of London
Tel: 020 7332 1892


www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

 

<image003.png>

 

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + GEM list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask] For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + GEM list: Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask] For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=GEM + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +