King's Hill, former RAF West Malling
January 2024 · King's Hill, Kent
View this record on the map →- Date
- January 2024
- Record type
- Found UXO
- Bomb weight
- 50kg
- Casualties
- None reported
- Location
- King's Hill, Kent
- Position accuracy
- Confirmed incident, approximate point
What happened
A 50kg German unexploded bomb was uncovered during construction work at King's Hill, on the site of the former RAF West Malling airfield, which was heavily attacked during the Battle of Britain.
How it was made safe
Destroyed in a controlled explosion the following day, behind blast mitigation installed by an EOD team.
Evacuation
A school and several neighbouring premises evacuated behind a police cordon.
Also worth knowing
A second 50kg German bomb had been found and destroyed at the same site in June 2023. Wartime airfields remain among the most reliable places to find unexploded ordnance eighty years on.