WWII era weapons and live grenades discovered

Imagine cleaning out your father’s shed, only to find potentially dangerous and very old military weapons.  Upon the discovery, distressed residents called for police assistance. Chester County officers responded and were able to remove and destroy “pineapple-shaped” grenades dating back to World War II.

According to the Daily Local News, police officers arrived at the scene and were shown an old ammunition box. Looking inside, they found three weathered military devices.  After investigating further, police determined the undetonated weapons were American and foreign in origin.

Once they determined the nature of the weapons, police immediately called the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department Bomb Squad, who responded to remove the items.  When they arrived at the scene, they assessed the devices, transferred them into a box and vehicle designed for this type of transportation, brought them to a secluded area and safely detonated the grenades.

NBC Philadelphia reported that the three devices was described as an outdated WWII era American military pineapple style hand grenade with the fuse intact, a cylindrical device believed to be a smoke generator with a fuse and a possible WWII era Japanese military explosive device.

The daughter of the homeowners stated that her father had recently passed away and she and other family members were going through the shed.  She did not give details on everything they found, but she did state they called the police upon finding the weapons.

The woman and other family members were asked to take shelter behind the home as the bomb squad removed the devices from the property.

The Daily Local News reported that investigators found no evidence to lead them to believe that the devices were going to be used criminally. No charges are pending.

“I wish to thank all of the emergency responders and the public works department for their assistance in rendering these potentially dangerous volatile devices inert,” said Police Superintendent Anthony Giaimo.

Radnor Fire Company and Ambulance and Berwyn Fire Company and Ambulance were at the scene of the detonation to assist if any injuries occurred and fires ignited.