New Zealand Defence Force disposes of World War II-era mortar bomb in Whanganui

Kyle Dalton said Landguard Bluff had been used for well over a century for army exercises. Photo / Bevan Conley

A three-inch drill mortar bomb found by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) on Landguard Rd in Whanganui came from Word War II-era training exercises.

The NZDF evacuated the area on Landguard Rd and disposed of the bomb on May 19.

An NZDF spokesman said although the item located was inert, it was similar in appearance to a live bomb so caution had to be taken.

Kyle Dalton, from Whanganui History and Heritage, said the bomb was a drill round filled with sand and, although it would have been fired, there was no explosive element in it.

“A civilian wouldn’t be able to tell if it was a live or a drill round,” Dalton said.

“It would look like a normal bomb.”

The NZDF spokesman said the three-inch drill mortar bomb was developed by the British in the 1930s, and the live version of the mortar was first used in combat during WWII.

“The mortar was replaced by the L16 81mm mortar in the 1960s but was likely used in training until the mid-1980s. Whanganui was home to the 7th Battalion.

“It is possible that this item was used to train these soldiers during this time.”

Dalton said the Landguard Bluff area had been used for well over a century for army exercises and there would be a lot of expended ammunition and blank rounds lying around.

“Three-inch mortars were used between the 1930s and 1960s, and obviously, out at Landguard Bluff, they used to hold a lot of training [sessions] there.

“They were out there most weekends and, in this case, it’s a round that somebody’s fired, and it has buried itself in the sand and they haven’t been able to find it.”

The NZDF warns members of the public who suspect an item may contain explosives not to touch it and to contact the police.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.