Perth artillery shell discovery: Metal detecting friends uncover partially detonated World War shell

A group of metal detecting friends have uncovered two wartime artillery shells in suburban parks 10km apart.

The most recent discovery, in South Perth yesterday, involved Graham Guiver and his friends, who were out metal detecting when they picked up a sudden strong signal.

“I dug a hole around the area and kept searching,” Mr Guiver told 7NEWS.

“Eventually I realised what I was seeing and called the police.”

Police shut down the area before Army explosive ordnance specialists were called in to assess the risk.

About 20cm underground the still live artillery shell was X-rayed before being deemed safe to remove and taken away for controlled disposal.

Defence officials said the find was likely linked to historic training exercises in the area.

Captain Samuel Marsh of the Joint Explosive Ordinance group said it could be linked to training during the Second World War.

On Tuesday, an evening of casual metal detecting in an Ellenbrook park escalated into another major emergency response.

Expecting to find “a few bottle caps. or maybe a couple coins” Ellenbrook resident, Sophie Cottrell uncovered a large, heavily corroded metal object.

What Ms Cottrell uncovered was later identified by authorities as an unfused QF 18-pounder high-explosive shell from World War I or II that had partially detonated long ago.

While part of the explosive charge had initiated, a portion remained intact inside the heavily corroded casing.

Because the shell was discovered late at night, defence personnel chose not to destroy it on site.

Instead, it was carefully removed and transported to Garden Island for disposal.