24-Year-Old Hospitalized After WWI Shell Lodged in Rectum in Toulouse
A 24-year-old arrived at Rangueil Hospital on Jan. 1 with a 20-centimeter World War I shell in his rectum; bomb squad declared it demilitarized, officials said.
Overview
A 24-year-old Frenchman arrived at Rangueil Hospital in Toulouse on Jan. 1 with an eight-inch World War I shell lodged in his rectum, prompting emergency surgery and a bomb squad response, according to La Dépêche.
The discovery highlights ongoing risks from First World War unexploded ordnance in France, where officials say farmers and construction crews routinely unearth dangerous munitions during the annual "iron harvest."
Firefighters and an explosive ordnance disposal team rendered the shell safe and evacuated parts of the hospital, firefighters confirmed, while Toulouse public prosecutor David Charmatz told La Dépêche the ammunition was demilitarized.
Similar incidents include an 88-year-old patient in Toulon in 2022 and a 2021 U.K. case, illustrating that the millions of shells fired on the Western Front continue to surface, experts say.
Police said they will interview the patient in coming days and a policing source told La Dépêche prosecutors opened proceedings for possession of Category A ammunition, a claim Toulouse prosecutor David Charmatz disputed.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the event as sensational and humorous, using sexualized puns and wartime metaphors to entertain (e.g., “shell shocked,” “personal hurt locker,” “married munition with derrière”). They foreground colorful medical quotes and historical ordnance context while omitting the patient’s perspective, mental-health nuance, and medical-ethics discussion.
FAQ
The 'iron harvest' refers to the annual discovery of unexploded World War I ordnance by farmers and construction crews in France during plowing and building activities.
France uncovers around 900 tons of unexploded ordnance yearly, with experts estimating 300-700 years to clear all remnants; these shells can still explode and pose risks in former battlefields.
Firefighters and an explosive ordnance disposal team were called, they rendered the 20cm demilitarized shell safe, and parts of Rangueil Hospital were evacuated.
Yes, similar cases include an 88-year-old patient in Toulon in 2022 with a shell and a 2021 U.K. case, highlighting ongoing issues with WWI munitions surfacing.
Police plan to interview the 24-year-old, and while a source claimed proceedings for Category A ammunition possession, prosecutor David Charmatz disputed this.
