By J. Brock (FINN)

Jamie Curtis, 11, had been out for some holiday fun with his family in the Mt. William area of East Falkland, when he came across something that potentially dangerous. Members of Jamie’s family had been camping in the area on Thursday, 09 January and had been looking at an old peat cutter when Jamie found the partially exposed device. Only a corroded tail fin was showing at ground level. He then pointed it out to his grandfather, Bill Curtis, who asked Roy Smith, a member of the camping party, to place the call to the Explosive Ordinance Detachment based in Stanley..

The EOD under the leadership of Q Mines, Tay Taylor, were tasked and when approaching the device, determined that it was an 81mm high explosive mortar that had been hidden in the peat since the 1982 Conflict. Sgt. George McArrow and Cpl. "Woody" Woodham set the charges and the mortar was blown in situ. Jamie was rewarded by being safely present when the mortar exploded.

Jamie said he knew what to do because the Joint Services Explosive Ordinance Detachment in the Falklands make regular appearances at school assemblies to teach children in the Falklands what to do if they find something that looks dangerous. They are taught not to touch the object, but to mark out where it is and then either report it themselves or have a responsible adult do it as soon as possible after finding anything that looks suspicious.

This story will be updated as and when new information comes in.