RAF Fauld explosion
| RAF Fauld explosion | |
|---|---|
| Staffordshire, England, UK | |
Aerial view of the crater and damage to the surrounding area caused by the explosion, taken by the RAF on 4 December 1944 | |
| Location | |
Location in Staffordshire | |
| Coordinates | 52°50′50″N 01°43′50″W / 52.84722°N 1.73056°W |
The RAF Fauld explosion was a military accident which occurred at 11:11 am on Monday, 27 November 1944 at the RAF Fauld underground munitions storage depot in Staffordshire, England. It was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history and the largest on UK soil.
Between 3,500 and 4,000 tonnes (3,900 and 4,400 tons) of ordnance exploded, mostly high explosives. The explosion crater has a depth of 100 feet (30 m) and a maximum width of 1,007 feet (307 m) although different sources have exaggerated this size. The crater is still visible just south of Fauld, to the east of Hanbury, Staffordshire. It is now known as the Hanbury Crater.
A nearby reservoir containing 450,000 cubic metres (16,000,000 cu ft) of water was obliterated in the incident, along with several buildings including a complete farm. Flooding caused by the destruction of the reservoir added to the damage caused by the explosion.
A combination of the power of the explosion and wartime censorship in the UK means that the exact death toll is uncertain; it is believed that about 70 people died in the explosion and resulting flood.