Suffolk Street, Hendon, Sunderland
14 October 2002 · Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
View this record on the map →- Date
- 14 October 2002
- Record type
- Found UXO
- Bomb weight
- 454kg
- Casualties
- None reported
- Location
- Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
- Position accuracy
- Confirmed incident, street-derived point
What happened
A 1,000lb German bomb was uncovered behind the Deerness Park Medical Centre on Suffolk Street. It had been shed by a Heinkel He 111 during a crash landing on 5 September 1940 in which five people died, including four of the German crew.
How it was made safe
Judged impossible to disarm safely, moved to Hendon Beach at Salterfen Rocks and detonated by remote control in the early hours of 17 October.
Evacuation
Around 2,000 residents evacuated, with an estimated 1,000 more choosing to stay. Authorities warned the device could crater 25 feet and damage buildings up to 650 feet away.
Also worth knowing
The only recorded damage was three original stained-glass windows at the Hendon Grange pub. Sunderland's war total was 273 civilians killed and 838 injured.