Date bomb found in Keyham garden was dropped worked out

Stacey Anderson, media archivist at The Box, said it is believed the bomb found in Keyham fell on 22 or 23 April, 1941

Archivists believe they have worked out the date the World War Two bomb found in Plymouth was dropped on the city.

A 309m (1,014ft) cordon has been set up after the German bomb was discovered in a garden in Keyham on Tuesday.

Staff at The Box have revealed they think the 500kg (1,102lb) explosive fell during one of the heaviest nights of bombing in the city.

Using "bomb maps" from the war, the museum said it was dropped on 22 or 23 April, 1941.

The Box said 1,362 bombs exploded in the city during the war.

Stacey Anderson, media archivist at The Box, said the maps - which have been digitalised - show a line of bombs exploded in the St Thomas Avenue area, where the bomb was found, on those dates.

The Box said 1,362 bombs exploded in Plymouth during World War Two

The maps show a couple of gaps along the route where the bombs were dropped by German aircraft, including one around where the cordon has been put up.

Ms Anderson said: "This night was when that particular bomb fell."

A Plymouth resident who lived in the city during the war said it was "scary" during the conflict, but the so-called "blitz spirit" kicked in quickly.

Norah Hoskin was nine years old when German planes started dropping bombs on the city.

Norah Hoskin said everybody "rallied around" after bombing raids during the war

She said: "It was very exciting, you could look up in the sky and all the flashlights were on and you could see the planes.

"It was scary at times, you heard the bangs and that.

"And you would go up and sometimes you would look and you'd think 'oh, where's that house gone?' and lucky you would think it's not our house, but it was your friend's house.

"But everybody rallied around and helped that person out."

'Very drastic step'

Plymouth City Council said more than 1,219 properties had been evacuated due to the bomb, and an estimated 3,250 people had been displaced.

Plymouth Life Centre is being used as an emergency rest area for residents who have left their homes.

The council and Devon and Cornwall Police said a "minimal" number of residents have stayed in their homes despite being advised to leave.

Jemima Laing, the council's deputy leader, said: "There are definitely conversations going on with all those people still to ask them to understand why we are asking them to take this very drastic step.

"I do understand, and of course we can't force people, but conversations are ongoing to really get people to understand why it would be the safest thing for them and their families."