Workers at a chip factory in Auckland, New Zealand, had to call in reinforcements when what they thought was a “muddy potato” turned out to be a World War II-era grenade.
Upon discovering the grenade, the East Tamaki Mr. Chips factory, which produces french fries, called in the local bomb squad, the New Zealand Herald reported.
One of the workers who spotted the grenade on the conveyer belt initially thought it was simply a dirty spud.
“Richard Teurukura was watching the conveyor belt in the ‘potato receiving area’ of the factory when he noticed the muddy potato,’” the Paris Beacon reported. “The operator cleaned the tubercle and showed it to one of his colleagues, who automatically assured that it was a pomegranate.”
When they realized it wasn’t, the workers called the authorities.
An investigation into the incident revealed the grenade to be a training version of a World War II hand grenade known as a “Mills bomb,” and contained no explosives. It was dug up along with 28 tons of Ranger Russet potatoes from a farm in Matama.
“The bomb squad then came out and did a whole assessment of the grenade, before they determined that it was in fact an inert training grenade,” operations manager Roland Spitaels told the local news.
Luckily this spud was a dud.
Sarah Sicard is a Senior Editor with Military Times. She previously served as the Digitial Editor of Military Times and the Army Times Editor. Other work can be found at National Defense Magazine, Task & Purpose, and Defense News.
