Schoolboys Injured Playing with "Dud" Bomb in 1942

The contributor shared a newspaper story that featured her father, John Norman Wiblin (who is misnamed in article), and his friend, Reginald Blackwell. The contributor explained that Reginald's father was associated with the Royal Air Force in Abingdon, and the two boys had brought a "dud" bomb into Box Hill Church of England Senior School (which is now St. Nicholas). They began to play with the bomb in the playing field and were both injured when it exploded, along with another boy named Robert Day who was less severely injured. The contributor stated that her father had been a talented football player prior to the accident, and he had a large scar on the back of his leg from the explosion. The date of this accident was 8 May 1942, and it was reported in the Oxford Mail on 9 May 1942.