Imagine a regular workday in a chip factory, running smoothly. Potatoes from France are getting processed, and suddenly, one “potato” is too tough to handle. Turns out, it wasn’t a potato at all. It was a live WWI grenade!
How Did It Happen?
This bizarre incident took place at Hong Kong’s Calbee Four Seas Company. Their automated system detected something off while sorting potatoes. The reason? A century-old German-made grenade had found its way into a shipment of spuds harvested in France. That grenade had been sitting there since WWI, buried in the trenches of France, before somehow making its way into a batch of potatoes destined for Hong Kong.
Workers quickly called in the Hong Kong Police Bomb Disposal Unit, who wasted no time in safely detonating the grenade using a “high-pressure water firing technique” in a nearby alley. It was rusted and caked in mud, but still capable of exploding—a very real danger(VICE)(The History Blog).
It’s Not As Rare As You’d Think
Surprisingly, this isn’t an isolated case. Countries across Europe, especially France and Belgium, are still dealing with unexploded ordnance from both World Wars. Farmers routinely unearth bombs, grenades, and other remnants of war while plowing fields. Sometimes these explosives are found in construction sites or even homes. In 2019, the Hong Kong police defused three massive American-made bombs from WWII at a construction site, which required evacuating thousands of people.
What Could’ve Happened?
Had the grenade gone unnoticed and detonated in the factory, the results could’ve been catastrophic. While it’s slightly heavier than a potato (about 2.2 pounds), it’s still small enough to blend in with a shipment. According to experts, anyone within five feet of the explosion could have been seriously hurt or even killed.
What’s The Lesson Here?
You never know what might come out of a potato harvest! This odd discovery is a stark reminder that remnants of wars long past can still pose dangers today. While the likelihood of finding a grenade in your chips is almost non-existent, the fact that it happened at all makes for an incredible story.
Conclusion
This bizarre event of a century-old grenade mistakenly sent to a chip factory is a testament to the unpredictability of history. It’s also a reminder that, sometimes, danger comes in unexpected forms—like a spud-shaped explosive.
Want to know more crazy finds like this? Stay tuned for more!
