WWII shells found on Brittany beach

BOMB squad experts have exploded a cache of Second World War German shells that were uncovered on a beach in Brittany by the weekend storms.

The shells were found beside a pillbox on Saint-Pierre beach at Locmariaquer in Morbihan as local authority officials made checks after around three metres of dunes were swept away in the storm.

Around 100 shells were found at Er Hourél Point and the popular beach on Quiberon Bay was closed.

Bomb experts were called in from their base in Nantes and found that, although many of the shells had already been fired, others still contained high explosive. In total, around 5kg of explosive was found and set off in a controlled explosion yesterday mid-afternoon.

The remains were part of the German Atlantic Wall defences, intended to prevent invasion.

Unexploded munitions are often exposed by the weather along the Brittany coast and Ouest France said that after dealing with the Locmariaquer alert the bomb squad headed for Plouharnel, to deal with another shell found on Sainte-Barbe beach.
Screengrab: Ouest-France video