Netizens in splits as bomb squad rushes to hospital after WWII shell gets stuck in man’s rectum

“Police attended Gloucestershire Royal Hospital on Wednesday morning (December 1) after a report that a patient had presented with a munition in his rectum,” the police said in a statement. “They attended and confirmed it was not live and therefore not a danger to the public.”

The man was said to be a military memorabilia enthusiast who found the shell while clearing out things, but somehow “tripped” and fell on the 57mm piece of army ordnance, Gloucestershire Live reported. The mortar round was used by the Royal Artillery in the Second World War as anti-tank rounds, though it would later also be used by British tanks in North Africa, the report explained.

In a statement sent to Insider, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “As with any incident involving munitions, the relevant safety protocols were followed to ensure that there was no risk to patients, staff, or visitors at any time.”

The unsteady patient was released from hospital after treatment and is expected to make a full recovery, “so long as he does not trip and fall onto any more artillery shells”, Hull Live remarked.

As the news spread on Reddit and Twitter, it sparked many jokes and memes online. While some wondered how the man could fall on the device, others resorted to cheeky wordplays to poke some fun.