From Wikipedia.
The RAF Fauld explosion was a military accident which occurred at 11:11am on Monday, 27 November 1944 at 21MU RAF Fauld underground munitions storage depot. The RAF Fauld explosion was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history and the largest to occur on UK soil.
Between 3,500 and 4,000 tonnes of ordnance exploded mostly comprising high explosive (HE)-filled bombs, but including a variety of other types of weapons and including 500 million rounds of rifle ammunition. The resulting crater was 400 feet (120 m) deep and ¾ mile across (1,200 m) and is still clearly visible just south of the village of Fauld, to the east of Hanbury in Staffordshire, England. It is now known as the Hanbury Crater.A nearby reservoir containing 450,000 cubic metres of water was obliterated in the incident, along with a number of buildings including a complete farm. Flooding caused by destruction of the reservoir added to the damage directly caused by the explosion.
The exact death toll is uncertain; it is believed that about 70 people died in the explosion.
The site remained in use post war. The RAF remained until the late 1960s, while the americans used the site until the early 1970s.
A picture from my drone of the blast crater
The RAF Fauld explosion was a military accident which occurred at 11:11am on Monday, 27 November 1944 at 21MU RAF Fauld underground munitions storage depot. The RAF Fauld explosion was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history and the largest to occur on UK soil.
Between 3,500 and 4,000 tonnes of ordnance exploded mostly comprising high explosive (HE)-filled bombs, but including a variety of other types of weapons and including 500 million rounds of rifle ammunition. The resulting crater was 400 feet (120 m) deep and ¾ mile across (1,200 m) and is still clearly visible just south of the village of Fauld, to the east of Hanbury in Staffordshire, England. It is now known as the Hanbury Crater.A nearby reservoir containing 450,000 cubic metres of water was obliterated in the incident, along with a number of buildings including a complete farm. Flooding caused by destruction of the reservoir added to the damage directly caused by the explosion.
The exact death toll is uncertain; it is believed that about 70 people died in the explosion.
The site remained in use post war. The RAF remained until the late 1960s, while the americans used the site until the early 1970s.
A picture from my drone of the blast crater
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