3.5 TONNES OF WWII MUNITIONS HAULED AT HELLS POINT

An Australian clearance dive team has hauled in over 3.5 tonnes of WWII munitions from the water at Hells Point in Guadalcanal.

A media statement said the Operation Render Safe has found 82 United States 155 millimetres high explosive projectiles covered in barnacles near Alligator Creek.

Clearance Diver Petty Officer John Armfield said the explosive remnants of war were found close to a village.

He says it has been a massive discovery, noting it was only 40 meters away from the shoreline, only two to three metres of water and the locals are in that area all the time.

The Australian team worked with members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force to bring the explosive remnants of war to shore one by one.

The ordinance has been taken to the RSIPF explosive ordnance disposal facility at Hells Point where they will be destroyed.

Petty Officer Armfield said removing the munitions will make the area safer.

Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Frank Prendergast told his media conference this week the Operation has been going on well.

Mr Prendergast said he was advised by the Operation Render Safe Commander.

“I spoke to the Commander Render Safe yesterday. He advised that that operation’s going very well and they’ve recovered and destroyed over 2000 pieces of explosive remnants from World War II. I haven’t got the exact statistics but we’ll have those at the end of the process, but I understand up until yesterday they’ve recovered about over 10 tonnes of explosive remnants so I think that’s a good result for the community ad good work.”