No one knows exactly how many bombs left over from World War II are in Solomon Islands.
But those working to safely dispose of unexploded ordnance (UXO) think there could be thousands of tons.
Chief Petty Officer Thomas Buchanan is the Australian Defence Force (ADF) adviser to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Explosive Ordnance Disposal Department.
Since 2019, under the Defence Cooperation Program, ADF personnel have been posted to Solomon Islands to advise RSIPF about explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and coordinate ADF EOD training teams.
Chief Petty Officer Buchanan deployed on Operation Render Safe, along with two RSIPF EOD officers, to search a lagoon in Tuvalu's northernmost atoll for explosive remnants of war.
The clearance diver of almost two decades said the RSIPF team were regional leaders for UXO disposal, and their technical expertise made a significant contribution to the operation.
In Solomon Islands, the dangers of UXO can be a daily occurrence.
"We've been to sites where hundreds of mortars have washed up on a beach after a storm," Chief Petty Officer Buchanan said.
"One of the mortars had white phosphorous inside and was burning out of control before we got there."
'It's one of the highlights of my career helping them get the job done, knowing that these UXOs are removed from the local population and not spoiling the environment.'
Another time, a tree exploded near a person's home.
"It had grown around the UXO in the 80 years since the war finished. Unfortunately, it detonated when someone started a fire nearby - they could never have known there was an artillery shell in the tree," Chief Petty Officer Buchanan said.
"The situation in Solomon Islands is you never really know where a UXO will turn up."
When RSIPF EOD officers find UXOs, or receive a report from the community, they either dispose of the UXO on site or bring it back to their EOD facility at Hells Point, Honiara.
The grounds were the site of fierce fighting during World War II and stockpiles of ammunition.
Today, Hells Point is equipped to x-ray and cut high-explosive ordnance before safely burning or detonating munitions in custom-made pits. Unexploded ordnance are cut in half, if possible, to make disposal easier.
But first, they must be x-rayed and classified to make sure they don't hold toxic chemicals, such as picric acid, mustard gas or white phosphorous - common among munitions during the war.
Chief Petty Officer Buchanan said it was a technical process but one the RSIPF have the expertise to handle safely.
"Seeing the RSIPF EOD team bring not one or two munitions, but sometimes hundreds per job is really rewarding," Chief Petty Officer Buchanan said.
"It's one of the highlights of my career helping them get the job done, knowing that these UXOs are removed from the local population and not spoiling the environment."
