Seven-year-old girl finds hand grenade near Ellis Beach, bomb disposal experts flown in

A father and daughter made a startling discovery on a popular Cairns beach over the weekend that led to bomb disposal experts being flown in to handle a potential explosive threat.

A WWII-era grenade found near Ellis Beach on Saturday, July 29. Picture: Supplied

A father and daughter made a startling discovery near Ellis Beach over the weekend that led to bomb disposal experts being flown in to handle a potential explosive threat.

Seven-year-old Holloways Beach resident Charlie Crossley was looking among the rocks with her father Alexander when she stumbled upon something peculiar – a hand grenade from WWII.

With the help of her father, Charlie reported the find to local lifeguards, who then alerted the police.

Seven-year-old Charlie Crossley – with her dad, Alexander – found a hand grenade 3km north of Ellis Beach. Picture: Supplied

“Charlie has a passion for geology and was out searching through the rocks when she came across the grenade,” Mr Crossley said.

“She called me over because she had no idea what it was and I immediately got her away.

“We drove to Ellis Beach to let the life guards know … we took them to locate it.

“Because (Charlie) found it and reported it … the beach is a lot safer.”

Two grenades were found about 3km north of Ellis Beach over the weekend. Picture: Brendan Radke

Police set a cordon around the area and bomb disposal experts were dispatched from Townsville, according to a police spokesman.

“Upon arrival on Sunday morning the bomb disposal team further investigated the site and discovered a second device,” the spokesman said.

“The devices were found to be a WWII-style hand grenade and a Japanese stick grenade, both of which had already been rendered inert with their fuses removed.

“Both devices were taken for disposal by the bomb disposal team who believe it is highly likely that the devices had been deposited at the site in the last 12 months.”

June 1944: Private HT Booby ready to throw No 36 Mk 1 hand grenade against Japanese position on Karkar Island, New Guinea. Picture: File photo

The Imperial Japanese forces deployed stick grenades, known as type 98 fragmentation grenades, during WWII.

Live versions of the grenades contained about 85g of explosive and would detonate within five seconds of activation, but the devices were notorious for poor reliability.

The other grenade, which Charlie discovered, resembles a No 36 Mk 1, or “Mills Bomb”, fragmentation hand grenade, which was the standard grenade Australian soldiers used in WWII.

The Mills Bomb had a fuse delay of four seconds and a “danger area” of 91m.

A police spokesman on Monday said investigations were ongoing.

Originally published as Seven-year-old girl finds hand grenade near Ellis Beach, bomb disposal experts flown in