You never know what might turn up when you clean out a shed full of old things. In the case of an Idaho woman, Diana Landa, what came up from her parents' shed was a Nazi explosive artifact, found while helping them to clean out. According to Landa, her parents have lived in their Meridian home for 25 years and rarely use the old shed on the property. When Landa uncovered the Nazi explosive device, her parents told her they have no idea where it came from, or who might have put it there.
Explosive device bore Nazi insignia and the year 1938
As reported by CBS News, Landa soon identified the object as it carried a Nazi insignia and etched on the bottom was the year 1938.
The bomb still, reportedly, had a propellant attached to it. Initially Landa took the Nazi device back to her own home in Kuna, Idaho and was trying to decide whether to keep it or to donate the object to a museum. However, when talking to a co-worker, it was recommended that she talk to experts before deciding what to do with the explosive device.
According to Landa, her co-worker is really into history and he told her the explosive artifact could still be live and that items like that tend to be unstable when they are old. It turns out Landa had been keeping the Nazi bomb in her own shed for a while, but then started worrying about her own neighbors should her co-worker be right and should anything happen.
Nazi device reported to authorities by Idaho woman
KHQ Q6 notes Landa reported the find of the Nazi explosive device to authorities and the Mountain Home Air Force base sent their bomb squad around to her home. They soon confirmed Landa’s co-worker’s concerns after they arrived at her home Thursday. Having X-rayed the device, they identified the object as a World War Ii 37-mm Nazi artillery shell and found it to be hazardous.
According to a public affairs spokeswoman for the air force base, they have since destroyed the Nazi explosive artifact via controlled detonation.
Finding the Nazi explosive a ‘once in a lifetime experience’
Landa posted her story on Facebook, saying it was a “once in a lifetime experience,” and that she didn’t manage to keep the Nazi artefact.
She did say the whole thing is a little scary and that now she thinks about it, they should have been more careful, but they had no knowledge of weapons or explosives.
Unexploded artillery artifacts continue to be found from World War II on a regular basis and it isn't always from the German side of the war. Blasting News reported in May that 50,000 Hanover, Germany residents had to be evacuated while bombs from World War II, discovered in the city, were defused.
