Dambusters bomb washes up on Kent beach
A Dambuster bouncing bomb has been found on a beach in Kent.
The 'Dambuster' raid of May 1943 is one of the most famous victories of British history.
See also: Unexploded WW2 bomb found in Portsmouth Harbour
See also: Controlled explosion of WW2 bomb in Kent
The raid saw 19 Lancaster Bombers fly into enemy territory with the task of deploying bouncing bombs to beat the Nazis.
Operation Chastise was the name of the daring raid on Nazi Germany's dams in the industrial Rhur Valley.
The dams were heavily fortified and needed the bouncing bombs to beat them. They were designed to literally bounce on the water over torpedo nets and sink before detonating.
The raid was organised by Guy Gibson and the RAF's 61 'Dambuster' squadron. Thyme site adds that Wing Commander Gibson is recognised as one of the war's biggest heroes.
Now, one of the practice bombs has been found on Reculver Beach. Local business owner Lisa Clayton saw police descending on the area and managed to get some pictures.
Recover Beach was used as a testing ground in the build up to Operation Chastise.
According to Kent Live, Alan Porter, trustee of the Herne Bay seaside museum, said: "It is the end section of a test Bouncing Bomb which was trailed prior to the Dambusters raid in World War Two.
"It is an Upkeep, which is a larger type than the complete one we have on display, with plenty of information, at the Seaside Museum."
The Telegraph reports that he added: "The Environment Agency found the piece of the bomb during routine clearing of the shingle, it was uncovered by a digger.
"We've got a similar one at the museum but it's quite a bit smaller - this one is an Upkeep, which were actually used in the Dambusters raid.
"The army went out in 1997 and retrieved about ten from the sea, which they gave to different museums, but I've not seen one on the beach before.
"We're not quite sure what to do with it - it's so heavy that we might leave it there, I like the idea of keeping it as a public sculpture."
