Every autumn, the bare corn fields form a challenging hunting ground for detectives with a metal detector. Also for Anne and Jeroen from Tilburg. On Saturday evening they combed the soil around Berkel-Enschot. They found a mortar shell from World War II. The Defense Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service (EOD) cannot warn enough about this: “Ammunition is ammunition, it remains dangerous even after 80 years.”
“We went out in the dark on Saturday evening with our metal detectors. We enjoy doing that,” says Jeroen van Gool. He and his girlfriend Anne Boeder from Tilburg went a few hundred meters further in neighboring Berkel-Enschot to search a field where the corn had been chopped during the day.
“We go for coins, preferably gold ones. But this time we found two bullets within a few minutes,” says Jeroen. While he investigates the find, Anne has already made some progress. When her detector starts beeping, that’s the signal to start digging. “I am aware of the risks. So I don’t just stick a spade in the ground. I remove layer after layer of soil,” says Anne.
“When I arrived, she already had something in her hands. We both quickly came to the conclusion that it was a bomb or something,” Jeroen remembers. The pair called the police, who called the Defense Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and then photos were exchanged with an explosives expert. Jeroen and Anne were advised to cover the mortar with sand and mark the location.
The number of World War II explosives found is decreasing slightly every year. The EOD receives approximately 2,500 reports of explosives every year and various reports of suspicious packages and improvised explosives. The vast majority consists of found war munitions. Usually that ends well, sometimes not. Especially when people bring home old, rusted war munitions.
In Brabant, most unexploded projectiles are located in and around the towns of Eindhoven, Overloon, Gilze en Rijen, Woensdrecht and Kapelsche Veer. Areas where there has been a lot of fighting.
On Sunday and Monday, Jeroen and Anne went to take a look at the field. The explosive has now been removed. What remains is the memory of an exciting search in the dark. “We search three to four times a week,” says Anne. They first research the history of an area on the internet. That makes the chance of archaeological success somewhat greater. The Loonse and Drunense Duinen in particular are the duo’s favorites
“I found some coins dating from the late 16th century. And a horseshoe dating from the 17th century,” Anne lists. “But that mortar is my biggest find so far. To be honest, I think it’s pretty cool.” Unfortunately, the explosive does not end up in her private museum. “After four years of research, that is already quite apparent,” she admits, laughing.
READ ALSO: Brabant is still full of dangerous bombs and grenades: ‘The risks increase every year’