Bouncing bomb used as practise ahead of the Dambusters raids sparks alarm when it washes up on Kent beach
Emergency services flock to scene in Herne Bay, Kent
A BOUNCING bomb used as practise ahead of the Dambusters raids sparked alarm when it washed up on a beach.
The discovery of the device on Wednesday morning saw police, coastguard and bomb disposal specialists rush to the scene.
Eyewitness Lisa Clayton, who owns a cafe where it was found on Reculver Beach near Herne Bay, Kent, said: "We saw the police, coastguard and bomb disposal people on the beach so we went to have a look.
"We were really surprised - we've been here 11 years and had never seen a bomb here before.
"It's only one end of it but it's quite big, it's a lot bigger than I thought.
"There have been other little mine-type things on the beach before, but nothing like this.
"It's right by the sea wall, it's a busy area, but at that time it's really quiet and there was this sudden commotion.
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"Luckily you could see the concrete on the inside from where it was just a practice bomb."
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 1943 raids are one of the most iconic moments in World War II.
The Dambusters were members of the RAF's 617 Squadron who were specially assembled to bomb three dams in Germany's industrial heartland, the Ruhr Valley.
The raid, on the night of May 16, was called Operation Chastise and involved 133 aircrew flying 19 specially adapted Lancaster bombers.
They carried a unique new weapon, referred to as the bouncing bomb, but known by its codename as Upkeep.
It was a 9,000 pound cylindrical mine that was designed to bounce across the surface of the water until it hit a dam.
Of the 19 crews that set out on the raid, eight did not return.
In total, 53 men were killed and three taken prisoner.
Reculver Beach was used as a testing ground in the build-up to the raid.
We have been campaigning for the last surviving Brit from the raids to be knighted.
It has seen Carol Vorderman deliver a petition with over 200,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street.
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